Iconic. Historic. Legendary. These are all labels that have been meritoriously pinned to the bow of the famous ship that rests in the vibrantly scenic Long Beach harbor: The Queen Mary. Just as storied as it is permanently anchored, the Queen Mary added an exciting new chapter to her many, uncountable nights of entertaining patrons on June 10, 2017, as she played host to new a set of eyes and a fresh fleet of valorous “entertainers” whose stage would swap its velvet curtains for a steel cage, unveiling a “one-of-a-kind” show for the fight fans of Southern California. Surrounded by sea and anchored by a cage that would lock in a crew of young, skilled mixed martial arts combatants…the event was appropriately dubbed “Rumble on The Water”.
Co-promoted by Southern California fight and entertainment powerhouse Roy Englebrecht Promotions, who have successfully promoted and produced top-quality boxing and mma events for more than 30 years, Rumble on the Water is another innovative MMA series that has all the energy, aesthetics and excitement of any classic night out aboard its famous Queen Mary backdrop.
The inaugural Rumble on the Water show delivered 8 exciting mixed martial arts bouts in a spacious outdoors “arena” that was complete with intimate cage-side seating (no bad seat in the house), carnival style food and drink tents, a luxury VIP lounge serving catered buffet and drinks, a well-equipped bar, a Cuban cigar booth, and a variety of the classic visuals, ring girl and fighter entrances, witty emcee jabs and fan giveaways that you would come to expect from any Roy Englebrecht Promotions show.
Among the highlights of the night were a fast and furious opening bout TKO by Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani over Garland Guay, a slick arm bar submission by rising female star Brittney Victoria Grizzelle over April Sana Anna, a dramatic 3rd round finish of opponent Alejandro Pedrote by middleweight Casey Smith and plenty of impressive muay thai action which saw Kings MMA fighter Toan Le defeat Saeksons Muay Thai fighter Nick Jaramillo. The action was consistent throughout the night, a card which delivered two submission victories and three wins by knockout against three decision victories (a whopping 63% finish rate on the night).
The waters around Long Beach have been revived. The Queen Mary has completed the intro to an exciting new chapter in its long, historic journey of entertainment and scenic deliverance. Mixed Martial Arts fighters are the new, young shipmen fueling the engine of entertainment that has steamed its way around the world and has now docked in the exciting and vibrant fight harbor of Southern California.
The next installments of Rumble on the Water are scheduled for Saturday, July 22 and Saturday, September 16. Tickets are priced at $45 (general) and $65 (cage-side) for advanced purchase. Visit www.thequeenmary.com for ticket and event information.
(Photos by Damian James)