The Tool Review 08.05.08: Rumble On The Rock 7
Posted by on 08.05.2008
If you’re a fan of the big boys, this is the show for you. Kimo and Ricco Rodriguez are on the card, and our main event is the rematch between Tank Abbott and Cabbage Correira. We’ve also got Thales Leites, Vitor Riberio, and Renato Verissimo on the show as well, and not a single fight here ends in a decision.
I recently picked up the Rumble On The Rock 5-Event Set, a two disc collection containing the full cards from Rumble On The Rock 4-8. I’ll be reviewing each show in the weeks to come. You can find my review of Rumble On The Rock 4 here, Rumble On The Rock 5 is here, and Rumble On The Rock 6 is here. 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 7
-May 7th, 2005
-From the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii
We start with a video package of the weigh-ins. It’s kind of funny seeing guys like Tank, Cabbage and Ricco step on the scales wearing all their clothes, followed by the rest of the fighters on the card going up in their underwear.
Cut to our hosts, Ryan Bennett and the Animated Corpse of Stephen Quadros. They run through some of the fights on the show before throwing it to Bruce Buffer. Buffer steps out on the stage, fully lei-d. He works the crowd before saying, “Let’s get this party started, Polynesian-style!” We are then treated to a ceremonial dance presentation, and I hit the fast forward button. Buffer then introduces each of tonight’s fighters and they line up on the stage.
MATCH ONE: KICKBOXING - Jay Carter (3-0) vs. Josh Versola (5-2)
For whatever reason we start off with a kickboxing match-up. I really don’t care too much so I’ll just tell you that Carter wins in a short bout.
Winner: Jay Carter, KO, round 1, :51
MATCH TWO: MIDDLEWEIGHTS - Adam Roland (0-0) vs. Thales Leites (3-0)
Leites is making his U.S. debut, after spending his whole career thus far in his native Brazil. Roland is making his MMA debut.
Round 1
Troy “Rude Boy” Mandaloniz is our referee. Leites misses with a high kick and Roland ties up trying to drag him down. Leites switches and lands on top in full mount. Leites doesn’t throw any punches, but instead begins to set up an armbar. He locks it in and Roland quickly taps.
Leites would jump around to a few different organizations before making his way to the UFC where he got his only career loss against Martin Kampmann. Since then he’s gone 4-0, including a somewhat controversial win over Nathan Marquardt at UFC 85. Roland went to Rage In The Cage and called it quits late in 2005.
MATCH THREE: LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS - Alan Goes (6-4-2) vs. Chris West (2-0)
Goes is as old-school as you can get, going to a draw in his first fight with Frank Shamrock in 1995. Most of his time had been spent in PRIDE. West hasn’t fought in almost five years.
Round 1
Troy Mandaloniz gets us started. Goes lands a right and ties up. West pushes him down against the fence, but Goes grabs the leg working for a kneebar. West grabs the fence to try and defend, but Mandaloniz is right on top of them and forces him to let go. Goes keeps it locked up and West has to tap.
Winner: Alan Goes, submission (kneebar), round 1, :41
Goes would make his way to the IFL and go 3-1. He hasn’t fought in over a year. This would be West’s final fight.
MATCH FOUR: LIGHTWEIGHTS - Vitor “Shaolin” Riberio (10-1) vs. Tatsuji Kato (17-5)
Riberio is coming off his first career loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri in SHOOTO. Kato is also a veteran of SHOOTO and Super Brawl.
Round 1
Once again our referee is Troy Mandaloniz. Riberio quickly lands a left jab and Kato answer with a leg kick. Riberio throws a quick combination and shoots in for the takedown. He gets Kato down and lands in guard. Riberio lands a few punches and stands up. Kato quickly tries to get up but Riberio jumps right back on top of him. Riberio throws some short shots and stands again, but Kato catches him with an upkick and Riberio gets back into guard. Riberio throws a few elbows followed by some forearm shots. Riberio tries to pass but gets stuck in half-guard. He starts to work for a kimura on the left side but Kato defends well. Riberio gets back to guard and starts unloading some big forearm shots. Riberio gets back to half-guard and throws some more punches. Kato starts to roll to the side but he’s keeping Riberio’s leg locked up. Riberio lands some more left hands and Kato’s face is starting to swell up. Riberio stays on top as the round comes to a close. Total domination by “Shaolin,” and he easily wins the round 10-8.
Round 2
Kato misses the leg kick and Riberio charges forward with the left jab, but Kato just misses him with a big right uppercut. Kato hits a right hook then tags him with a leg kick. Riberio shoots in but Kato sprawls out of it. Kato misses a big left hook and Riberio comes in with the jab. Kato swings big and misses again. Kato throws a combination but Riberio ducks under and gets the takedown into guard. He pushes Kato against the fence and throws some big punches. Riberio lands a few short elbows and Mandaloniz calls a timeout to check a big gash that has opened up on Kato’s forehead. The doctors clean him up and let him continue, so they restart back on the ground. Kato tries to push him off with his legs but Riberio gets right back on top. Riberio starts unloading more elbows, and he seems to be targeting the cut. Riberio throws more elbows and Kato tries to push him off, but Riberio gets right back into half-guard. Riberio throws more punches and elbows and gets to the full mount. Riberio tries for an armbar but Kato quickly gets out of it. Riberio transitions to a side choke but Kato gets out of that as well. Riberio throws more shots and Kato grabs the body to defend. Kato survives to the end of the round. Riberio had control for most of the fight, but Kato did manage to land some strikes early. Still, 411mania awards the round 10-9 for Riberio.
Round 3
Riberio misses a left hand and eats a right from Kato. Kato misses a high kick, then tags him with a leg kick. Riberio shoots in but they tie up against the cage. Kato throws him down but Riberio quickly reverses and lands on top in guard. Riberio passes to side control but Kato rolls and gets back to guard. Riberio throws some shots then get to the full mount. Kato tries to hold him close but Riberio stands up and gets some shots in. Riberio jumps back in and works for a head and arm choke. He locks it in and Kato has to tap.
Winner: Vitor “Shaolin” Riberio, submission (head and arm choke), round 3, 2:32
Riberio would go on to win his next eight fights, before losing to JZ Calvancante at K-1 Hero’s last year. Kato was last seen in Strikeforce, where he lost to Gilbert Melendez at the Playboy Mansion.
MATCH FIVE: MIDDLEWEIGHTS - Renato “Charuto” Verissimo (4-2) vs. Yuichi Nakanishi (5-4)
Verissimo is fresh from the UFC, where he lost his last two fights against Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg. Nakanishi spent most of his career in Pancrase, and is on a two-fight losing streak.
Round 1
Our referee is Larry Landless. Nakanishi throws the jab early. Verissimo answers with a right and shoots for the takedown. Nakanishi defends and they tie up against the fence. Nakanishi throws a knee inside and Verissimo pulls out, landing a right hook as they separate. Nakanishi lands the left hand jab, then throws a leg kick. Nakanishi throws a nice combination, and Verissimo misses a high kick. Nakanishi tags him with an outside leg kick and Verissimo presses forward with a straight left. Nakanishi throws another combination but Verissimo ducks under and gets the takedown. Verissimo gets him down against the cage but as soon as he tries to posture up Nakanishi quickly gets back to his feet. Nakanishi lands another nice combination and Verissimo misses a right hook. Nakanishi lands a couple of left hands, then another left-right combo. Verissimo hits a big right, but Nakanishi answers back with a left. Nakanishi hits a big right hook and then charges forward swinging. Verissimo grabs a hold of the head and they tie up against the fence. Nakanishi lands some knees inside and then a short backfist as they separate. Verissimo hits a big left hook and presses forward swinging, but Nakanishi is still in it and they exchange. Nakanishi lands a few more left hooks and Verissimo ties up, pressing him against the fence. Verissimo lands a big right and goes in for the double leg. He gets him down into guard, but Nakanishi is holding him close. Verissimo starts to posture up and Nakanishi tries to push him off. Verissimo presses back down and lands some right hands as the round ends. Good action so far. Nakanishi was dominating the stand-up but Verissimo did get the takedown at the end. You could score this either way I suppose but 411mania awards the round 10-9 for Nakanishi.
Round 2
Verissimo lands an overhand right and shoots in for the takedown, but Nakanishi sprawls back against the fence. Verissimo still has him tied up and he picks him up for the BIG slam. Verissimo throws some elbows and hammer fists with the right, and passes to side control. Blood is starting to pour out of the back of Nakanishi’s head. Verissimo stands and Nakanishi throws a nice upkick. Verissimo gets back down into guard and Landless calls for a timeout to check the cut on Nakanishi’s head. The doctors clean him up and they restart back on the ground. Verissimo throws some short elbows and a few punches with the left. Verissimo throws some more short elbows and now Nakanishi has a big cut on his forehead. They call another timeout and the doctors stop the fight.
Winner: Renato “Charuto” Verissimo, TKO (cut), round 2, 2:51
Verissimo would go on to ICON Sport, and last fought in EliteXC where he lost to Jake Shields last year. Nakanishi would go back to Pancrase and is currently on a three fight win streak in DEEP.
MATCH SIX: HEAVYWEIGHTS - Ricco Rodriguez (15-4) vs. Scott Junk (0-0)
Rodriguez is a veteran of the UFC where he won the heavyweight title from Randy Couture, only to lose it in his first defense to Tim Sylvia. Junk is making his professional MMA debut.
Round 1
Larry Landless is the third man in the cage. Rodriguez charges forward with a flying knee, but Junk grabs him and takes him right down. Junk starts unloading with the right hand to the body, and Rodriguez grabs a hold of his body to keep him close. Junk tries to pass to side control but Rodriguez keeps him tied up in half-guard. Junk throws a headbutt and Landless warns him. Junk stands up and invites Rodriguez to do the same. Back on the feet and Rodriguez lands an inside leg kick. Junk hits a nice right hook, but Rodriguez answers with a knee to the body. Rodriguez briefly grabs the clinch and hits a knee but Junk pulls out. Rodriguez drops down but can’t get him down. Junk presses forward and lands a right hand, but Rodriguez ties him up against the fence. They exchange knees on the inside and Junk gets a foot stomp. Junk pulls away and Rodriguez misses a high kick. He tries for a double leg but Junk presses him down and lands on top. Rodriguez quickly tries for an armbar but Junk gets away, and in the scramble Rodriguez gets on top in Junk’s guard. Rodriguez postures up and lands a few right hands as the round ends. They kept things entertaining, and it’s a hard round to score. Junk had top control for a while and he seemed to be winning the stand-up, so 411mania awards him the round 10-9.
Round 2
Junk hits a front kick and tries to follow up with a right hook, but Rodriguez ties him up against the cage. Rodriguez grabs a hold of his head and drops down for a guillotine. Junk fights it for a bit but Rodriguez gets his legs locked up and Junk passes out.
Rodriguez would remain active in a variety of organizations, and has already fought five times this year. He dropped a decision loss to Antonio Silva in EliteXC, and was a part of the doomed YAMMA event. Junk would fight a few more times in Rumble On The Rock, and we’ll be seeing him again next week.
MATCH SEVEN: HEAVYWEIGHTS - Kimo Leopoldo (9-4) vs. Marcus Royster (0-0)
Kimo is coming off a loss to Ken Shamrock in his final UFC appearance. Royster is making his professional MMA debut.
For the last two fights we’re joined on commentary by some guy named Tito Ortiz. Never heard of him.
Round 1
Larry Landless gets us underway. Royster throws a quick left-right combo and Kimo drops down for a takedown. Royster sprawls and gets back to his feet. Kimo keeps trying to get him down but Royster does a good job of staying heavy and sprawling. Royster grabs a hold of Kimo’s head and starts to stand, but Kimo trips him down. Royster still has the head locked, but Kimo pulls out and is in full mount. Kimo throws a short elbow but Royster grabs a hold to keep him close. Royster pushes him off and gets it back to the feet. Royster tags him with a left, then another as Kimo shoots in. Royster sprawls to avoid the takedown and throws him down. Kim immediately shoots in again, grabbing a single leg. He eventually gets him down. Kimo throws a headbutt and Landless steps in to stop it. He tells Kimo to go the corner and Royster is hurt bad. Landless takes a point away from Kimo and gives Royster time to recover. The replay shows that the headbutt was indeed intentional. Royster’s ready to go and Landless warns Kimo that if he does it again he’ll be disqualified. Kimo tries for a takedown but Royster grabs a hold of the head working for a guillotine. Kimo trips him and gets him down, then pops his head out. Kimo gets side control and locks up a head and arm choke, and Royster quickly taps.
Winner: Kimo Leopoldo, submission (head and arm choke), round 1, 4:18
Kimo would lose his next three fights, and hasn’t been seen in almost two year. Royster would never fight again.
MAIN EVENT: HEAVYWEIGHTS - Wesley “Cabbage” Correira (13-7) vs. David “Tank” Abbott (8-10)
This is a rematch of a fairly controversial fight from UFC 45 where Cabbage won, then proceeded to do the “cabbage patch” dance. Some of Tank’s boys didn’t like that and a near-riot ensued in the cage. Tank has not fought since, and is on a four fight losing streak. Cabbage is coming off a 23 second KO of Walt Pels (who?) in the WEC. He has lost his last two fights at Rumble On The Rock.
Round 1
Larry Landless is the man in charge. Tank throws a left jab and Cabbage lands a few leg kicks. Tank presses forward with a combination and lands a left hook. Tank comes forward again and they exchange some punches. Cabbage throws another leg kick but Tank comes in swinging wildly. They slug it out again and Tank hits a few right hands. They circle for a bit before Tank NAILS him with a right hook and Cabbage goes down. Tank jumps in and lands two more big rights before Larry Landless jumps in and stops it. Cabbage is hurt bad.
Winner: David “Tank” Abbott, KO (punch), round 1, 1:23
This would be Tank’s last win, as he has dropped four straight since then. Most notably he was knocked out in under a minute by Kimbo Slice earlier this year. Cabbage would go on to fight three times in the last three months of the year. We’ll see him again next week when he goes up against Butterbean.
The 411: This is an odd show. There were lots of submission wins and a big knockout to close out the night. However there wasn’t a whole lot of substance, as most of the fights were pretty dominant performances for the winners. I can give this one a mild recommendation, but this is certainly the weakest card of the five included on this set.
