Former IBF junior middleweight champ Cornelius Bundrage returns to the squared circle on January 24 to face Joey Hernandez?
?If you rest, you rust.??Helen Hayes
Former IBF junior middleweight champ Cornelius Bundrage returns to the squared circle on January 24 to face Joey Hernandez for a scheduled 12 rounds at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
The 40-year-old, 19-year ring veteran won the title in 2010 by stopping Cory Spinks via fifth-round TKO. He lost the strap last February to Ishe Smith by majority decision.
?K9? has a record of 32 wins, 19 by knockout, and five losses. In addition to Smith, the Detroit native lost to Sechew Powell by first-round TKO in 2005, Steve Forbes by unanimous decision in 2006, Joel Julio by eighth-round TKO in 2007, and Grady Brewer by split decision in 2008. There was a no contest because of an accidental headbutt suffered by Yuri Foreman in 2009.
A southpaw, 29-year-old Hernandez is an eight-year pro (23-1-1, 13 KOs) who fights out of Miami. ?Twinkle Fingers? (not to be confused with silent film star Colleen ?Twinkletoes? Moore) hasn?t fought since November 2012, when he beat James Winchester by unanimous decision. Twinkle lost to Ed Paredes by second-round KO in 2010, against whom he drew in 2009.
True, Bundrage hasn?t fought in 11 months, but Hernandez has been out of the ring for 14. Moreover, his competition hasn?t been stellar. Winchester has a record of 16 wins, six by knockout, and nine losses. Other opponents include Shakir Ashanti (16-14, 4 KOs), who got trounced by first-round TKO in April 2012, and Brandon Baue (12-10, 10 KOs), whom Twinkle stopped by fourth-round TKO in June 2012.
K9 is more faded than an old pair of jeans, but I don?t see him having too much trouble with Tinker Bell, er, Twinkle Fingers.
Bundrage by mid-round stoppage.
