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King Of The Cage
'Cowboy' Cerrone works out in Youngstown
Video
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, WEC interim lightweight title contender, works out at Jack Loew's South Side Boxing Club for his Sept. 2 fight against Ben Henderson at the Covelli Centre.
Donald Cerrone highlights cage show in the fall in Covelli Centre
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN — Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone’s two specialties as the No. 1 lightweight title contender in World Extreme Cagefighting are kick-boxing and riding bulls.
The 26-year-old, 155-pound cagefighter from Albuquerque, N.M., will try to use the lessons learned from both of his specialities against wrestling specialist Ben “Smooth” Henderson on Sept. 2 at the Covelli Centre.
They are matched in an elimination bout to see who will challenge champion Jaime Varner later this year.
Toward that end, the once-beaten Cerrone (10-1) was in town Thursday to train at Jack Loew’s new and impressive South Side Boxing Club gym on Market Street, while Loew and middleweight boxing champion Kelly Pavlik and others from the local boxing community and media observed the workout.
All were seeking to learn more about this promising cagefighter and his growing sport, which will make a stop in Youngstown in less than two months.
“Henderson is tough. He is a wrestler. That is his strength. Kick boxing is my specialty. His is wrestling. He will try to get me on the ground and I will try to knock him out,” said Cerrone in evaluating his adversary, a two-time NAIA All-American wrestler from Glendale, Ariz., after a workout in the ring with a sparring partner. “He will be trying some way to get me down and I will try to stay up.”
Cerrone has to fight Henderson to see who gets a shot at Varner in December for the WEC lightweight crown, because Cerrone lost to Varner Jan. 25 in a title bout. Cerrone lost, in part, because he kicked Varner illegally in the head which stopped the fight.
“I gave him an illegal kick to the head. The fight was called because he couldn’t continue,” said Cerrone, who lost on a split decision which was the scoring to that point in the bout.
Varner, who not only was woozy from the kick to the head but also suffered a broken hand, won two of the three judges’ ballots.
Cerrone, a native of Denver, Colo., who is trained by Greg Jackson, said his fight with Henderson could mean a rematch with Varner.
“The winner will fight Varner in December when he is healthy,” said Cerrone (6-0), who will have a 3-inch height advantage over Henderson (5-9, 155).
Cerrone, a graduate of the Air Force Academy High School in Denver who went on to become an avid kick-boxer and bull-rider, hopes to capitalize on his deep experience in kick-boxing.
“I have had 28 kick-boxing fights. I have a lot of ring experience. That is a big factor,” said Cerrone, calling kick-boxing “my passion.”
Nine of his 10 wins have come by the way of submission, including his last victory by a rear-naked choke over James Krause June 7.
Cerrone also said that following the bull-riding circuit through Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming has made him “tough,” although he doesn’t view his cagefighting opponents as bulls that he is trying to take down.
“I rode bulls when I was in high school. I am a cowboy from out West,” said Cerrone, who grew up with his nickname “Cowboy.”
“That was my name since I was a little boy. My grandma used to call me Cowboy. I wore boots and a hat,” said Cerrone.
And, “I’ll have my hat on when I come into fight [in Youngstown Sept. 2].”
Cerrone said he feels safe cagefighting because of the closely-followed rules enforced by the Ohio Athletic Commission, even though at times he could find himself in the grip of a choke hold.
“I like the atmosphere and competition. There is no more danger than there is in boxing,” said Cerrone, who feels he is becoming an important part of something big in the world of cagefighting.
“This is the fast-growing sport,” he pointed out.
And, “I have a target on my back.”
kovach@vindy.com