Event Results

ROUNDKICK RUMBLE VII
SUMMER FINALE

 

BOUT 1    MUAY THAI RULES “EXHIBITION”

Clayton Skidmore, 1-0-0 Team RoundKick, Des Moines, Iowa vs.
Josh Usera, 3-0-0, Dynamic Martial Arts, Rapid City, South Dakota

Round 1
As expected, the bout began with the fighters feeling each other out and not throwing many techniques.  Usera was cautious s due to a disadvantage with reach and height. Eventually, both fighters began to loosen up by using their flexibility to throw kicks to the legs, body and head.  In the first clinch, Skidmore gave Usera an accidental knee to the groin.  After a momentary break, Usera came back apparently fully recovered and out of nowhere, delivered a right reverse hook kick squarely to the much taller Skidmore’s head knocking him out 1:34 into round 1.

 

BOUT 2    MUAY THAI RULES

Josh Schwitters, 2-2-0, Team RoundKick, Des Moines, Iowa vs
Langdon Stahle, 1-1-0, Minnesota Kali Group, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Round 1
Quick and constant action opened this fight.  In an early clinch, Stahle’s headgear came flying off due to frequent and strong exchanges.  Schwitters was able to land several front kicks to Stahle’s abs.  Stahle’s best technique in the round was a solid kick to the inner thigh.  Both fighters threw a lot of knees in the clinch.  Schwitters’s body would get dangerously low, but he was able to pull himself up and out of the way preventing any fight-ending blow to get through his defense. 

Round 2
Stahle was able to land very well targeted round kicks to Schwitters’s body and thighs before forcing a clinch.  In the clinch, Stahle threw numerous knees, but referee Mike Storm had to break the fighters and warn Stahle not to push on the back of Schwitters’s head.  Schwitters figured out in successive clinches how to block Stahle’s knees more effectively and follow up with hooks and uppercuts to the body.

Round 3
In the final round, Schwitters connected with a few hooks to Stahle’s head.  Stahle again began working inside with hard knees.  Schwitters was forced to bend over to block.  He tried to pick up Stahle’s leg, but unable to, he quickly stood back up and continued to block.  The clinch continued with a volley of knees.  The fight ended with an all out effort by both fighters.  The unanimous decision went to Stahle.

 

BOUT 3    INTERNATIONAL RULES

Zach Johnson, 0-2-0, Team RoundKick, Des Moines, Iowa vs
Dane Cumella, 1-0-0, Dynamic Martial Arts, Rapid City, South Dakota

Round 1
The height advantage in this fight obviously was with Johnson, but Cumella was skilled at closing the distance and was able to catch Johnson off guard.  With every attack, Cumella threw flurries of punches and kicks with no intention of stopping.  Johnson, to his credit, kept his head up and his wits about him.

Round 2
In the opening of the second round, Johnson was more focused and concentrated on straight line attacks.  Cumella gave a clinic in bobbing and weaving.  Again Johnson attacked straight on, but Cumella stepped to the side to evade and followed up with his own barrage of attacks.  Eventually, he knocked Johnson to his knees.  Following Johnson’s 8-count, Cumella again began punching to the head, kicking to the legs and body over and over.  Johnson turned sideways and could not respond.  Referee Mike Storm gave Johnson a standing 8 count.  At the end of the 8-count, Storm asked Johnson if he wanted to continue.  Johnson turned away and spat out his mouthpiece.  Storm stopped the fight.  The winner by TKO at 1:38 was Dane Cumella.

 

BOUT 4    INTERNATIONAL RULES “EXHIBITION”

Chris Lyons, 0-0-0, Team RoundKick, Carroll, Iowa vs
Andrew Kappel, 1-0-0, Minnesota Kali Group, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Round 1
A 48 pound weight difference made this an exhibition but it did not deter the lighter Kappel from giving it all he had in this bout.  From the beginning, Kappel punched, kicked and pushed Lyons around the ring.  Lyons was able to maintain his composure and stay in the fight by either keeping Kappel at a distance with his leg or throwing a jab/cross combination to slow Kappel down.  Lyons, however, received several strong leg kicks that stung and caused him to stumble.

Round 2
In the second round, Kappel delivered strong leg kicks and then a series of punches to the head and body.  Lyons covered up but was unable to respond.  Kappel then finished with a leg kick that sent Lyons to the mats.  After the first 8-count, Kappel repeated his strategy and Lyons earned a second standing 8-count.  The final attack tired Lyons and after ending on his knees, referee Mike Storm stopped the match at 1:33 in the second round.

 

BOUT 5              INTERNATIONAL RULES

David Allen, 0-1-0, Team RoundKick, Des Moines, Iowa vs
Jason Morris, 1-0-0, Dynamic Martial Arts, Rapid City, South Dakota

Round 1
Another huge height and reach difference, but neither fighter seemed to mind. Allen, the taller fighter, appeared to be a more traditional fighter and tried to wear out Morris with leg kicks.  Morris favored hooks and round kicks.

Round 2
The action begins.  Morris opened the round working hard to get and stay inside Allen’s reach.  The height difference caused a lot of arm tangles which caused Allen to pause while Morris kept swinging.  The additional hits sustained by Allen in these tangles may have began to taken a bit of a toll, but his youth played a part in his resiliency and he was very much in the game.  Both were getting tired by the end of the round.

Round 3
Allen again showed his more orthodox style in the final round, but Allen’s inexperience and Morris’s strength may have played a part in the fight.  The crowd really joined in the bout which seemed to prod Morris on to be the aggressor throughout the event.  The third round was a repeat of the first two as Morris got the nod by unanimous decision.

 

BOUT 6    INTERNATIONAL RULES “EXHIBITION”

Jessica Schoonover, 0-0-0, Team RoundKick, Des Moines, Iowa vs
Marissa Biggerstaff, 0-0-0, Team RoundKick, Carroll, Iowa

 Round 1
How often does one see a ringcard girl step into the ring and fight?  Well, the spectators at this card did as Missy Biggerstaff shed her skirt and donned gloves to match up against Jessica Schoonover in an International Rules exhibition.  The lighter and shorter Schoonover showed dynamite comes in small packages as she was able to connect several right and left punches to Biggerstaff’s face and head during the opening round.  Biggerstaff showed she could take a hit and stayed on her feet without much trouble.  The crowd was immediately engaged and on their feet cheering from the beginning.

 

Round 2
Biggerstaff made first contact in the 2^nd round with a solid leg kick.  Schoonover again went for the head.  Biggerstaff initially covered better and made Schoonover work harder.  Biggerstaff was most effective with legs although she did get a few punches to connect.  As the round continued, Schoonover was able to repeat the story of the first round and hit Biggerstaff’s head. 

Round 3
Much a repeat of round 2 but at a slightly slower pace.  Schoonover’s skill was looking for or creating an opening and Biggerstaff’s skill was learning as she went.  This exhibition went the distance with two fighters having potentially big fight futures if they choose.  The decision went to Jessica Schoonover.

  

BOUT 7    MUAY THAI RULES

Jason Tart, 0-1-0, Team RoundKick, Des Moines, Iowa vs
John Knutson, 1-0-0, Dynamic Martial Arts, Rapid City, South Dakota

Round 1
Speed and Power!  Tart was all about power as he threw every technique with the goal of hurting his opponent.  Knutson was all about speed as he worked to hit before getting hit.  Both were vicious in the clinch, but no matter what the other threw, both fighters were not shaken, only empowered.  Right/left hooks, leg kicks and knees were constantly flying as control of the opening round went back and forth.

Round 2
Tart threw punches that would have hurt if they had landed.  Knutson was able to evade or deflect much of what was thrown.  As the round progressed, both fighters landed some and missed some.  With no defining blow in either round, it was still anyone’s game.

Round 3
Tart wanted to make a statement in round three by executing a strong jump punch which bobbed Knutson’s head, but did not otherwise move him.  Knutson responded with the same on the other side of the ring with the same result.  Tart marched forward throughout the middle of the round to the delight of the cheering crowd.  Knutson upped the intensity and Tart had his hands full.  The bell rang but neither fighter noticed as the referee had to break them apart.  Throughout the fight Tart initiated a lot of exchanges but Knutson seemed to be able to get the upper hand by finishing them. The fans were on their feet, but settled down and showed their disappointment in the closest fight of the evening as the results were read 27-30, 28-29 and 28-29 in favor of Knutson.

 

BOUT 8    INTERNATIONAL RULES

Adam Brown, 3-2-0, Team RoundKick, Des Moines, Iowa vs
Kyle Gibson, 0-1-0, Dynamic Martial Arts, Rapid City, South Dakota

Round 1
In the final fight of the night, hand combinations worked well for Brown as he worked to control the movement in the ring.  Gibson initially handled everything well, but as the clock ticked the hits added up and he became shakey on his feet.  The crowd was roaring.

Round 2
Started with the typical set of exchanges as each fighter tried to up the other and be the first to earn points.  Unfortunately, this caused both fighters to have their legs in the air at the same time and exposed.  Brown and Gibson hit each other and then the ground simultaneously, but Gibson took it a bit lower with a groin shot.  After a moment to collect himself, he eagerly reentered the contest with a vengeance.  However, he soon missed one important block and received a right hook to the head from Brown knocking him out and ending the fight in the blink of an eye at :58 seconds of round 2.