BEAUMONT, TX, March 1, 2012 – It’s less than 24 hours before showtime at Texas Rage in the Cage 13 at the Beaumont Civic Center and it’s shaped up to another great card. We spoke to Joey “The War Machine” Montiel earlier in the week leading up to the event. We recently spoke to his opponent Will Spidle as well to get his own thoughts on their flyweight matchup tomorrow night.
Texas Rage in the Cage 13 – Current Fight Card
145 lbs.: (TRCAA Championship) – Joel Scott versus Ricardo Palacios
125 lbs.: Will Spidle versus Joey Montiel
170 lbs.: Kevin Johnson versus Matt Herrera
180 lbs.: Dominique Robinson versus Chad Box
175 lbs.: Ryan Spann versus Rick Martinez
170 lbs.: Chad Coggins versus Rodrigo Martinez
140 lbs.: Jose Ceja versus Javier Galvan
145 lbs.: Tony Stolfa versus Joel Pena
145 lbs.: Hilario Compean versus Sidney Cawdrey
206+ lbs.: Saul Hinojosa versus Francisco Cruz
206+ lbs.: Charles Rodgers versus Andres Garcia
205 lbs.: Channing Birdlong versus Anderson Puryear
Texas Rage in the Cage 13 Pre-Fight Interview – Will “The Spider” Spidle
Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Tell us a little bit about how you got started in this sport?
I got started 3 years ago here at American Top Team (ATT) Beaumont. I was friends with a guy many of y’all know in Cody Williams. I told him I wanted to try this and he said “talk is cheap.” So I went for the first time a few days later and I haven’t left since.
You’re currently undefeated right? What are some of your goals in this sport?
I take this sport one fight at a time. I set small goals along the way to the ultimate goal, which for me is fighting in the flyweight division in the UFC. I know it will take time and hard work but I am willing to do whatever it takes… no matter how much blood, sweat, and tears comes along with it.
That’s going to take a lot of focus on your end. How are you prepared to deal with that?
I had a great upbringing. My parents taught me hard work and dedication. My father most of all taught me the value of hard work. Seeing him work hard every day just to make sure our family had a nice life… That really made a mark on who I am and it’s something that I’ve brought into my martial arts training…….. Now I work hard all the time. My normal day starts at 5am to get up and head to where I work for a petroleum distributing company until 5pm every day. After work it’s off to either run or go to the gym for an hour then it’s off to training. That goes on 6 days a week for me.
How would you describe yourself as a fighter? What can fans expect from you and what drives you to keep on doing this?
I come from an MMA school so I’m comfortable anywhere the fight goes. I’d rather stand up and strike with my opponent but I’m completely fine with the fight hitting the mat.
How are you feeling heading into tomorrow night?
I feel the same way every time I fight – relaxed and focused. I haven’t really been too nervous since my 1st fight and I’m now 6-0. It’s been a great camp. It has actually been a 14 week camp due to the fact that I fought 3 weeks ago in Louisiana versus Dat Tran and just never stopped training. I’ve been doing a lot of sparring with great fighters, mainly with Cody Williams since just fought also. My opponent is are around the same height (as Cody) so that helps. There haven’t really been any challenges, just hard training.
What else do you know about Joey Montiel?
I’ve seen him fight 3 times. I know he’s a tough strong fighter. I’m expecting it to be a violent fight. That’s all though. We’ll see what happens when we step in the cage. Talk is cheap. There’s nothing to say right now. Words mean nothing.
Any last words before the fight?
I’d like to thank sensei Mike Berryhill, sensei Cliff Palermo, and Tyler Reese – my instructors. Thanks to all my training partners too. This is our fight and is going to be our win. Thank you mike for the interview. “WINNING”
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