‘Cage’ fighting a mix of blood, sweat, beers
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Jeff Cox belongs on the streets. And if things break right for him, that’s where he will be once again.
But Friday night at Cleveland State’s Wolstein Center, Cox was locked up in a cage. The laid-off Cleveland policeman did not find it to his liking.
The former Maple Heights High wrestler, 36, was part of the mixed-martial arts extravaganza called “King of the Cage,” where competitors punch, kick, knee, grapple, gouge and grunt. Blood is optional.
With enough pounding music to disturb the frat boys in Delta House, approximately 7,000 fanatics of this new-wave combat turned out to imbibe and implore. Included were some 300 employed members of the police force, out to cheer their unemployed brother in blue.
“Rumor has it I’m the next one called back,” said Cox, laid off by the city a year ago after working in 3rd District Zone Car No. 313 for nearly four years. “I’m more frustrated about that, how it was all managed. I loved the job. The minute they call me back, I’m going.”
Penned in the octagonal cage with 170-pound Thiago Alavez from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., dealing with criminals had to take a back seat to the job at hand. Unfortunately for Cox, he suffered his first defeat in 11 outings when Alavez threw him to the mat and clocked him with four straight punches.
It was over in 15 seconds, Cox needing a few minutes to collect himself, before storming off in disappointment.
It was not supposed to go this way, especially with his former zone car partners Rick Mauer and Jim Skernivitz on board.
“The streets of Cleveland make you more nervous than this,” said Skernivitz, hoping for the best.
Earlier, Cox said the support has helped keep him going.
“Those are my warriors in blue,” said Cox. “I’m surprised there are any cops on the street tonight. They’ve supported me all through this and they sold a lot of tickets. If you do this, you’re considered crazy.”
Cox trains two to three hours a day, six days a week at Tracy’s Karate in Independence. Fellow 170-pounder Forrest Petz of Cleveland is his training partner.
“I saw it on TV, started going to the gym and it kind of took on a life of its own,” said Petz, 29, who needed 2:48 to get a fellow named Krazy Horse to “tap out,” or quit. “My only boxing was in Toughman and I found I had heavy hands. Obviously, people think it’s kind of a strange thing. But something you like seems normal to you.”
The only things normal on this night were the number of shaven heads and gaudy tattoos. And that was most of the fellows in the ring, tame compared to the decked out dudes and ladies in the stands. In other words, it was a fight crowd, always an animal like no other.
The ring, we mean the octagonal ring, animal of the night was the turtle. There is nothing like watching a guy on the canvas go into his shell, covering up while an opponent flails away.
While there were some punches, a lot of the action was on the mat. Punching did not come easy at that level. Instead, you got the feeling you shouldn’t look at some of the embarrassing positions these fighters get themselves into.
Let’s just say it would not make for flattering beefcake photos. Still, the devoted followers screamed for more.
This whole spectacle was the brainchild of Corey Fischer of Cuyahoga Falls. Growing up in Bay City, Mich., where the fighter-off-the-street Toughman competition was founded by Art Dore, Fischer said he promoted those events for 12 years.
He branched out four years ago into this version of Ultimate Fighting Competition, putting on 56 shows a year around the world.
“It’s going to grow even more,” said Fischer, who also founded Fischer Power Entertainment Group to put on theater shows and concerts. “These guys want to see how far they can push themselves. As far as brutal, boxing beats this bar none.”
You can judge for yourself when it hits pay-per-view television on March 6.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-4748
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1109413858261903.xml
Jeff Cox’s record on Sherdog
http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?fighterid=9785
Which ‘Krazy Horse’ is this? Not Charles Bennett I think?