by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) – This week’s 131st edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with reigning IBF junior middleweight champion Cornelius “K9” Bundrage (31-4, 18 KOs) who is coming off a successful title defense while avenging a previous loss against former conqueror Sechew Powell (26-3, 15 KOs). Bundrage spoke about his victory, and shared opinions on various aspects of the current boxing landscape including the upcoming heavyweight unification bout between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye. Here are some excerpts from that interview:
Regarding the early rounds in his recent title defense against Sechew Powell:
“I knew that he was going to come out aggressive the first round, because in our first match he stopped me in the first round actually. So I knew he would think that lightning would probably strike in the same place, but it doesn’t strike in the same place twice. I was prepared for that and I was ready to go twelve rounds if I had to go twelve rounds. I was in tremendous shape, so I wasn’t worried at all.”
On whether he believes he took Powell out of the fight mentally when he was unable to score another early stoppage:
“Yeah, I believe I just fought a smart fight. I fought a smarter fight than I did the first time, and I think that really determined me being victorious. I came not only to fight, I came to win and I came to keep my belt. It was just a lot at stake. We’ve been going at it back and forth on the internet, and I had to get some payback. I couldn’t come back to Detroit without my belt. I mean I wouldn’t be able to keep my pants up without my belt.”
His views on the fact that HBO did not air his fight against Powell on their triple header card:
“I really didn’t understand it at all, but I know God works in mysterious ways. With how exciting the first card was I just knew that we would be on HBO, but God works in mysterious ways. It’s probably good they didn’t show it on HBO because probably people wouldn’t even want to fight me. So like I said, God works in mysterious ways and I’m not upset. I won. I’ll get a chance to be on HBO before it’s all said and done, and real soon!”
Regarding who would like to face next in the 154 pound weight class:
“I believe that a fight with me and Saul Alvarez would be a good fight. We both come and bring it, and I want to unify the belts anyway. Half the reason I became champ is not just to defend it with contenders, but to unify the belts. I mean Mike Tyson, he unified the belts and he had all of the belts. I want to follow the footsteps of guys like Roy Jones, and Mike Tyson, and Tommy Hearns. I guess you’re the man when you get all of the belts. You’re almost the man when you got one belt, but when you got all the belts there you can really talk—or you can really bark. BARK! BARK! BARK!”
His assessment of Saul Alvarez as a boxer and whether he believes he rightfully earned his championship:
“Well you know what, I believe that he earned his championship because he brings a lot to boxing. He has a lot of fans, a lot of people want to see him fight, and if you can sell tickets you deserve to be in whatever position you’re in. He’s got a great team with Oscar De La Hoya, one of the best promoters out here. So I believe he definitely deserves it. Boxing is so hard you can’t hate on a person because of the position that he’s in. I can’t say man he doesn’t deserve this, or he does deserve this. If you can’t say something good you shouldn’t say anything at all, because boxing is hard. At the end of the day, either you’re going to have it or you’re not going to have it. There are so many people at the end of their career who end up on drugs, because we don’t have a retirement fund or any of that. So I take off my hat off to guys that do well in boxing because it’s hard, and I wish everybody would do well in boxing because not only do we fight, we take punches man! You can end up punch drunk. You can end up not knowing who you are. Look what happened to Gerald McClellan. I mean people can die in the ring, and I’m happy for their success. I’m happy for their success and I’m just looking forward to having more success in my career.”
His views on the upcoming heavyweight unification bout between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye:
“Well I definitely hope that it brings the heavyweight division back in the public’s eye, because anything that can help boxing we need it. I don’t know what it’s going to do, but I know it’s going to be a good fight and I know a lot of people are going to tune in and watch it. Thank God that boxing is still at the top of its game. People will sit there and say how UFC is so much better than boxing or they put in more ratings, but if you notice every time there is a big boxing fight the UFC tries to compete that same day and they can’t handle what’s going on in boxing. When Floyd fought and UFC was on that day, it was a million and something buys for Floyd and UFC only got like a couple of hundred thousand. So I definitely hope the heavyweight division gets back to where it once was. I’m just happy to be a part of boxing, period! I’m happy to be on East Side Boxing! God is great! BARK! BARK! BARK! And still the junior middleweight champion of the world!”
On whether he believes a fight between him and Miguel Cotto is ever possible since both are trained by Emanuel Steward:
“You know what, he already told me once before that if me and Miguel Cotto were to fight, that since he trains Miguel Cotto and manages me that he would just get some popcorn, and eat the popcorn, and have a Coke and a smile, and he would just enjoy the fight. After the fight he would continue to train Cotto and he would continue to manage me, so I was happy to hear that.”
On what he will do if Saul Alvarez decides not to fight him next:
“I just put it all in God’s hands because I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know something has got to happen because I’m a world champion, and if you want to bring boxing back to where it used to be and you want to prove that you’re one of the best fighters in the world, then you just can’t fight the number one guys or number two. You got to fight champions! Champions should fight champions and that’s the reason why we have belts. Until you get to the position where you don’t need to be champion any more, you can do what Floyd and Manny Pacquiao and those guys are doing and just fight when you want to fight or fight whoever you want to fight. I’m in the business right now to collect belts, and when you collect belts you collect checks. The rest is history! I’m looking forward to fighting. I just want to unify the belts. All unification leads through ‘K9’ Bundrage! If you want to prove you’re the best, then you got to holler at me and quit hollering at the rest!”
His views on the return of both Paul Williams and Kermit Cintron in the 154 pound division:
“Paul Williams, his people turned me down. That right there lets me know that hey, there’s a little respect for K9. Then again, he’s just coming off a loss so who knows. Like I said, I look forward to unifying the belts. I don’t know about a fight with Kermit Cintron, because Kermit Cintron needs me more than I need him. I want to fight somebody where it’s the same level or it’s unification. I’m not trying to go backwards. I’m trying to go forward. I’m looking through the windshield, and when I look through the rearview mirror I know that’s behind me so I’m not going to turn my head. I’m just looking through the rearview mirror. I’m going forward.”
On what fans can expect from him for the rest of 2011:
“Just expect me to keep on doing whatever, continuing to improve, and to continue to shock the world. If you noticed when I was on The Contender, they didn’t want to take me! Nobody wanted to take me on their team! I was the last one to be picked, and when I tell you the first should be last and the last should be first. Now if you look at it, look at what’s going on now. I’m the world champion! Every fighter that beat me, with the four losses I have I ended up becoming a world champion. I’m not trying to spit on nobody or sit on nobody, but just look! Just look and see where I’m at and where the other guys that fought me or beat me are at in their career. I’m just happy and thankful and I know God has some serious big plans for me. If He didn’t have serious big plans for me, I wouldn’t have won the fight Saturday night and that was a really big win for me! They can’t continue to sit there and say K9 beat a guy who’s washed up and isn’t the same. Sechew Powell came and brought his best. It was a good fight, it’s just that it was my time, it was my time to shine, and it was my day. Yep! Long live the K9! ARF! ARF! ARF! The dog is coming! ARGHHHH!”
***
For those interested in listening to the Cornelius Bundrage interview in its entirety, it begins right at the program.
RIGHT CLICK and ‘SAVE AS’ TO DOWNLOAD EPISODE #131
***
To learn more about “On the Ropes Boxing Radio:
Visit our official Website:
http://www.ontheropesboxingradio.com
Subscribe to our show on i-tunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-ropes/id427474189
Join our Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=231954175413&ref=ts
Or Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/JennaOnTheRopes
http://twitter.com/CianiOnTheRopes
To contact Geoffrey Ciani or Jenna J:
ontheropes@boxing247.com
To read more by Ciani or Jenna please visit The Mushroom Mag:
http://www.eatthemushroom.com/mag