PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight kickboxing rules bout between Papa John (ranked 5806 p4p, 401 weight class) and Ethan Irwin (ranked 6645 p4p, 434 weight class). Over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

John
vs
Irwin

170 cm
28
140 lbs
9 - 9 - 1

168 cm
27
154 lbs
5 - 5 - 0

Great elbows
Insanely flexible

World class boxer
Good gas tank

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 9 - 9 - 1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Papa John!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 5 - 5 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Ethan Irwin!
The judges for this bout are Don Winkell, Frank Antenori and Timothy Bukovac.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Irwin throws a hook but John avoids it easily.
John lands a jab-cross combination.

It looks like Ethan Irwin has been cut.
John tries to clinch up but Irwin circles away and keeps his distance.

John fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Irwin, pushing him back against the ropes.
John throws a knee to the head but misses.
John misses with an elbow over the top.
John takes a shot to the head.
Irwin is trying to work out of this bad position, with his back against the ropes.

Irwin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
John on the wrong end of a nice hook.
John lands a leg kick and bounces back out of range.
John tries to clinch there but Irwin circles away.
John backing away here, and Irwin unleashes a leg kick that just misses.
John is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
John throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Irwin tries to check a leg kick but that clearly hurt him.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irwin walks forward and throws out a flicking leg kick. John checks it nicely though, as he moves to the side.
John feinted there with a counter leg kick.
John shakes his hands off, looking to compose himself, but takes a jab to the jaw whilst he does it.
John fails in his attempt to clinch.
Irwin misses with an uppercut. John saw that one coming.

John has closed the distance and engaged Irwin in a clinch.
Nice elbow from John.

Irwin breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Irwin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Irwin throws a leg kick but John moved away.
John throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.

John rushes Irwin and presses him up against the ropes.
Irwin on the defensive, avoiding the knees to the body.
John tries a body shot but Irwin blocks it.
John tries to land a knee to the head but misses.
John lands a body punch in the clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Irwin tries to circle away but John has him pinned against the ropes.

Irwin's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Irwin connects with a single shot there.

It looks like Papa John has been cut.
This has been an exciting period of action!

John closes the distance and clinches.
John lands a left hand.
John connects with a nasty looking knee right to Irwin's face.
Irwin misses with a short punch on the inside.
John throws an elbow that misses.
Irwin misses with some punches.
John creates a bit of distance and throws an elbow that only just misses.
John tries to land a knee to the body but he is off balance and Irwin avoids it.

Irwin breaks from the clinch.
John is looking to clinch but Irwin is avoiding it.
It seemed like Irwin was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Irwin tries to land a leg kick but John saw it coming and moves away.
Irwin misses the jab.
Irwin avoids the clinch attempt nicely.
Irwin takes a swing at John's ribcage but misses.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Papa John dominated that round.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action!

Irwin misses with a looping left.
John throws a sloppy head kick and Irwin moves out of range easily.
Irwin circles away from the clinch attempt
and Irwin counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
An inside leg kick lands from John.
An inside leg kick lands from Irwin.
Papa John seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.

John fakes with an overhand right and moves in to clinch with Irwin, pushing him back against the ropes.
John putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Irwin in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Irwin pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
John lands a nice hook to Irwin's body. Irwin takes it in his stride and looks to land his own strikes.
John is looking to clinch.
Irwin is clearly trying to counter these attacks from John with a body shot.
John swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
John scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Irwin doesn't seem bothered though.

That's one minute gone in the round.
John tries to clinch there but Irwin circles away.
John tries to close the distance and clinch up against the ropes but Irwin paws at him with a jab and circles away.
Irwin throws a leg kick but John sees it coming and moves out of range.
John throws a wild combination but nothing lands.
John wants to clinch but Irwin slips to the side
and Irwin counters with a lovely straight right hand!
John swings away with a body shot that misses
letting Irwin counter with a right hand.
John tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
John misses with a hook to the body
and Irwin makes him pay by landing a thudding low kick.
Irwin misses with a low kick.
John checks a leg kick.
Good shot there by Irwin.
John tries to clinch but fails miserably
and Irwin counters with a thumping low kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
John is looking to clinch but Irwin is avoiding it.
A big left from Irwin misses.
Irwin circles away from the clinch attempt
and Irwin connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
John moves in looking to clinch but Irwin pushes him off.
A countering left hand to the body from Irwin misses.
John doesn't manage to clinch there - Irwin circles away.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
John tries to clinch but Irwin moves away
and Irwin counters with a nice uppercut.
John fails with an attempt to clinch.
John lands with a slapping head kick.
John is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ethan Irwin showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
Both fighters have cut men working on them during the interval.
That's time! Back to the action! This is the final round!

John tries to clinch but Irwin moves out of range.
John tries to clinch up against the ropes, rushing in to close the distance. Irwin manages to break the clinch and circles back to the middle of the mat.
John takes a big uppercut there. He seems a bit wobbly but no, he's OK.
John tries to close the distance and clinch but Irwin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Irwin thows a left - swing and a miss!
John tries to close the distance and clinch but Irwin swats him to one side with an open hand palm strike and circles away.
Irwin doesn't fully commit to the body shot counter.
Irwin takes a solid shot to the body. That one hurt him but he's trying not to show it.
Irwin dips to his left and cracks John with an uppercut!
John wants to clinch
and Irwin counters with a leg kick that reverborates around the arena.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Irwin checks a low kick from John.
John keeping a good distance there, avoiding the body shot.
Irwin wants to land a leg kick but John is out of range.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Irwin misses with a body kick.
John is looking to clinch.
John blocks a jab.
John moves his head to the side to avoid a jab but walks straight into a cross.
A swing and a miss from Irwin.
An attempted straight right counter from John misses the target.
Irwin misses with a wild body shot.
John darts in trying to clinch
and Irwin counters with a thumping low kick.
Irwin throws a leg kick that misses.
Irwin has his head slapped from side to side by a 3 punch combination. That must have hurt him.
John takes a jab right on the kisser.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Irwin throws a leg kick but John sees it coming and moves out of range.
John walks straight into an uppercut. Luckily it didn't land flush.
John tries to grapple but his opponent circles
and Irwin counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Irwin works John's body with a nice hook.
A slapping leg kick lands for Irwin.
Irwin misses the shot to the body.
John was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Irwin does a little shimmy and throws a leg kick. The leg kick missed by a considerable margin though, making him look a little bit silly for doing the shimmy.
John tries to clinch but Irwin moves out of range.
John tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.
John ducks under a wild hook from Irwin.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ethan Irwin comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
I think Irwin has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 28:29
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 28:29
Judge Timothy Bukovac scores the fight 28:29

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ethan Irwin!