Olympic wrestler Henry Cejudo, ex-UFC champ Andrei Arlovski each explore boxing

Gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic wrestler Henry Cejudo is spending time working out in a Phoenix boxing gym, and may ultimately transform into fighting atop a roped-off canvas, my friend Norm Frauenheim (formerly of the Arizona Republic) writes on 15rounds.com.

Cejudo, raised in East Los Angeles as the child of Mexican immigrants, would bring a compelling story to a sport that could use as much inspiration as possible.

Although a future deal with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions would seem a natural, company matchmaker Eric Gomez said he hasn't yet scouted Cejudo.

On a side note, Gomez said Golden Boy is angling to stage a fight featuring MMA heavyweight and ex-UFC champion Andrei Arlovski in boxing. Arlovski will first fight MMA star Fedor Emelianenko on Jan. 24 in Anaheim, but he's trained with famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach and is expected to make his boxing debut later in 2009, Gomez said.

"Freddie's very high on him, he's been sparring with Juan Carlos Gomez," Gomez said. "We'll see where it goes."

-- Lance Pugmire

Photo: Henry Cejudo celebrates his gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times