Ruff-Man will feature family-friendly fighting
By Seabrook Mow
Special to The Advertiser
Tomorrow's Ruff-Man International Contest at the Blaisdell Center will be like any other no-holds-barred competition, with one difference — this one will be less brutal.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
No-holds-barred, or ultimate fighting competition features combatants fighting until someone gets knocked out or quits.
Michael Revercomb, a Ruff-Man veteran with a 68-14 record, is a construction worker.
But the Ruff-Man will be "a family show," said Jim Thomas, creator and promoter of the event. "You won't see fighters grabbing chairs and whacking each other on the head (like in professional wrestling). What you will see is a true sport, no sex, or that wild stuff."
Safety also takes precedent.
All Ruff-Man participants must wear shin, instep, knee and elbow pads, headgear and gloves: 16-ounce for boxing and 6-ounce for grappling.
The referee is ordered to stop a fight immediately at any sign of danger to the competitors.
When: Tomorrow. Doors open 7 p.m.; starts 8 p.m. Where: Neal Blaisdell Center. ADMISSION: $10 (general), $15 (ringside), $20 (first row). Tickets available at the Blaisdell Ticket Box Office (phone #591-2211)
Only amateurs are eligible for the competition.
•
What: Ruff-Man Contest
"This is strictly for amateurs only, we're not open for pro level fighters," said Thomas. "They (pros) play for keeps, we don't. Most of our guys have families."
Said Russell Young, the event's head referee: "We sometimes won't allow over-seasoned amateurs to compete, we use our discretion. We're looking for that average Joe."
Michael Revercomb, from Columbus, Ohio, who's a construction worker and a standup Ruff-Man champion for the Midwest, is the type of competitor eligible for the competition.
Revercomb, 20, has been kickboxing for about 1 1/2 years and has compiled a 68-14 Ruff-Man record, with 32 of those wins by knockout.
Thomas said that the Ruff-Man contest can be a steppingstone for guys such as Revercomb, who may one day make a living through pro fighting.
"It's a developmental stage for beginning fighters wanting to gain ring experience, or guys that want to try and find out what's it like being in combat," Thomas said.
About 200 participants with teams from Mexico and India will take part in the daylong Ruff-Man contest.
Early in the day, a traditional martial arts tournament open to all styles will be held in kata (set forms) and kumite (point sparring). The Ruff-Man contest will follow at 8 p.m.
There are three types of Ruff-Man fighting divisions (standup, grappling and no-holds-barred) with five different weight classes.
The standup category allows boxers or kickboxers to slug it out in three, one-minute rounds. For grappling, participants are given one five-minute round to make their opponent submit. They are allowed to punch each other, but can only strike the head with an open fist. The no-holds-barred category combines the two divisions in three, one-minute rounds.
