Steve ?USS? Cunningham is a former cruiserweight world champion looking to make his mark in the heavyweight division. Cunningham?s record stands at 28-7 (13 KO?s) but of his losses, many are considered either close or controversial. Steve?s next fight will be against another fighter looking to make his mark in the heavyweight division, Antonio Tarver. The fight will be part of Premier Boxing Champions and the winner is hoping this fight will lead to a title shot.
In my interview with Steve Cunningham, I speak to him about this upcoming fight with Tarver and what he think?s it will do for him moving forward. Cunningham also talks about his controversial losses and how he has been able to move forward despite of them. Additionally, Steve shares his thoughts on Klitschko vs. Fury and Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. Here is what Steve Cunningham had to say.
Robert Brown: What are you expecting from Antonio Tarver and what do you expect your strengths against Tarver will be?
Steve Cunningham: We?re preparing for the Antonio Tarver who beat Roy Jones. We?re preparing for the best Tarver that there ever was. I?m expecting him to be who he was at his peak, good, intelligent, powerful. His left hand is very powerful, so we?re preparing for all of that.
There?s nothing you can say bad about Tarver, he?s a five or six time world champion and I think he?s going into the Hall of Fame, just because of his win over Roy. I?m preparing accordingly for a Hall of Fame fighter.
Robert Brown: Do you think this fight is both yours and Antonio?s last chance to get a heavyweight world title shot?
Steve Cunningham: No, I?ve heard that so many times. Just because I?m 38 years old, I don?t look at none of that. I just let people diddle their thumbs with that type of stuff. There are so many opportunities in this world.
I?m not expecting to lose, so I totally don?t believe that. Even for Tarver, if he takes a loss from me, that?s not bad. If I take a loss from him, vice versa. I?m not taking a loss from him, plain and simple. There are too many opportunities out here to get to a world title, there?s other avenues to go.
Robert Brown: You?ve been on the wrong end of some questionable decisions. What?s been the strength and resilience that?s kept you going despite of all of the controversial decisions?
Steve Cunningham: There?s three major things. One is my faith, my faith in Christ, my faith in God and what his word says. He says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, so I take that to the heart. These people can cheat me, they can do all they want, that?s still not gonna stop what God said about me. I take that to heart.
Two, every time I?ve been cheated, it?s been like extra fuel, extra motivation to go harder. There?s stuff I feel I haven?t done yet in this sport and stuff I want to do. If they keep robbing me and cheating me, it got me to this point now where my drive is through the roof.
Last but not least is just that I love what I do. I love to box, I really enjoy what I do. Throughout all of those robberies and all those victories for other guys that I should have won, they still haven?t taken the love of the sport out of me. It still hasn?t drained me of the love of boxing and being in shape and defeating a guy.
Robert Brown: Are you confident that if the fight against Tarver goes twelve rounds, that you?ll get the correct decision no matter what it is?
Steve Cunningham: You?re never confident about that, especially in this situation too. It could turn out to go twelve rounds, it could possibly be a shady situation. I?m fighting on the network Tarver commentates on. I saw when they announced the fight it was all, ?Tarver, Tarver, Tarver,? because he commentates on Spike TV. There wasn?t too much mention of Steve Cunningham. We take that into consideration and know that Spike TV is going to be possibly for Tarver.
With that said, I?ve gone into the hell, the lions den and fought guys and won, in Poland, in Germany. We take that into consideration, but at the end of the day, I?m still gonna go get in that ring an fight my butt off and do my best to beat this man and get this victory.
I never concern myself with whether I?m gonna get cheated or not. People are gonna do what they do after the fact. My main thing is that the fans see my ability and skill. That?s why I?m still here, I?ve got seven losses on my record and four of those losses shouldn?t even be there. It is what it is, I?m just gonna fight and do what I gotta do. They?ve been trying to get rid of me and they can?t. Either you work with me or I?m gonna keep going until I?m 50 and get what I want, and I can do that.
Robert Brown: Tyson Fury is going to be facing Wladimir Klitschko next. You?ve fought and been in training camp with Fury, do you give him a chance against Klitschko?
Steve Cunningham: Yeah I give anybody a chance with that determination and drive and hard work that Fury puts in. I won?t call the fight because I?ve been in camp with both of them, I fought Fury. I know they both work hard and I know they?re both determined.
Wladimir is a veteran, long standing champ. Fury is the up coming young guy that wants to be champ bad and he works hard at it. It?s gonna be an interesting fight. Wladimir is good at fighting bigger guys, and Fury can box from the outside and he can rough you up on the inside. I think it?s gonna be an interesting fight.
Robert Brown: Despite Manny Pacquiao losing the fight with Floyd Mayweather, do you think the talk about the shoulder injury has damaged Manny?s legacy or do you think he will still be remembered as a great champion?
Steve Cunningham: I don?t think it?s damaged his legacy, I just think it damaged just the way he looks from that fight. He put work in, he?s done some awesome things in this sport, he?s a Hall of Famer already. I just feel the excuses being made after the fight, I don?t think they can hurt what he?s done, it just makes him look bad for a second. All he has to do is come back and beat somebody else.
I know people that know people from his camp and they said there was a legitimate injury, but I don?t think it was as severe as they?re saying. He was throwing that arm, but that?s another thing, a guy like Floyd Mayweather nullifies your weapons. You look normal, you look average when you fight Floyd.
