Bigger's Better XXV: Poprad, Slovakia RBR

Round 1

Horak bullies his way in, hooking. Buchmuller wilts...and the crowd goes wild!

TKO1!!

 

Semi-Final #1 - Lucian Bot vs. Roman Kracik, 3 rounds @ heavyweight

 

Round 1

Kracik is shuffling to his left, immediately looking wary of the long jab of Bot descending toward him with increasing speed as Bot feels out the range. Bot starts to hook off the jab, reaching around past Kracik's guard to slap him on the cheek. Jabs and rights by Bot pressing in. Kracik stuffs a jab up into Bot's mouth while trotting left. 1-1-2 by Bot,l pushing Kracik into the ropes. Jab to the forehead by Bot. Kracik has his guard split by a 1-2 and reels back into the ropes. Long slow jabs by Bot, keeping Kracik where he wants him. Kracik tries to step forward but is halted by the jab. Kracik bends in and jabs Bot on the belly. High inclined jabs by Kracik on the outside. Kracik drops into a quick crouch and launches a big overhand right but it's mostly caught on Bot's left arm. Kracik ducks as Bot is throwing a 1-2 but doesn't avoid it, clipped on either temple. Bot pushes Kracik into the ropes and scores with long uppercuts to the body. Kracik circles left and squeezes his forearms together, clamped over his face. Bot throws a 1-2 into Kracik's guard, then another between his eyes as Kracik backs up. Kracik whips in a right hand up top but can't reach Bot's chin. Double hook by Kracik at the bell fighting his way off the ropes, glancing.

10-9 Bot

 

Round 2

Kracik is getting jabbed in the face and forced back with uppercuts below the elbows. Bot is picking his spots from outside, comfortably. Kracik shuffles left and gets caught with the jab as he goes. Kracik begins to hurl up the right hand while circling to stall Bot's jab and maybe get through on a wing and prayer, but is unable to connect. Kracik follows a high right hand with a wide left hook and gets countered hard with a straight right lead. Bot presses the advantage on the stunned Kracik and punches him into a corner. Referee Klaus Hegemann resets them in the middle of the ring. Jab to the guard by Bot. Wide body hooks by Kracik leaning forward. Jab and crosses to the face by Bot, finishing with a hard left rip downstairs as Kracik backs into the ropes.

10-9 Bot

20-18 Bot

 

Round 3

Kracik is whipping the right hand up into Bot's neck and brow while getting jabbed into the ropes. Bot steps in with a double jab and then swats a left hook over Kracik's head as the shorter man drops low and bends his neck. Kracik is trying to flurry with Bot as he comes in with the jab, tossing wild uppercuts on the backfoot. Bot pins his arms together and takes a brief step back. Wild overhand right by Kracik, just shy. Kracik fakes a pair of hooks to the body and instead lands a looping right on Bot's jaw. Big flailing combo up top by Kracik, thwarting Bot's attempt to hold. Kracik is going for a knockout. Bot dances away, pushing his jab. Hard right to the body by Kracik. Big hooks, climbing up and then drumming back down Bot's body. Kracik is putting all his remaining power into his shots in the last half-minute, but Bot is getting his arms in the way and circling away. Left jab by Bot, snapping Kracik's head back. Kracik may be gassed with ten seconds left. Jabs.

10-9 Kracik

29-28 Bot

 

Bot advances.

 

Semifinal #2 - Ivika Perkovic vs. Lukas Horak, 3 rounds @ heavyweight

 

Round 1

Perkovic is moving forward as Horak hunkers down low and spreads his arms in anticipation, maybe looking to dive under a high punch to grab Perkovic around the waist. Horak twists and curls his body to his right while putting out a jab and Perkovic chops with a right hand. Clinch. Smoger breaks it up. More clinching as Horak leans over and jabs and Perkovic chops in at him. High jab by Horak goes right up past the face of Perkovic as they collapse into another clinch. Perkovic scoots back as Horak lunges with a hook on his gut, and then swipes down with a big right hand, missing. Clinch. Horak breaks out of it with a straight flurry while lowering his head. Perkovic has his left arm held and yanks Horak inside, planting a right uppercut on his jaw when he gets him close.

10-9 Perkovic but honestly not a lot in it.

 

Round 2

Perkovic is getting poked in the face with upshot jabs while bringing the right hand down like a hammer repeatedly, clubbing Horak on the head and back with it. Clinch. Horak pushes his left forearm up into Perkovic's throat. Perkovic tries pushing him away with both hands. Horak backs Perkovic into a corner with a scattering of lefts and rights fired quickly up into the air. Perkovic averts his face while backing up. Now Perkovic holds. Horak peels his arms free and flurries. Perkovic mauls into him, throwing uppercuts to the body. Horak gets in close enough to smother and Smoger breaks them up. Flurry up top by Horak. Body punches in the clinch by Horak.

10-9 Horak

19-19

 

The spectators are quite pleased. (Horak is their local boy)

 

Round 3

Perkovic is springing back on straightened legs, pogo style. Horak is threatening with high left hooks and shimmying left to right as he comes in. Perkovic drops a big right hand and misses. They clinch. Right uppercuts to the body by Horak, digging in several in a row while Perkovic leans his full weight down on him. Smoger breaks the clinch, only for it to be followed immediately by another. Perkovic is pawing at his eye. Blood? Perkovic is breathing heavily, stepping in with lazy jabs after Smoger breaks the clinches. Horak is ducking in with angles throwing uppercuts. Horak loads up and telegraphs big rights to the body while staying very low, below Perkovic in his blind spot. Perkovic comes in with a big overhand right clearing well above Horak's head and gets tied up and flurried in the chest.

10-9 Horak

29-28 Horak

 

Horak advances via unanimous decision.

 

Up next is the special feature, a WKN kickboxing world title bout.

They are five three-minute rounds.