By James Slater – There is a good chance Marco Huck, the reigning WBO cruiserweight champion, will get the fight he craves soon; perhaps in his very next outing. Ever since the Serbian-born 25-year-old lost via 12th-round TKO to current IBF 200-pound champion Steve Cunningham, back in 2007, he has thought almost constantly about the opportunity for revenge. Now, with both fighters being promoted by Sauerland, therefore making the fight a relatively easy one to make, Huck could be on the verge of getting what he wants. But what’s that old saying? Be careful what you wish for, it might come true!
Huck, 30-1(23) may get the return with Cunningham – who, since the win in December of 2007 has lost and then regained the IBF crown – but can he defeat the taller, cleverer fighter?
Arguably the biggest, the best and the most potentially exciting fight that can be made in today’s cruiserweight division, Cunningham-Huck II would be a unification bout, as well as being a battle between the #1 and #2 of the division (according to most rankings). Who wouldn’t want to see it? Either on its own or as part of the talked-of cruiserweight “Super Six” that is currently in the works, the rematch between the German-based warrior and the 34-year-old from Philly is sure to attract plenty of fan attention.
Huck has always said, he was immature and not yet ready to beat a seasoned operator like “USS” Cunningham back in 2007; when he was, after all, just 23-years-old. But now, having grown, both physically and mentally, the established WBO ruler feels he is ready to meet Cunningham for a second time and, as he puts it, “ really, really hurt him.”
Of course, Cunningham, who really did a job on “Kap’n” Huck a little less than three years ago, will feel exactly the same way – that he will really, really hurt Huck. Once again. In many ways a great boxer Vs. puncher contest – with Huck being the puncher, the more versatile Cunningham being the boxer – the prospective rematch could bring out the best in both men. Cunningham the boxer, can also bang, and Huck the puncher has shown improved skills in recent months. Maybe the rematch will surprise us, in that both guys will fight very differently compared to how they approached matters in 2007.
Will Huck be able to deal with Cunningham’s reach and fine left jab this time? Will Cunningham, 23-2(12) find he is in with a more patient and relaxed fighter this time round? Is Huck right at his peak now and ready to prove he is the absolute best at 200-pounds? Has Cunningham already peaked and is he slightly past his best? Will we see a distance fight this time?
For the good of the cruiserweight division – a division that has become quite hot in recent years, when at one time it always played second fiddle to the heavyweight division – all these questions and others will soon be answered. And if Huck can turn it around and gain his revenge, we could be in store for a great trilogy!