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Steve Cunningham fought the fight of
his life on December 11, 2008 against
Poland's Tomasz Adamek. It was a thrilling
all-action struggle that had the fans at
Newark, NJ's Prudential Center on their
feet. Cunningham lost the bout by
decision, unable to overcome three
surprising knockdowns on the official
cards. Adamek also put up an inspired
performance, no doubt spurred on by the
legion of Polish-flag-waving locals of his
adopted hometown who came out in force.
The fight was close; the decision
split. Everyone in the arena got their
money's worth - and then some. Well, maybe
everyone except the fighters. The national
TV audience watching live on the VERSUS
cable network had finally seen one worth
staying up for. The TIVO users yet to
watch the bout, had a surprise in store
for them.
As the last bell sounded and each
fighter's supporters anxiously awaited the
official result, the same thought wiggled
its way into everyone focused on the fight
that night &endash; "When is the rematch?"
The decision deservedly went to Adamek,
and with it went Cunningham's IBF
cruiserweight belt, but Cunningham showed
his stuff that night and made his Philly
boxing forefathers proud. Cunningham, a
throwback fighter who is always in shape,
always willing to fight anyone, always to
travel anywhere for a fight, always ready
to show his grit and his finesse, found
himself belt-less when he awoke on
December 12th. The feeling must have been
strange for the young ex-champion.
In all my years as a boxing fan, a
Philly boxing fan especially, I have never
seen a world champion wear his belt so
proudly. I assume it is part of his effort
to be the most accessible champion of
recent years, but I don't think I've ever
seen Steve without his belt in tow. Some
fighters wear their belts as their calling
card, as their entry ticket to various
events and to distinguish themselves from
the rest of us non-champs. But not
Cunningham. He always carried his belt for
another reason. I think he brought it
along so that he could share his
championship with his fans. I have seen
him wear the belt some, but it is more
common to see him just carry it into a
place, lay it down, and often even walk
away from it. He made us all feel like
that belt was as much ours at it was his.
That is a very unusual attitude for a
boxing champion of the 21st century. I bet
more fans got a peek at an actual
championship belt thanks to Cunningham
than any other champ in history. I've
touched his belt, and even held it once.
So what does Cunningham do now? What
will he do without that belt? Well, it
seems that this very special fighter who
lives his life and plies his craft in a
traditional way, will have to get his
rematch the right way. The old school way.
Like so many old school fighters of the
past, Cunningham will have to fight for
his rematch. You see, because Adamek was a
mandatory challenger, there was no rematch
clause in the fight contract. Get this,
the two best fighters in the division sat
down to sign a contract, which was drawn
out by two of the most powerful promotion
companies in the business &endash; Don
King Productions and Main Events. Everyone
agreed on a venue, a date, a price, and a
variety of other terms. Everyone involved
hoped for and promised a great fight, one
that would be remembered by anyone willing
to make the trip to Newark and pay their
way in. Every detail was considered and
agreed upon. The only item left out was
maybe the most important thing &endash; a
rematch clause. If the fight was going to
be as good as expected, then why not plan
for a second match? I know this is the
business of boxing. A win by Adamek would
shift the balance of power from one camp
to another. And so it has.
Adamek will defend his new belt in the
same arena in March, presumably before the
same partisan crowd. Meanwhile,
Cunningham's schedule is wide open. He
returned to the gym last week, looking to
pick up the pieces and move forward. But
his dance card is empty at the moment.
What's a recent ex-champ to do?
For the old-school Steve Cunningham, it
looks like he's got to do it old-school
style. Cunningham is going to have to
fight for another opportunity. And I mean
that literally. He is going to have to get
back in the ring and show everyone that he
is the most deserving contender. And as
much as I think he deserves an immediate
redux, the old-school way is best. Doing
it that way will benefit Cunningham in the
rematch and generally benefit his stature
and legacy. The time he'll have to wait
will bolster his desire to win back the
championship. A non-title fight or two
will also help him to better hone his
skills. Cunningham is one of the best in
his division without question, but the
Adamek fight revealed a few defensive
holes that need plugging.
The fighters of yesteryear had a simple
confidence to them that was derived from
their hard work, honest effort, and the
knowledge that they earned everything they
accomplished. This cloak fits Cunningham
too. He worked his way up the ranks the
first time, fighting in anonymity, off-TV,
lost in the shuffle of those endless Don
King shows. He fought in everyone else's
backyard, and only had the comfort of his
hometown on a Bernard Hopkins homecoming
fight. Talk about being in the shadows.
Even for his defense against Adamek, after
three consecutive bouts on foreign soil,
Cunningham fought in Newark before a crowd
that could have been airlifted from
Warsaw. The promotion itself was built
around Adamek, not Cunningham. Steve was
brought in to provide the belt.
What happened in the ring was a great
example of a hard-fought and exciting
championship fight. Both boxers worked
hard and gave a fine effort. It was one of
the best fights of the year. Tomasz Adamek
came away with a close but fair title
winning effort, and the post-fight clout
to call the shots going forward.
Cunningham almost won the fight, despite
his trips to the canvas, and seemed to be
close to dropping Adamek in the last
round. But the bell sounded, the fight
ended, and Cunningham came back to Philly
with his head high but his leverage
compromised. However, there still is hope.
We all know that there is a great fight
to be made out there, and that fight is
Adamek-Cunningham II. It has to happen.
Steve wants it, Tomasz probably wants it,
the fans want it, and the major cable
networks would be crazy not to want it. So
we all want it, but it is up to Steve
Cunningham to go out and get it.
Life would be easier if the powers that
be just handed Cunningham another chance.
He certainly deserves it. But that
wouldn't be old school. Steve has to prove
himself all over again. And this is
exactly what some of the best fighters in
history have had to do. For Steve, it
won't take as long or be hard as hard to
do, as it was the first time. But he has
to do it. It will make him a tougher
challenger and it will make him a better
fighter under the watchful eye of boxing
history. Steve Cunningham can do it. He
can do it his way &endash; the old school
way. He will grind it out at Shuler's Gym
in West Philly. He'll bounce around the
other Philly gyms looking for the city's
best fighters to spar with. He'll stay in
shape and he'll stay focused on the things
that clearly drive him as a man &endash;
his wife, his children, God, and the
earnest quest to be the best at what he
does.
For Cunningham it will seem like a long
wait, but one day, later this year, he'll
get his chance. And on that day, Steve
Cunningham will once again wear the IBF
championship belt. He'll carry it to the
gym; he'll have it around town; he'll
trustingly lay it down for us to see. And
we'll all look at that belt, and again
feel like it is our title too. For
whatever Steve has accomplished in the
ring, it is this quality, his willingness
to share his success with everyone, that
will always be his magic as a boxing
champion. I've never seen a champ quite
like him.
And one other thing is for sure; I bet
Tomasz Adamek would never let me lay a
finger on his belt.
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