And 2007’s final repeats itself. After being left out last year, due to a shoulder injury, Romulo Barral returned with his lethal guard sharper than ever. The Brazilian took out his adversaries one by one till catching Gabriel Vella and securing his place in the final of the absolute.
At the other end, it’s been the same story for the past seven years. Roger “The Blanket” Gracie passed guard after guard, mounting and strangling each of his opponents in a familiar script, but no less brilliant. Up until the semifinal with surprise Claudio Calasans, he didn’t drop so much as an advantage point and had not fought 10 minutes adding the three matches he was in. In the semifinal, another ingredient from the old script was added and Roger fell prey to a traditional takedown, this time from judoka Calasans. After the shock, though, he dominated and finished.
Beside the finalists, many other beasts shone in the absolute this Saturday, in Long Beach. GRACIEMAG.com registered all the great moments on the path to the final.
Text and photos: Ivan Trindade
