The Tool Review 07.15.08: Rumble On The Rock 4
Posted by on 07.15.2008
One of the biggest promotions in Hawaii puts on an excellent show featuring Gilbert Melendez, Renato “Charuto” Verissimo, Paul Buentello, Dennis Hallman, and Gil Castillo. Oh yeah, and BJ Penn takes on Takanori Gomi. Need I say more?
I recently picked up the Rumble On The Rock 5-Event Set, a two disc collection containing the full cards from Rumble On The Rocks 4-8. I’ll be reviewing each show in the weeks to come. If you’re interested in picking this one up, you can find it at Amazon for $9.47. I got it at my local Best Buy for just $9.99, and I can honestly say it’s well worth the money.
RUMBLE ON THE ROCK 4
-From the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.
-October 10, 2003
We are welcomed to the show by Mike Anazuka, who looks like an anorexic Jay Glazer, and his broadcast partner Phil “NY Badass” Baroni. While Baroni has always been known as a better talker than a fighter, sadly that distinction does not follow through to a color commentator position. They hype the main event and the fact that it will be the #1 and #2 lightweights in the world taking one another on.
I should note that the fighter records are the ones shown on the broadcast, although some of them don’t exactly match up with online records.
MATCH ONE: BANTAMWEIGHTS - Antonio Banuelos (4-2) vs. Yobie Song (1-1)
Yobie Song enters this fight with just after two pro fights, both in Warrior’s Quest. Antonio Banuelos has a decent record from his time in the IFC.
Round 1
“Ultimate Fighter” 6 alum Troy “Rude Boy” Mandaloniz is our referee. Lots of circling to start. Banuelos shoots in and get a BIG slam. He immediately takes the back and throws a knee to the body. Song stands up but Banuelos still has his arms locked and gets a vicious suplex, then starts throwing punches. Song keeps trying to break the grip and get up but Banuelos is keeping him down. Song uses the cage to get up but Banuelos takes him right back down and gets in Song’s guard. Song is controlling the posture but Banuelos is landing some weak shots. Banuelos takes the back but can’t get the hooks in. He throws more shots and a huge knee to the body. Song finally gets up and they break apart. High kick from Banuelos misses. Not much happens as the round comes to close. The takedowns and control easily wins the round 10-9 for Banuelos.
Round 2
Banuelos throws a leg kick and Song fakes a shot. Banuelos fakes a shot of his own and then comes in throwing a nice little combination. He gets Song against the cage then grabs him for the takedown. Banuelos is in the full guard and keeping busy. Song keeps him close and is avoiding any big damage. Banuelos passes into side control and throws a couple of knees to the body. Banuelos postures up to deliver a right hand and Song tries to get up, but Banuelos grabs him and presses him back down. Banuelos still hanging out in the guard and he starts unloading so Song rolls over and gives up his back. Banuelos is mixing up his punches with knees to the body while Song keeps trying to get up. They roll and in the scramble Banuelos gets up and almost eats the up-kick. He falls back into half guard but Song catches his head and tries for a guillotine. Banuelos easily slips out and passes into the mount. Again Song gives up his back and Banuelos holds him down as the round ends. Not a lot of action but again Banuelos got the takedowns and maintained control to win the round 10-9.
Round 3
Lots of circling to start. Banuelos comes in with an overhand right then a high kick, before he shoots in and gets the double-leg takedown. He lands in side control and starts unloading but Song grabs his head and pulls him in close. Banuelos is in full guard now and throwing punches and elbows. The action slows down and Mandaloniz stands them up. Banuelos throws an inside leg kick and shoots in but Song finally shows a decent sprawl and holds him down in a headlock. He gets up but Banuelos drags him down and gets in side control. Banuelos starts to unload and Mandaloniz steps in and calls for a timeout to check a big cut that just got opened over Song’s left eye. They check it out and decide to stop the fight.
Winner: Antonio Banuelos, TKO (cut), round 3, 2:39
Following this matchup Banuelos would make his way to the WEC where he’s spent most of his career since. He last fought at WEC 32 where he was defeated by Manny Tapia. Song would never fight again.
MATCH TWO: LIGHTWEIGHTS - Deshaun Johnson (6-4) vs. Santino Defranco (11-4)
Both fighters are making their debut for Rumble On The Rock, as Johnson has spent most of his time in Super Brawl while DeFranco is a veteran of Rage In The Cage.
Round 1
Once again Mandaloniz is our referee. Johnson presses forward early and Defranco shoots in. Johnson uses a nice sprawl to avoid the takedown and they tie up against the cage. He pulls apart and throws a nice little right hook followed by a left. Defranco drops down but Johnson keeps a hold on him and ends up on top in full guard. Defranco uses the fence to get back up and they’re tied up again. Defranco is pressing him against the cage and trying to pull him down but Johnson is having none of it. Defranco pulls guard and Johnson throws some short elbows. He starts throwing some punches and then stands up. Back on the feet now and Johnson throws an inside leg kick followed by a left hand jab and Defranco immediately grabs him and pulls guard. Defranco tries for a triangle but Johnson postures up and backs out. They circle on the feet and again Johnson charges in with a left hook but Defranco avoids any big damage and they tie up against the cage. Defranco grabs the legs and tries for the takedown but he can’t get it. Mandaloniz breaks them up and again Defranco shoots but can’t get the takedown so he pulls guard. Johnson postures up and Defranco tries for a leglock but Johnson is pressing down and drops a knee to Defranco’s head. Mandaloniz rushes in to stop them and Defranco taps out. HOWEVER since the knee was illegal Johnson is disqualified.
Winner: Santino Defranco, DQ (knee to the head), round 1, 4:35
In the post-fight interview Defranco says that he tapped because he didn’t want to get kneed in the face again. He makes the point of saying twice that the knee to the face is illegal, just in case that wasn’t clear.
Following the loss here Johnson went to the WEC where he dropped his next fight against Yves Edwards. He would go on to lose three more times before walking away from the sport in 2004. DeFranco would bounce around from XCF to BodogFIGHT to the IFL. His most recent fight was just last month in CQC where he beat Kevin English by submission.
MATCH THREE: WELTERWEIGHTS - Gabe Casillas (6-5) vs. Ross Ebanez (3-1)
Ross Ebanez is a favorite amongst the Hawaii crowd, as he has fought on every Rumble On The Rock card before this one. Gabe Casillas spent most of his career in Rage In The Cage.
Round 1
Troy Mandaloniz does referee duty again. Both fighters miss the jab early before Casillas lands a nice little right hook that put Ebanez down. He rushes in and starts unloading but Ebanez stands up. However once he gets back to his feet he eats a right uppercut and grabs a hold of Casillas. They tie up against the cage and Ebanez tries to trip to get him down. They separate and Ebanez comes in and gets the takedown. He lands in half guard and then transitions to full guard, but Mandaloniz calls a timeout to check a cut under Ebanez’ left eye. They restart on the ground and Ebanez throws some shots, then postures up. He avoids the up-kick and comes in with a big right. Casillas keeps him close to avoid any more big damage. Ebanez is still in full guard landing a few shots and elbows. Casillas starts to turn and is trying for a kimura. Ebanez avoids the submission and starts throwing some big punches. Ebanez drops a few shoulder shrugs and punches to the body. Mandaloniz stands them up with about 20 seconds left and Casillas immediately rushes in. He ducks a left hook but goes inside and eats a HUGE knee to the head. He’s starts to fall back and eats a vicious left hook followed by a right. Casillas is down and Ebanez jumps on top and unloads but Casillas is defending on the ground and survives the round. Not too tough to score as Ebanez had the takedown along with some big shots to end the round, so 411mania scores it 10-9 for Ebanez.
Round 2
Casillas comes in and misses with the superman punch. Ebanez misses with a right hand and Casillas slips. Ebanez immediately falls down into guard and delivers some weak shots. Ebanez works him against the fence and tries to posture up but Casillas does a good job of keeping him close. Ebanez finally gets his posture and throws punches in bunches but Casillas uses the legs to push him away. Ebanez stands up and avoids the up-kick to come down with a nice straight left. He tries for the mount but winds up in half guard. They scramble and Casillas gives up his back. Ebanez grabs a hold with his left arm and starts unloading with the right. Troy Mandaloniz has seen enough and stops the fight.
Winner: Ross Ebanez, TKO (strikes), round 2, 2:53
After the win here Ebanez would continue fighting for Rumble On The Rock. He eventually made his way to EliteXC and earlier this year he fought, and lost, against Eddie Alvarez on ShoXC. Casillas went back to competing in Rage In The Cage and was later a member of the Tucson Scorpions in the IFL, where he went 0-2.
MATCH FOUR: FEATHERWEIGHTS - Gilbert Melendez (4-0) vs. Stephen Palling (11-4-1)
Gilbert Melendez had most of his experience in the WEC before this. Stephen “Bozo” Palling is a veteran of SHOOTO, Super Brawl and Warrior’s Quest.
Round 1
Mandaloniz gets them started, and Melendez is the aggressor early. He comes in swinging and they tie up against the cage. Melendez throws some knees in the clinch and tries to take Palling down. He picks him up with a double-leg and slams him down into half guard. Melendez throws some punches and looks to pass. He stands up and comes in with a big right that misses. Melendez is in guard and pressing Palling against the fence, while Palling is keeping his legs in to get some separation. Melendez stands up in guard and unloads some punches, but Palling avoids any big damage and works his way back up. They’re tied up against the fence and Palling gets the trip to take Melendez down and get in guard. Melendez has the arms tied up and is controlling Palling’s posture nicely. Melendez pushes him off with his legs but Palling jumps back on top of him and gets the back. Melendez rolls and ends up on top in Palling’s guard. He throws some punches, alternating between the head and body. Melendez throws a bunch of short elbows and Mandaloniz calls a timeout to check a cut that just opened up above Palling’s right eyebrow. They restart back on the ground and Melendez continues to throw leather. More short elbows from the top as the round comes to a close. Melendez was in control and threw way more strikes, and 411mania easily scores round one 10-9 for him.
Round 2
Melendez is ready to go, but Palling is slow to get off the stool to start the round. Palling misses with a straight left and fakes a shot. Melendez rushes in but eats a nice uppercut from Palling. Palling backs away and they go back to the center. Melendez comes in again but gets nothing. Melendez rushes in a third time and finally gets the double leg takedown. Palling has a hold of the head and is trying for a guillotine. It looks tight but Melendez gets out and starts dropping elbows. He drops a couple of nice overhead rights then more elbows. Melendez is just picking him apart with right hands and elbows. Palling pulls him close and tries to control the posture but Melendez is clearly the fresher fighter and is landing a lot of shots. Melendez keeps landing punches and passes to half guard. Palling pushes away with the legs but Melendez comes right back in and lands in side control. More elbows and Melendez passes to the full mount. Palling gives up his back and eats more punches and elbows and Mandaloniz stops it with 1 second left in the round.
Winner: Gilbert Melendez, TKO (strikes), round 2, 4:59
Melendez’s star would continue to rise in SHOOTO, PRIDE and Strikeforce, where he won the lightweight championship. Of course he is currently on a two fight losing streak, after dropping the belt to Josh Thomson last month. Palling went on to lose his next two fights and hasn’t been seen since.
MATCH FIVE: WELTERWEIGHTS - Shawn Taylor (0-2-1) vs. Ron Jhun (26-11-2)
Shawn Taylor comes into this bout on a day’s notice, after fighting less than a month beforehand where he lost to Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Ron Jhun obviously has the edge in experience, as a veteran of King Of The Cage and Super Brawl. By this time he had already racked up wins over Joe Stevenson, Pete Spratt, and Shonie Carter.
Round 1
Taylor misses a few leg kicks early and Jhun gets a right jab. They exchange and Jhun lands a couple of nice left hooks. Jhun drops down for the double leg and ends up in guard. Taylor keeps a hold of the head to avoid any big damage and they press against the cage. Jhun throws some big shots to the body but can’t do much more than that. Jhun keeps unloading to the body then finally gets a chance to posture up and land a few right hands to the head. Taylor grabs a hold of the head again to keep him close but Jhun still manages to land some punches to the body and head. Jhun starts unloading with the left and throws in a few elbows as well. Jhun lands some big overhead rights then goes back to pounding the body. Jhun starts to stand up but Taylor keeps his feet lock. Jhun gets into half guard and starts unloading again with some big right hands as the round ends. Complete domination by Jhun and 411mania scores the round 10-8 for him.
Round 2
Jhun throws a nice kick to the body, then shoots in for the double leg takedown. Taylor has no sprawl whatsoever. Jhun is on top in guard and is repeating his tactic from round one of mixing in shots to the body and the head. Jhun lands a couple of shoulder shots then starts unloading with both hands. Taylor pulls him close but he has no answer for Jhun’s top control. Troy Mandaloniz doesn’t like the action and stands them up. Taylor fakes a high kick. Jhun shoots in but eats a nice right hook. He still gets the takedown and is in guard. More shots to the body and head, mixed in with a few short elbows. Jhun starts dropping some BIG elbows and Mandaloniz stops it. Baroni says that Taylor’s corner actually threw in the towel.
Winner: Ron Jhun, TKO (corner stoppage), round 2, 3:05
Taylor went on to lose his next three fights, and he retired from the sport in 2004 without ever getting a win on his professional record. Jhun would win his next three fights before losing to Chris Lytle in his only UFC appearance. He is currently on a ten fight losing streak.
MATCH SIX: WELTERWEIGHTS - Gil Castillo (18-2) vs. Renato “Charuto” Verissimo (3-0)
Gil Castillo is fresh from the UFC where he went 1-2 and most recently was defeated by Matt Hughes at UFC 40. Renato Verissimo has three fights under his belt, none of which have made it past the first round.
Round 1
Troy Mand…wait, actually Larry Landless is our referee. Verissimo comes in with a couple of left hands and Castillo backs away. Castillo shoots in but Verissimo backs into the cage to keep it on the feet. Verissimo lands a nice knee to the head while they’re tied up, and Castillo starts throwing some knees to the legs. Castillo still has him pressed against the fence and they exchange knees inside. Verissimo switches the position then backs away. They move back to the center and Castillo comes in with a straight right. Verissimo presses forward and throws a high kick that’s barely checked. They tie up against the fence again Castillo throws some knees to the body. He drops down but Verissimo does a good job defending the takedown. Landless calls a timeout to try and fix one of the pads on the cage that came loose. They restart and Castillo comes in but eats a right hand. Verissimo throws a quick combination and Castillo grabs a hold of him. He gets him down and Castillo is starting to gush blood. It looks like most of it is coming from his nose. Castillo is on top but doesn’t do much with it as the round ends. Castillo did get a takedown at the end but Verissimo got the better of the striking for most of the round so 411mania awards the round 10-9 to him.
Round 2
Verissimo lands a left jab then hits the leg kick. Verissimo presses forward with a leg kick then a high kick and Castillo ties up with him against the fence. Verissimo throws a knee inside that lands between the legs and Castillo immediately doubles over, wincing. Landless calls a timeout and give Castillo time to recover. The replay shows that the knee wasn’t thrown too hard, and Baroni speculates that Castillo may be acting. After what seems like FOREVER they restart and Castillo comes in with a big left hook. Verissimo charges forward and misses with a high kick. Castillo immediately shoots in but Verissimo shows a great sprawl and they end up tied up against the cage. Verissimo throws a knee to the body, followed by one to the head. Landless separates them and Castillo looks terrible. In addition to the blood gushing from his nose there appears to be a cut under his right eye. Castillo comes in with a nice little combination and ties up. They press against the cage again but Verissimo takes him down. He’s in Castillo’s guard and starts to throw punches to the head and body. Verissimo presses him against the cage and lands some short elbows. Castillo scrambles to try and get a leg lock, then manages to get back to his feet. They circle and Verissimo lands a left right at the buzzer. Castillo can’t answer the bell to start round three so that is it.
Winner: Renato Verissimo, TKO (corner stoppage), round 2, 5:00
Following his win here “Charuto” got the call to join the UFC, and he beat Carlos Newton in his octagon debut. After that though he dropped his next two fights to Frank Trigg and Matt Hughes. He’s bounced around since then and was last seen in EliteXC where he lost to Jake Shields this past September. Castillo made his way to the WEC, and later to the IFC where he last fought over a year ago.
MATCH SEVEN: HEAVYWEIGHTS - Paul Buentello (13-8) vs. Andy Montana (11-3)
Paul Buentello had most of his fights in the IFC and King Of The Cage. Andy Montana had previously only fought for Rumble In The Cage.
Round 1
Larry Landless gets us underway. They circle to start and Montana comes in landing a nice right hand. He eats a left-hand uppercut and they tie up against the fence. Montana lands a knee inside while Buentello is trying to push him off. Montana grabs a single to try and get the fight down but Buentello grabs the fence to avoid the takedown. Not much happening and Landless separates them. Back to the center and Buentello comes in with an overhand right that misses. Montana ties up and Buentello lands a few right uppercuts. They’re pressed against the cage but Montana can’t get him down. Buentello pushes him off then comes in with a nice right uppercut. Buentello fakes one kick, then lands a HUGE left kick right to Montana’s jaw and Montana is out before he hits the ground.
Winner: Paul Buentello, KO (kick), round 1, 2:09
After his win here Buentello would eventually make his way to the UFC, where he started out 2-0 and was granted a heavyweight title shot against Andrei Arlovski. He lost that match and later made his way to Strikeforce. He also spent some time as an analyst for some MMA website. Montana made his way back to Rumble In The Cage and hasn’t fought in over a year.
MATCH EIGHT: WELTERWEIGHTS - Dennis Hallman (47-8-1) vs. Ray Cooper (12-5)
Dennis Hallman is the most experienced fighter on the card, with time spent in the UFC, King Of The Cage, Extreme Challenge, and SHOOTO. He holds two submission victories over Matt Hughes, and both of those fights lasted less than 20 seconds. Ray Cooper is a veteran of Super Brawl and SHOOTO, as well as Warrior’s Quest where he beat Jake Shields.
Round 1
Once again our referee is Larry Landless. Hallman charges forward and misses with a high kick. Hallman misses the spinning back fist and throws a high kick. Cooper charges in and goes for the takedown. Hallman grabs a hold of the head and drops down for a guillotine. He keeps it tight and Cooper is forced to tap.
Winner: Dennis Hallman, submission (guillotine choke), round 1, :43
After his win here Hallman would continue to bounce around and he also got two more fights in the UFC where he lost to Frank Trigg and Jorge Rivera. He also spent some time in the IFL and was last seen in Strikeforce. Cooper fought in SHOOTO Hawaii where he lost to Jake Shields in their second meeting, and then beat Hermes Franca by knockout.
MAIN EVENT: LIGHTWEIGHTS - BJ Penn (5-1-1) vs. Takanori Gomi (14-1)
This is obviously a big fight, as at the time BJ Penn was the #1 lightweight in the world and Takanori Gomi was #2. Penn is coming off the disappointing draw against Caol Uno, that effectively killed the UFC’s lightweight division for the next three years. Gomi was one of the top stars in SHOOTO, and is coming off a decision loss to Joachim Hansen.
Round 1
Larry Landless gets us underway BJ rushes forward quickly and gets the double leg takedown. He lands in half guard and throws a few punches to the head. Gomi is doing a great job holding Penn’s arms to control the posture. Penn throws some shoulder shrugs then gets his arms free and moves to the mount. Gomi rolls and gives up his back and BJ starts throwing some big shots to the head. Penn’s got his legs wrapped tight and Gomi can’t get him off. Gomi works to defend the shots and grabs BJ’s wrists. You can hear Gomi’s corner screaming furiously in Japanese. Gomi tries to stand up but BJ is staying locked on his back. Gomi turns and manages to get on top in BJ’s guard. Penn is using his legs to keep Gomi close and tries to push him away so he can stand up. Gomi comes right back in and lands a few shots. BJ escapes and gets the fight back to the feet. Penn immediately rushes in with a left hook then gets a BIG takedown. Penn gets the mount then transitions to the back. Gomi is bleeding from his nose now. Penn lands some shots to the head as the round ends. Penn was in control for most of the fight and wins the round 10-9.
Round 2
Penn comes in with a knee to the body. He misses a high kick but lands a straight right. Gomi connects with a right as well and Penn waves him in. Penn comes in and they exchange with both landing some shots. Penn presses him up against the cage and Gomi lands an inside knee and an uppercut. BJ backs away and they move back to the center. Gomi is working his jab more, but he eats a nice uppercut from BJ. Penn lands a left hook and Gomi grabs him and pulls guard. Gomi rolls and ends up on top in guard. He throws some shots to the head and BJ starts to move to rubber guard. Gomi is able to get back to guard and throws some big punches. Penn is keeping busy and working to keep him close. Landless calls a timeout so Gomi can clean his mouthpiece. They restart on the feet and Gomi misses with a big overhand right. Gomi gets the clinch but BJ unloads with the right. They tie up against the cage and throw some knees inside. They separate and Penn comes in with some big shots. Penn lands a left hand jab then a body kick. Gomi hits him with an overhand right. They tie up and Gomi throws a high knee. Gomi lets him go and they move back towards the center. Both guys are throwing the jab a lot and BJ drops down for a weak takedown attempt. BJ gets the clinch and tries to trip him up, but it’s Gomi that winds up on top in half guard. Penn pushes him off and they stand up. Penn swings big and misses and they tie up against the cage. BJ gets him down with just a few seconds left. This round was a lot closer but Gomi seemed to be more aggressive so 411mania awards the round 10-9 to him.
Round 3
Penn throws the left jab then comes in with a big right that misses. Gomi lands a left and ties up. They separate quickly and Penn shoots in for a single. He takes Gomi down but leaves his head out and Gomi tries for a guillotine. BJ escapes and gets the mount. Gomi gives up his back and BJ throws some punches. Gomi tries to stand up but Penn is staying locked on the body. He alternates his punches but Gomi grabs the wrists to defend. Gomi turtles up with BJ still locked on his back but Gomi drops back. BJ works for the choke and Gomi does a good job of defending at first. BJ keeps at it and gets the rear naked choke locked in. He tightens it up and Gomi taps.
After his win here Penn would move up in weight to challenge, and defeat, Matt Hughes for the UFC welterweight championship. A contract dispute would result in him being stripped of the belt and leaving the organization for two years. Of course he beat Joe Stevenson earlier this year to win the lightweight belt, becoming only the second man in UFC history to win titles in two different weight classes. Gomi would go on to fight in PRIDE, where he compiled a ten fight win streak and won the lightweight championship. Since the demise of that organization Gomi has fought just once, beating Duane Ludwig in World Victory Road earlier this year.
The 411: This was a show built around one fight, and that fight certainly delivered. Most of the other bouts were entertaining as well, although several of the fights suffered from being severe mismatches. Still, Penn vs. Gomi is an absolute classic and well worth the price of admission on its own.
