Turning Olympic gold into green

Moments after winning an Olympic gold medal, Henry Cejudo walked wide-eyed into a news conference room, where a throng of reporters bombarded him with questions.

One reporter told Cejudo he had collected $65,000 in contractual bonuses.

"Is that how much it is?" Cejudo asked USA Wrestling spokesman Craig Sesker.

As Sesker smiled, Cejudo exclaimed, "I'm rich!"

Nearly three months later, he's super rich.

The Coronado High School graduate has made more than $100,000 on a whirlwind tour of appearances since he beat Japan's Tomohiro Matsunaga in the 121-pound gold-medal match of the Beijing Games.

Cejudo, 21, recently signed with California-based Paradigm Talent Agency, which hopes to help him land a wrestling shoe deal by February, a book by next summer and maybe a movie by the makers of "High School Musical."

"I cashed in," said Cejudo, the youngest American freestyle wrestler to win Olympic gold. "It's up there. It's up in six figures."

Cejudo earned about $10,000 for competing on "Ninja Warrior," a Japanese game show in which he was eliminated during the first of four obstacle-course stages.

Before going to Tokyo, Cejudo appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," conducted ESPN interviews in New York and starred with other medalists on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

When Cejudo returned, he appeared on a Latin TV show in Miami, joined Olympians at the White House, threw out the first pitch at an Arizona Diamondbacks game and was honored at Coronado and the Phoenix high school he attended.

"I feel a little more respected," Cejudo said. "But I'm still myself. I'm still the silly kid that will eat anywhere, play soccer in my suit."

Next up for Cejudo on a 10-state trip is a meeting in Chicago with Jerry Colangelo, former Phoenix Suns owner and senior national team managing director of USA Basketball. Cejudo said they're "good friends. He's really smart financially. He wants to take me under his wing and show me the ropes."

"I'm planning on investing my money," added Cejudo, who lives at the Olympic

Training Center and drives a 1992 Acura Legend. "I want to get into real estate, a whole bunch of business opportunities. I don't want to be one of these guys that are going to buy a ring and a nice car. I live like I'm broke."

Cejudo has become part owner of MMA Premier Fitness, which offers personal training and lessons in boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts, with locations in Colorado Springs and Centennial.

His new business partner, Denver resident Frankie Sanchez, said Cejudo "knows the people he can trust. There are a lot of corrupt people out there, people after him for the money. He knows where he came from, and he's not going to forget."

Said former Fort Carson wrestler Eric Albarracin: "He's as humble as it gets. That's one of the things that make him unique. That's hard to find."

Chances are Cejudo, plagued by nagging neck injuries, won't wrestle until the Dave Schultz Memorial International in February at the OTC.

Asked about the prospect of repeating as Olympic champion in 2012 in London, Cejudo said, "It gives me the chills. I know I can do it. I think two is better than one."

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Contact the Writer: 636-0256 or brian.gomez@gazette.com. Check out our Olympics blog at gazetteolympics.freedomblogging.com