23.01.2007 BJJ Worlds' History, part 3 - 2002 - 2003BJJ enters the 21st century Pé de Pano biennium
LUKEWARM YEAR. Pé de Pano’s guard throws Saulo of balance. In a monotonous fight, inconsistent with his style, but remaining true to his style of declarations of the time, conquered the first openweight title of the beast`s carrer, at the highest level.The most skillful Jiu-Jitsu super-heavyweight etches his name into the history of the world championships
In 2002, Pé de Pano beats Xande and Saulo. The following year, Werdum and Roger. The black-belt raised in the Mata-Machado favela managed, in his own kingdom, to stand out more for his choice of words than the numerous moves he imposed on his adversaries. We see a little of the two:
Frédson Paixão pulls guard on the veteran Ricardo De La Riva, at lightweight.
The first year, he beat the Ribeiro duo, both by points. The most dangerous moment was left for the younger brother, who managed to escape a clock choke during the open-weight semi-final and lost by a sweep. It was the same move that guaranteed Pé de pano’s victory in the final, against Saulo. It was a great time for Pé, who complimented his opponents and was happy to have come back after the year 2001 when, injured, he abandoned the competition in the semifinal, when he would have faced Saulo himself.
the eventual lightweight champion, Márcio Feitosa, in an inverted situation (above) with Crézio Souza.
Now in 2003, after sweeping, passing the guard and putting his knee on Fabrício Werdum’s belly, he even managed to pass Roger Gracie’s guard, in a fight set apart for its unprecedented nature. For the first time in many years, two training partners don’t throw the fight, and fight a final that counts. It would be a point for Jiu-Jitsu, and the athletes took the fight so seriously that they even removed the names of the categories, saving their energy for the decision on Sunday. After winning 3 to 0, Pé let his tongue go loose: “I was having the worst time of my life. I was only 30% in shape. But my 30% is enough for the Jiu-Jitsu of today”. And as he fired those verbal missiles, at Ronaldo Jacaré, who (after winning the open-weight brown) was promoted to black during the award of his metal. He couldn’t resist the subject: “Look, now him too. I won everything, and I could be satisfied in that, but you know why I am not? Because I get really pissed-off when I see someone taking first place on the podium”. It was worse than just accepting, though, or foreseeing, he was looking at his successor.
PART ONE. Roger and Jacaré face each other in the final of the openweight brown belt, in 2002. In this first encounter, the Gracie, in the blue gi, came out on top and won by points. The two defendedthe same shield but met in the final. Roger would again reclaim the title the following year.
CONTROVERSIAL YEAR. Pé de Pano passes Roger Gracie’s guard and takes the doublé, according to him, only fighting at 30% of what he could have. The dispute between the two teammates only caused controversy because of the bombastic declarations of the champion.
DANIEL MORÃES receives his black belt in 2003 playing on top against Márcio Feitosa and taking, in the final fight, the lightweight gold from the previous champion.
AFTER THE LOSS to Roger the year before, Jacaré returns to black belt to go after the openweight title he was missing. Here, he yanks the arm of his rival Bráulio Estima.
FABRÍCIO WERDUM tries to take the back. In his first year at the highest level, Mirko Cro Cop’s current training lost to Pé de Pano in the openweight but managed to win the super-super heavyweight in 2003.
TERERÊ CLAIMA the middleweight title again in 2003 winning in the final against no less than Marcelo Garcia. Here the champion tries to pass the guard, but the battle ends with a submission, in a well applied triangle.
THE SOUTHERN BRAZILIAN Mário Reis dethrones Frédson Paixão with this cinematographic triangle. He would yet beat Alexandre Soca that day and win the lightweight title in 2003.
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