Philadelphia (May 14, 2007)—A slew of media showed up at The James Shular Memorial Gym in West Philadelphia this past Saturday to watch number-one ranked cruiserweight, Steve “USS” Cunningham take part in a workout as he prepares for anticipated rematch with IBF Cruiserweight champion, Krzysztof Wlodarczyk that will take place on May 26 in Warsaw, Poland.
The first fight was clouded in controversy as Cunningham dropped a disputed split decision in a bout where many people who witnessed the fight thought the American deserved the decision. A rematch was ordered after no post fight drug test was given to either fighter.
Cunningham will have Anthony Chase running the corner as lead trainer for this fight. Chase, who has been with Cunningham since his amateur days, takes over for Richie Giachetti.
Workout quotes:
Steve “USS” Cunningham (19-1, 10 KO’s)
”I’m going to put more pressure on him. They are going to call me Steve “Mas” Cunningham. I am going to do more, more, more. It’s a guarantee. I am going to put more leather on him. More body work. More everything!!”
“There is a lot that I saw that I didn’t do in the first fight. I fought my fight, I fought our game plan and that was to tie him up because we knew what kind of guy he was.”
“I am going to be way more comfortable with him because this is the rematch and I know what to expect. I expect he is going to be better. He’s got to be. He knows he lost the first fight. If he is stupid, he is going to think he really won and he is going to come in the same way
“I want to knock him out. It would be my pleasure to knock him out.”
“He is going to have to throw more punches because he barely threw more then ten punches per round. I am expecting him to do more.”
“I did a lot of things in this training camp that I didn’t do in other training camps and I feel the difference.”
“This fight I am more comfortable being that it is a rematch. I sort of know what to expect. I had tape on him for the first fight. But you can only tell so much from tape. I am more relaxed now. I just want to hurt him but be smart about it.”
Trainer, Anthony Chase
“He is working hard. He is precise and concise with all of his workouts. He is stronger and faster and I think he is a little more determined then last time.”
“There will be nothing any different as Steve already beat him the first time. Just that he will have more power then the last fight so that we can knock him out of his socks.”
“I think a strong win is necessary. If a knockout comes, it comes. It will be so concise this time it will be impossible for them to steal it.”