Tye & Kade Ruotolo Ready To Take On Next Generation Of DDS

The Ruotolo twins are ready to take their next challenge come June 5 at WNO as they take on two of the Danaher Death Squad's brightest.

Jun 3, 2020 by Chase Smith

Tye & Kade Ruotolo Ready To Take On Next Generation Of DDS

The Ruotolo bros have been the buzz of the jiu-jitsu world since they were essentially toddlers.

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The Ruotolo bros have been the buzz of the jiu-jitsu world since they were essentially toddlers.

Starting jiu-jitsu training at the age of 4, it's no surprise that these the Ruotolo Twins have been racking up medals and have collected a few (likely hundreds) gold medals over the years.

The twins are ready to take on their next challenge come June 5 at Who's Number One as they face two of the Danaher Death Squad's brightest – but before we get to that, let's quickly review their rapid ascension from pint-size prodigies to world class contenders.

Watch WNO: Gordon Ryan vs Kyle Boehm June 5

Since the time they were pocket-sized assassins, the Ruotolo brothers ruled the California competition scene from grey through green belts and quickly made a name for themselves as future stars of the sport by pulling off highlight-reel submissions one after the other, but they outgrew the juvenile divisions some time ago.

In 2019 and early 2020, Tye and Kade have completely redefined themselves as competitors. They are no longer pre-teen highlight reels, but real threats to established black belts at the highest level of competition.

Tye & Kade: ADCC Trials Highlights

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Tye had a jaw-dropping performance at ADCC that saw him make his way to the bronze medal match against Paulo Miyao, nearly breaking the hyper-experienced athlete's leg before ultimately succumbing to points.

Tye Ruotolo vs Paulo Miyao – ADCC 2019

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For his part, Kade went on to win some impressive super-fight victories, including besting British black belt and KASAI veteran Ashley Williams at GrappleFest in February.

Kade Ruotolo vs Ashley Williams - GrappleFest 8

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It shouldn't be a surprise that their coach and mentor Andre Galvao – one of the greatest jiu-jitsu competitors of all time – was filled with pride when asked about Tye and Kade:

"The Ruotolo twins are super talented. But above that comes their love for Jiu-Jitsu. They love to learn and try new moves. They test themselves everyday in training. It’s beautiful to watch them evolving daily. Simply savages. I don’t know why, but I love them! Awesome human beings!" – Andre Galvao

Friday: Next Gen Atos vs Next Gen Danaher Death Squad

Who's Number One: Gordon Ryan vs Kyle Boehm features both Ruotolo Brothers on the card: Tye will be taking on Nicky Ryan and Kade will be facing Ethan Crelinsten.

It's the prodigal athletes of Atos and the DDS going head to head, most likely for the first of many meetings over the next decade or more.

The Ruotolo bros are ready for the challenge – watch their segment from the WNO Podcast this week to and you'll see they are brimming with confidence.

Kade & Tye Talk Matchups at Who's Number One

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And the rest of the jiu-jitsu world is also playing very close attention:

Keenan Cornelius On Tye vs Nicky Ryan.

"Having trained with both of these young beasts, I think physical maturity will play a part here. However, Tye has the experience advantage, having trained almost the entirety of his existence. That's a very powerful thing. I think Nicky is bigger and stronger, but Tye is more experienced. Both are very talented, but I think it's a fair fight."