Event at Covelli Centre gets KO’d

The match has been rescheduled for a date the venue already has booked.

VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — A serious injury to main-event fighter Ben Henderson has forced the postponement of the World Extreme Cagefighting event that was scheduled for Sept. 2 at the Covelli Centre.

The event has been rescheduled for Oct. 10, but it is not certain that the event will be at the Covelli Centre.

Henderson “messed up his knee pretty bad” in training for the Sept. 2 event, according to Covelli Centre executive director Eric Ryan, who said he was first told of the injury Sunday.

The postponement was confirmed to him Monday around 6 p.m.

“It’s unfortunate because I think we would have done pretty well [with ticket sales],” said Ryan.

“Being that it was such a big production, they [the WEC] felt they couldn’t go on without a main event, and it being so late in training, it wasn’t possible to get a replacement [fighter].”

Henderson was scheduled to fight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the main event.

Further complicating the issue is that the Covelli Centre is already booked for Oct. 10. According to Ryan, there is a motorcycle ice racing event scheduled for that date.

“We’re under contract [for the ice racing],” confirmed Ryan, who added he will begin work today in an attempt to move that show to accommodate the WEC.

“I believe the WEC would like to have the Oct. 10 show [at the Covelli Centre],” said Ryan, “which is why they haven’t announced a site.”

However, “Right now I don’t feel very confident” that the ice-racing contract can be altered, said Ryan.

The Oct. 10 date is being “dictated by Versus,” said Ryan, referring to the television network that is airing the WEC show.

A telephone call to WEC officials was not immediately returned. Persons who bought tickets for the Sept. 2 can get refunds by returning them to the point of purchase.