IBF Cruiserweight Champion Steve Cunningham (24-2, 12 KOs) is “ready to go to war on Saturday night October 1, 2011” when he clashes with Yoan Pablo Hernandez (24-1, 13 KOs) in Neubrandenburg, Germany. The 35-year-old American voiced his confidence today during the final press conference in a redesigned church. “I have followed his career for a long time. Hernandez is one of the top cruiserweights and a very strong opponent. But I have defeated all reigning cruiserweights champions and I will clinch another victory on Saturday night. The weapons are oiled and I am ready to go to war.”
Hernandez, who became the WBA Interim Cruiserweight Champion in February when he stopped Steve Herelius, is looking forward to Saturday night. “Cunningham is good, I know what he did to my training partner and stablemate Marco Huck. Saturday will be time for revenge. I have a lot of respect for him but I am ready to become world champion.”
Also on Saturday night, former IBF Middleweight Champion Sebastian Sylvester (34-4-1, 16 KOs) makes his comeback after losing his title to Daniel Geale. He will face Grzegorz Proksa (25-0, 18 KOs) for the vacant European Middleweight Title. “I am not impressed by Sylvester,” Proksa said. “He has shown no improvement in his last fights. I don´t think he will have any surprises for me. I will remain unbeaten and I will win the title on Saturday.” Sylvester was unimpressed. “He talks like he is the big favourite and I don´t have a chance at all. That´s fine for me. He can say what he wants. All I will do is show up on Saturday night, win all 12 rounds and then I´m done with him.”
In the third title fight of the night, Karo Murat defends his IBF Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Title against Gabriel Campillo.
***Q&A: Yoan Pablo Hernandez***
Yoan Pablo Hernandez is ready for the biggest fight of his life when he challenges IBF Cruiserweight Champion Steve Cunningham (24-2, 12 KOs) in Neubrandenburg, Germany on October 1. Boxing-online.com has caught up with the 26-year-old (24-1, 13 KOs).
Q: What do you think of Steve Cunningham?
YPH: “He is a very good boxer. This fight is a tremendous challenge for me and my chance to show everybody how good I am.”
Q: What will your tactics be like for this fight?
YPH: “Cunningham is fast and experienced. That is something I need to be aware of. That´s all I can say. Of course neither my coach Mr. Wegner nor I will reveal the strategy beforehand.”
Q: Cunningham has already defeated your team-mates Marco Huck and Enad Licina. Are you scared that you might be his third victim?
YPH: “No, not at all. Every fight is different. I felt sorry for Marco and Enad that they lost. Marco´s defeat has been quite a while ago, so who knows what the outcome would be now. What I know for sure, however, is that October 1 will be my big day. I will be the new champion.”
Q: You are from Cuba. Is the fight against Cunningham also a fight between Cuba and the USA?
YPH: “No. It’s a fight between two boxers, that´s it. And even though I was born in Cuba, I´ve been living in Germany for quite a while now and feel at home over here.”
Q: Not long ago, you had a special visitor…
YPH: “Yes. My mother came and visited me. I had not seen her for more than six years. It was a very emotional and unforgettable moment for us.”
Q: You knocked out Steve Herelius in February to become the vacant WBA Cruiserweight Champion. You were supposed to fight Guillermo Jones. What happened?
YPH: “I´m not sure. But then came the chance to fight Cunningham, which is great because I can finally accomplish my dream of becoming world champion. I´ve been training ever since February, so I will be in top shape.”
Q: Cunningham is also a member of Team Sauerland. Is he more of a “team-mate” or “enemy” for you?
YPH: “Neither. He is my opponent inside the ring. He is somebody I want to beat. And I will beat him.”
***Q&A Steve “USS” Cunningham: “I always have the top cruiserweights on my radar”***
IBF Cruiserweight Champion Steve “USS” Cunningham (24-2, 12 KOs) will put his belt on the line against Yoan Pablo Hernandez (24-1, 13 KOs) in Neubrandenburg, Germany on October 1. Boxing-online.com has caught up with the 35-year-old American ahead of his third fight for Team Sauerland.
Q: How has the preparation been going?
USS: “Everything has been going great, I’m feeling good and looking forward to the fight. I’m always in the gym, even without a fight scheduled, and I always have the top cruiserweights on my radar.”
Q: Hernandez is a tough fighter. He is also a southpaw. Have you already fought other southpaws? Have you had a special preparation for this fight?
USS: “Yes, I have fought other southpaws in my career, and I used to spar with Chris Byrd as an amateur and pro. I have no problems with fighting southpaws.”
Q: You have already beaten all four reigning world champions. Looks like Hernandez is one of the biggest names out there that you have yet to beat?
USS: “I believe him to be the best challenger for me right now. I think he is a good fighter and will bring a good fight. I want to put on a great fight for the German fans and would love for it to be the fight of the year.”
Q: You defeated mandatory challenger Enad Licina in your last fight in April. But you said you were not entirely happy with your performance?
USS: “Our initial fight date was changed and we travelled back to America for a short period to resume camp. When I returned to Germany the week before the fight, I had caught the flu. I spent the first three days in bed and was not feeling well at all. I was determined and even though I knew I wasn’t 100%, I felt confident that my best at that time would be enough. And thank God it was. I felt drained during the fight, I really could not push the way I wanted to and trained to. But prayer, faith and hard work brought me through.”
Q: Your clash with Hernandez will also be a clash of two top trainers – Naazim Richardson and Ulli Wegner…
USS: “They are both great trainers. I know 100% that brother Naazim Richardson is the best trainer for me. He works equally as hard as I do in preparing for a fight and I trust him in the ring to tell me what needs to be done. Wegner is a great trainer too, his work speaks for itself. Two great trainers, two great fighters, it’s going to be a GREAT fight.”
As in September, I once again ran out of gas in the 10th & 11th championship rounds of October & November with this column, but I recovered to complete them and will unleash a few more flurries to close out the 12th and final round.
In the first week of October, Hassan N’Dam won a UD over Curtis Stevens in an eliminator for the right to challenge Jermaine Taylor who defeated aging Sam Soliman to regain the IBF Middleweight title. How Taylor even earned this title shot is another story altogether, but it is all irrelevant as he is now the champion. However he will not have too much time to savor his victory as he has assault and battery charges pending against him and an upcoming court fight that may turn out to be the toughest fight of his life, just when things started to look up for him in boxing, we wish him luck.
