Lil’ Ninja readies for first bout since injury

Published 12:05 am Friday, August 12, 2016

Cameron Page takes down an opponent during a fight last year.

Cameron Page takes down an opponent during a fight last year.

Pleasant Home High School graduate Cameron “Lil’ Ninja” Page is battling back after an arm injury shut the professional fighter down for period of time.

Page will be back in action in his first fight since the injury Aug. 13 when he goes down to Pensacola to compete in Island Fights at the Pensacola Bay Center.

“It’s pretty cool to get to fight so close to home this time,” Page said. “People from back home can come down to watch the fight and still head back home after the fight.”

Page will take on Timothy Wheeler in a flyweight bout.

“He is from New York City,” Page said of his opponent. “He is going to be athletic, strong and quick. I think I will be better all around. If I just keep my hands up and stick to my guns I will be OK. You can never count anyone out, though.”

Also on fighting on the same card as Page, will be legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr.

“The coolest thing about the whole event is going to be fighting on the same card as Roy Jones Jr.,” Page said. “He is a partner with Island Fights, who is putting on the event, and this going to be his last fight before he retires. He will be the main event that night. That’s going to be really cool.”

Page said he has been itching to get back into the ring.

“I just want to go down there and have a good fight,” Page said. “This has been the best camp I’ve ever done, and I look the best I’ve ever looked. Fighting so close to home it’s almost going to feel like I’m fighting in my hometown with all the people that are coming down to watch the fight.”

Page said that he sold all of his tickets to the fight.

“I sold out of all my tickets,” Page said. “It’s going to be great having everyone there. A lot of these people haven’t seen me fight since I turned pro. When I went down  Wednesday to turn in my tickets, they told me that I would have a section and then Roy Jones Jr. would have a section. No one else on the card sold near as many tickets. So that is pretty cool.”

The love and support that his fans have shown him is something Page said that he won’t forget.

“I’ve been wanting to fight close to home because I’ve been fighting a lot farther away, and not many people could make it to them,” Page said. “I found this one and I knew it was one that I wanted to try. My friends, family and fans have gone above and beyond with the ticket sales. It’s going to be awesome. I appreciate the everyone coming out to support from when I started until now. Everyone that has come to a fight, bought a T-shirt, my sponsors and anyone that has just wished me luck, I want to say thank you to each and everyone of them. This truly means the world to me.”

In October, Page dislocated his elbow, sidelining Lil’ Ninja for a bit.

“It was the in the first round that I dislocated my elbow,” Page said. “I guess I just had my arm in the wrong position, but I kept going and then choked the guy out in the third round.”

It took the elbow a little while to get better, but Page said the it’s at 100 percent now.

“The elbow is completely healed up,” Page said. “Kyle Rountree worked with my elbow using Prolotherapy, which is basically just buffered sugar-water injections. It kills the inflammation and the pain, but it still allows you to use it normally. I had four treatments and now I’m good to go.”

Since the injury, Page said he has upped his training program, and feels he is in the best fighting shape he has ever been in for a fight.

“I’ve upped my training in Ft. Walton from three days a week to five days a week. We have been doing two and three a days of training, and it’s been a lot of fun. I feel like I’m probably in the best shape that I’ve ever been in. It’s just been non-stop working on everything. It’s been a crazy schedule, but it really seems to be paying off for me.”