Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 15/Dec 21:08

‘Ironman,’ ‘Rampage,’ share spoils with majority draw at Rabz6

A 600-plus crowd came out at the Rabz6 kickboxing event, on December 13 at the Sound Forge, St James. The night's main event, a five-round heavyweight clash between Kenneth "Ironman" Bishop and Jeremy "Rampage" Rodulfo lived up to the billing. The fight got off to a chippy start, as the fighters often had to be separated by the referee. There was precious little to choose between Bishop and Rodulfo, with the latter frequently trying to seize the upper hand by pinning his opponent on the ropes and unleashing a series of hefty punches. With the fans shouting "Finish him Ironman" and "Cuff out his face Jeremy," the two 200lb + heavyweights tried their best to land the killer blow in Rabz's first-ever pro heavyweight bout. By the fifth round, though, both men tired and traded an ultra-aggressive approach for much more passive attacks – often being restricted to clinching as the tempo slowed. After the final bell was sounded, some fans were left stunned as the judges ruled the fight a majority draw, with nothing to separate the two heavyweight fighters. Joshua said it was the second instance of a draw in a Rabz bout, and was disappointed Rabz's first pro bout didn't end with a clear winner. Ironman took the mic after the bout to share his thoughts, "I'm ah old veteran, and I believe Rampage won the fight," Ironman said, as he embraced Rampage and thanked him for a good bout. Middleweight fighter Le Shaun Moreno didn't need to lift a finger to retain his title as his challenger Thurion "Mad Dog" Garcia was ruled out for medical reasons. [caption id="attachment_1126772" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Nicholas Elliot (L) connects with a kick to Randy Sooknarine's jaw during RABZ 6 Fight Night at the Sound Forge grounds on December 13 in St James. - DANIEL PRENTICE[/caption] Having won the middleweight title at the Rabz 5 event in May, Moreno was expected to fight Garcia in the highly-anticipated co-main event on the nine-bout card. However, despite his best efforts, a disappointed Garcia was shut down by the medical team who diagnosed him with a high fever. In the end, Moreno, via a no-contest, took the opportunity to throw out a challenge to all fighters in the middleweight division, claiming he didn't see another fighter in the weight class on his level. Moreno will get his wish in May 2025, as Rabz Fight Promotions marketing director Joshua Garcia said Cuban fighter Yuray Prevail will be challenging Moreno for the middleweight belt at Rabz 7. In the lone female fight on the night, Rough House Training Centre's Brittney Cupen impressed as she won by a majority decision against Venezuelan fighter Leidis Fonten. The 205lb clash between Keiffer Alleyne and Micah Espinet was arguably the best on the night, and the former won via a majority decision after a slugfest through three rounds by the two heavyweights. Both men came out firing on all cylinders from the first round, but it was the fan's favourite winner, Alleyne, who stole the show with his powerful punching combos and lightning-quick moves. In his middleweight fight with HIIT FITT's Stefan Des Vignes, Jerome Barclay backed up his tough-talking when he won via a split decision in a very tight bout to go 3-0 in Rabz. Like Moreno, Barclay also made a bold challenge to other competitors and told everyone in the division, "I'm here to stay!" There was also a victory via a split decision for John Paul Serrette on his Rabz debut, as he defeated Haleem Jack in an exciting featherweight bout, getting fans off their feet with the execution of his roundhouse kicks. There were also wins for Tyler Neptune (200+ lbs), HIIT FITT's Nicholas Elliott and Golden Fist Boxing Gym's Josh Desilva, all of whom registered unanimous wins to kickstart the Rabz 6 event. Joshua said he and his team plan to host two other Rabz events in August and December 2025, and are currently flirting with the idea of taking their fights to the scenic beaches or a poolside area. He said kickboxing fans can also look out for more international appeal next year, with fighters from Jamaica, Suriname and Venezuela expected to be in the mix.   The post ‘Ironman,’ ‘Rampage,’ share spoils with majority draw at Rabz6 appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.