Bigger's Better XXV: Poprad, Slovakia RBR

Top of the hour. :good

This content is protected

 

• Ivan Bartek (Slovakia)
• Lukas Horak (Slovakia)
• Roman Kracik (Czech Republic)
• Lucian Bot (Romania)
• Eugen Buchmuller (Germany)
• Ivica Perkovic (Croatia)
• Patryk Proszek (Poland)
• Jovan Kaludjerovic (Serbia)

Bartek, Kaludjerovic, Proszek, Buchmuller & Horak are from pro kickboxing. Bot, Kracik, and Perkovic are pro boxers.

Usually there are some participants from the MMA world but this draw seems to be all strikers. Horak made his pro MMA debut with a TKO1 five years ago, but that's it.

 

BB 25 FIGHT SCHEDULE

Quarterfinal #1 - Lucian Bot vs. Patryk Proszek (Romanian boxer vs. Polish kickboxer)
Quarterfinal #2 - Roman Kracik vs. Jovan Kaludjerovic (Czech boxer vs. Serbian kickboxer)
Quarterfinal #3 - Ivica Perkovic vs. Ivan Bartek (Croatian boxer vs. Slovakian kickboxer
Quarterfinal #4 - Lukas Horak vs. Eugene Buchmuller (Slovakian vs. German, both kickboxers)

After the semis and before the final will be a special feature WKN kickboxing world title bout, five two minutes rounds between Steve Valente of France and Pavel Garaj of Slovakia.

 

The second quarterfinal is finishing up now.

Kracik and Kaludjerovic have been slugging it out since I tuned in midway into the 2nd. Pretty evenly matched. The smaller Kracik with his tank-like build has been pressing in and trading hooks with the longer and leaner but slightly doughy in the middle Kaludjerovic. More of Kaludjerovic's hooks are landing, but they're more slappy.

 

Kracik takes it on points.

 

Kracik will meet Lucian Bot in Semi-Final #1.

So far the professional boxers are up 2-0 over their kickboxing brethren.

 

QF #3 - Ivica Perkovic vs. Ivan Bartek, 3 rounds @ heavyweight

 

I think Perk has a shot, personally. He is my co-favorite with Bot.

The distant third choice is the other boxer in the lineup, but while the burly little Czech is tough as nails he is too small and too basic. He is also 42. Perk is 39, but he only recently gave Sasha Dimitrenko a real scare and is a high-level journeyman. Bot is a fresher 33 but might be in a similar class to Perk h2h. A final between them - which I am expecting - should be very interesting.

 

Round 1

Perkovic is stalking Bartek around the ring, showing his left jab. Bartek is dancing around him popping the left jab into the air, circling right and giving Perkovic a wide berth. Perkovic falls in with a left hook, knocking Bartek into the ropes and getting pulled into a clinch against them. Wild right hand whipped up top by Perkovic, making Bartek flinch into a low dip as he is grazed.

10-9 Perkovic