16.02.2007 BJJ Worlds' History, part 4Jacaré and Roger tore off at the final stretch and come out of the first decade of Worlds as the current biggest names in Jiu-Jitsu and protagonists in the greatest rivalry in the history of the competition
 MOST NOTABLE SCENE from the Worlds of 2004 (22-25 of June): the armbar that caused controversy(left).
If the decision of the openweight division of the Worlds had not happened in the last three years, Roger Gracie would be leagues ahead of any opponent standing out in the competition. He submitted Fernando Margarida, Rodrigo Comprido, Saulo Ribeiro, Fernando Tererê and eight other adversaries. He also ran through with authority (see shut-out by points) by Marcelo Garcia and Xande Ribeiro. He did not leave behind enough names of such caliber, however, for someone to be on par with hem, in that sense. It happens that Ronaldo Jacaré hit the great jackpot in the History of Jiu-Jitsu by beating, twice, someone capable of having achieved what Roger did.
MOST NOTABLE SCENE from the Worlds of 2005 (28-31 of July): Roger's being loss of balance that resulted in Jacaré's double (above).
They were controversial and exciting finals in the openweight division like never before. And, as this almanac records so well, we have lived through a great deal of excitement and controversy over these last ten years. But not as much as in the grand decision of 2004, mainly. Four points ahead in the score, from having taken Roger's back, Jacaré went on unscathed in the dispute, on his way to the grand Jiu-Jitsu title. But, with little less than two minutes from the end, Roger uses an armbar to dislocate his opponent's left arm, who does not give up. The video is in the collective memory of the Worlds, Jacaré with his bent, and then on foot, left hand holding his belt, trying to avoid a desperate Roger's efforts. End of fight, beginning of a big argument, if the referee should have intervened or not, or punished Ronaldo's behavior. Who, in spite of all, was the new absolute world champion of Jiu-Jitsu.
Roger was, with authority, the super-heavyweight name of these years. See how he dealt with two semifinalists that crossed his path: left, the moment Margarida gives up and, right, also on the back, the choke that finished Roberto Tozi.
The following year, Gracie had an even more perfect campaign until the final decision. And adding his recent victories in Europe and the ADCC, he was the absolute favorite to win over Jacaré. For this reason Jaca’s victory was even more spectacular, despite the victory having come from only two points from a debatable takedown. And this also in spite of the movement of the two throughout the combat having been cautious, and the fight not having been even a shadow of the one from the year before. It was of little importance. Jacaré's double was recorded, and with it the feat of having overcome (twice) the extraordinary Roger.
Although he has reigned the absolute, Jacaré only took the middleweight title in 2005 (above), on defeating the same Bráulio Estima that took the title in 2004, the year in which Jaca had broken his arm in the absolute decision and would not dispute the final.
PS.: Two months before the World Championship of 2004, GRACIE Magazine published a report on the best of Jiu-Jitsu of all times. The report was divided by decades and, as the section for 2000 had not even arrived half way, it was known that the result for this part was not conclusive. However, with the fact that Jacaré figured at sixth place and Roger was not even listed in the top ten (they were nominated as the greatest revelations, though) we would certainly put this one back to the jury, if we could. But that is the task for 2010. In the meantime, we can only register their names here as the greatest names currently competing, at the Almanac of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championships concludes the first decade of the competition..
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