CURRENT LIONS DEN FIGHT TEAM:

 

Frank Latina

---

Date: June 5th, 2009
Event: “Wartown Beatdown”
Place: The Palladium, Worcester, Ma.
Author: Chris Lombardi

 

Lion’s Den Team MMA team takes two out of three at the Palladium

 

Like any sports team or business, it takes time to build success. Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den in Middletown Connecticut carries a big name with an even bigger rep. Right from its opening in November of 2008 the expectations were high.
            “Not just from a fitness center stand-point, but with our fighters also,” said owner Doug Cartelli. “Every wanna-be fighter who passed through our doors assumed this was the ‘old school’ den with Shamrock, Metzger, Bolander, Hurley, Burnett, and all those guys. Well, we’re the new school Lion’s Den, not only serving the public with a great fitness center, but building a strong NEW fight team as well.”
           If last Friday nights showing at the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts was a sign of how strong their team is, then this team is definitely making their founder Ken Shamrock proud.
           The first fighter to enter the cage was amateur Mike Johnson. Only his second bout in two years, Mike came into the fight optimistic about his future at the Connecticut Lion’s Den.
          “The training is awesome. Everyone works as a team and the support is second to none,” Johnson said.
          If a fighter’s looks can somehow predict the outcome of a fight, then Mike Johnson was in trouble from the start. His opponent, Charlie Solomone, looked at least ten pounds heavier. Not slacking in the physically fit department himself, Johnson also looked ready to fight. After a mid-cage clinch, the stronger Solomone took Johnson to the ground and mounted him. Johnson attempted to flip Solomone over for the reversal but fell short. As solomone tried to pound out his opponent from the mount, Johnson got the reversal he wanted, swinging Solomone over into guard. The successful move was short lived as Solomone quickly locked in a triangle choke from the bottom. Seconds later it was over. The Lion’s Den had lost their first bout of the evening.
          “It happens,” said Coach Rob Klezun. “That’s the beauty of MMA. Anything can happen at anytime. His inexperience showed, and he got caught. We need to get Mike back to the gym and work on what he did wrong. The kids a great athlete with lots of skill. It’s all mental from here.”
         The next Lion’s Den fighter up was local MMA veteran Frank Latina. Fighting at 145 pounds, Latina looked forward to representing his new training center.
        “They’re all about pride and looking out for the fighter. At this point in my career I really need that push. I’ve found it here.” Latina’s original opponent, Wayne Harnois, pulled out of the fight days before. His new opponent was Barrington Douse.
         “I know him well. He’s a striker. He likes to throw back-fists and kicks. I’m going to have to take him to the ground to win this one,” Latina said moments before the bout.
        After being led to the ring with an enthusiastic, bouncing entourage of Lion’s Den shirt wearing members and fighters, Latina scored the first big win of the night, ground and pounding out a two round unanimous decision.
        “It feels great to be back on the winning track,” he said. “I really appreciate the support and training from everyone at the Lion’s Den. I really feel like I have a home here.”
        In what probably was the most electrifying bout of the evening, the Lion’s Den’s Jason Bennett (135 lbs) scored a devastating 33 second first round knockout of highly regarded Brandon Lehman out of New York.
       “I knew he was a Division One wrestler and would try to take me to the ground, so I had to rely on my stand-up skills and athleticism,” Bennett said right after the exciting K.O.
       Lehman did what was expected of him and twice rushed for the take-down only to be easily swept aside by Bennett who looked comfortable and in charge. It was easy to see from the start that Bennett’s superior stand-up skills would dictate the bout.                     

        Then it happened.

       A thunderous kick off his front left foot snapped up like a blur, cracking against the side of Lehman’s head, knocking the 1-0-1 fighter unconscious for over two minutes.
       “I just figured I’d throw it out there and see what happens,” said Bennett. “You can guess I’m very happy with the results.”
       Bennett,, who has been training at the Lion’s Den for about four months, once fought WBC Light-heavyweight boxing champion Chad Dawson as an amateur boxer when the two were much younger (and lighter).
      “My stand-up is on point. Working with the likes of Vitor Shaolin and Danilo Cherman, my ground game should only get better.”
      Since it’s opening the Lion’s Den Training center’s MMA fighters are 9-3 and the team is growing stronger.
      “Fighters will come and go,” said owner Doug Cartelli. “The most important task is keeping our gym strong for our members. Having pro MMA fighters is an extra perk. If they prove they want to fight and work hard, they will get one-hundred percent of my support. We’ll do our part to give them a great training center. It’s now up to them to do their part and train with no excuses. So far so good.”

       The Lion’s Den would like to thank Coaches Randy Rowe, Rob Klezun and strength and conditioning coach Brian Anderson for their hard work and dedication to the success of our fighters.

 

---

 

Once one of the top MMA teams in the country, the Lion’s Den is back and looking for anyone with MMA experience.

Why be part of the Lion’s Den fight team?

These FAQ’s explain why:

Q: IS KEN SHAMROCK ACTUALLY INVOLVED OR DO YOU JUST USE HIS NAME?
A: KEN IS VERY INVOLVED. YES IT IS HIS NAME ON THE BILLBOARDS, BUT HE OBVIOUSLY WOULDN’T LET THIS GYM TARNISH WHAT HE WORKED HARD CREATING, SO HE IS INVOLVED.

Q: DOES HE COME TO THE GYM A LOT?
A: I’LL PUT IT THIS WAY: WHEN I ASKED HIM WHEN HE COULD BE HERE FOR A TRY OUT, HE TOLD ME, “I’LL BE THERE ANYTIME YOU NEED ME.” SO OTHER THAN THAT, HE’S HERE A HANDFUL OF TIMES A YEAR AND ALSO IN SEARCH OF NEW TALENT WE’RE BRINGING IN.

Q: DO YOU HAVE TRYOUTS?
A: NOT ANYMORE. IF YOU HAVE THE TALENT AND DRIVE AND YOU PROVE THAT, WE’LL GET YOU THE FIGHTS WHEN YOU ARE READY.

Q: I HEARD SOME THINGS ABOUT ‘CONTRACTS’ YOU OFFER AND WONDERED IF YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT THAT?
A: NOT ALL OUR FIGHTERS ARE UNDER CONTRACT. BUT THE ONES THAT ARE, ARE TAKEN CARE OF. FIND A GYM AROUND HERE WHO ACTUALLY FUNDS THE FIGHTER’S SO THEY CAN CONCENTRATE ON TRAINING AND FIGHTING AND DOESN’T WANT A CONTRACT? I’M WILLING TO BET THAT THE GYM WHO HAS ‘NO CONTRACTS’ DOESN’T FUND THE FIGHTER EITHER. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS, AND YOU WOULD NEED TO DECIDE IF BEING WITH US IS RIGHT FOR YOU ONCE YOU TALK WITH OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM. ONE THING I CAN SAY IS THAT IN THE BEGINNING, WHAT YOU MAKE IS YOUR OWN. WE’RE HERE FOR THE FIGHTER, WITH THE FIGHTERS BEST INTEREST IN MIND, NOT TO TAKE A PIECE OF AN ALREADY SMALL PURSE. IF YOU SHOW DEDICATION TO THE LION’S DEN AND HAVE TALENT, YOU WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF—AND THAT’S A PROMISE. THE NETWORK YOU’LL HAVE HERE IS HUGE—ESPECIALLY WITH KEN ASKING FOR NEW TALENT ALL THE TIME. WE’RE NOT HERE TO HOLD YOU BACK FROM HIGHER EXPECTATIONS. WE WANT A SMALL, TALENTED TEAM—AND I STRESS TEAM.

Q: DO YOU HAVE FLEXIBLE TRAINING TIMES FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK VARIOUS HOURS?

A: ABSOLUTELY. I’M CONFIDENT WE HAVE THE MOST STACKED SCHEDULE AROUND. MORNING TO AFTERNOON CLASSES, THEN AGAIN AT NIGHT. WE HAVE CLASSES IN ALL DISCIPLINES TO MAKE YOU THE MOST WELL ROUNDED FIGHTER YOU CAN BE. IT TRULY IS THE BEST VALUE/OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PRICE.

Q: WHAT KIND OF TRAINERS DO YOU HAVE?

A: LITERALLY SOME OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. VITOR SHAOLIN TO DANILO CHERMAN TO LOCAL TALENTS MIKE CERRONE, RANDY ROWE AND ROB KLEZUN, PLUS THREE FORMER WORLD BOXING CHAMPIONS. NOT BAD FOR MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT. THE REST IS TRULY UP TO THE FIGHTER. REMEMBER, ALL GREAT TRAINERS ONLY BECOME KNOWN WHEN THEY PRODUCE GREAT FIGHTERS. THAT WILL HAPPEN HERE.

 

(ANY MEMBER OR NON-MEMBER WHO IS GOING TO THE SHOW TO SUPPORT OUR TEAM ON ANY PARTICULAR EVENT, WILL RECEIVE A “LION’S DEN” TEE-SHIRT AT HALF PRICE! COME DOWN TO 1385 NEWFIELD STREET TO GET YOUR LIONS DEN TEE SHIRT AND SUPPORT OUR FIGHTERS!)