IBF CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION STEVE CUNNINGHAM IS READY FOR ADAMEK, DECEMBER 11 AT NEWARK’S PRUDENTIAL CENTER

Diamond Boxings Dr. Baio Goes One on One With IBF Champion Steve Cunningham Ahead of His Fight With Tomasz Adamek.

Latest Boxing News - It was a cold, dark, and damp November day. I was drove down I-95 from NYC to Philly, fighting the elements, to meet up with IBF Cruiser weight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham. I thought it a little ironic that I was driving down from Brooklyn, NY to meet up with Steve at Shuler’s gym on Brooklyn St. in Philly. The street was quiet, with not a soul to be seen. I was the first on the seen as the gym opened. I walked up a dimly lit stairway to get to the second floor of the building, into the gym. Once inside, I found a cozy little gym with all the basics. Nothing fancy, but just what a boxer need to train and get into a boxing state of mind. As I waited for Steve and his Trainer Anthony Chase I decided to take it all in and chat with a few regulars. I found the members and trainers were very friendly. They readily traded advice with each other on techniques. In the middle of my conversations with the member I see two heavy weight sized men come into the gym. Once a few layers of warm cloths were removed it was easy to recognize the IBF cruiserweight champ and his trainer Chase. As Steve prepared for his training session, we took a few minutes and spoke about his up coming fight with Tomasz Adamek and his training.

Cunningham with Don King and Adamek at Newark Press Conf.(Above)

Dr. Baio: “Steve, why do you find yourself sparing with heavyweight sparing partners in preparation for Adamek?”

Steve: “They push me, there fast. Eddy Chambers he’s faster them most super middleweights. Chazz Witherspoon, that dude’s got pressure, he throws a lot of punches, and he’s smart. And their size makes me work. These guys have the speed and the size.”

Dr. Baio: “What strategies are you using to get ready for this fight? What are you using to prepare?”

Steve: “Intensity every were! We like to move. We can fight on the inside. We’re getting prepared in every area. You know, Tomasz, a lot of people call him a brawler. He’s not really a brawler, only if you let him be.”

Dr. Baio: “How’s your weight coming along?”

Steve: “Weight is always good. I walk around in my weight. This is my weight. This is my job. I’m in the gym every day running, sprinting, and swimming. After a fight I’m less then 10 days out of the gym. I don’t like getting out of shape. I love pushing myself to the next level. Like the Navy says “Full steam ahead.”

Dr. Baio: “Have you watched the Dawson versus Adamek fight?”

Steve: “Dawson gave him a boxing lesson. If we could imitate that, that would be great, but I’m a total different fighter. I’ll be bigger than and just as strong as Tomasz. I’ll use the Dawson fight as a blue print. I’ve also looked at Tomasz’s other fights.”

Dr. Baio: “What about training?”

Steve: “I’ve been ready since July. I’ve been training with Chris Byrd. Eddy Chambers, Chazz, a few other guys. I’m in the gym all the time. They think this time off I’ve had is going to hurt me. It actually helped me. We’re rested, and ready to roll.”

 

Steve “USS” Cunningham with soldiers and IBF Championship Belts (above)

I also spoke to Steve about his training and diet. I found out he likes to break up his weekly running program with swimming. This is very important. Constant running can put unneeded stress on your joints. Breaking up the routine with swimming or even cycling and rowing can decrease, if not eliminate some of that stress. Plus, swimming is great for arm strength and breathing control.

Steve believes boxers should have a well rounded weight training routine. A mix of light and heavy days, using everything from weights to stability balls and therabands.   He’ll do a daily circuit with 2 minutes of each exercise. Working a whole body each day.

When it comes to boxing technique each week brings something different. A constant mixing of heavy bag, speed bag, pad work and sparing. Sparing is usually toned down as the fight nears and bag work is changed from day to day.

 As for supplements, Steve keeps it simple. He’ll take a multivitamin and, Cod liver oil every day. With the cold weather coming he likes to add more supplements to bust the immune system. Only when he is training for strength will he use creatine and glutamine, but only enough to speed recovery. He gets all of his other nutrition from straight food sources. His wife helps by cooking nutritious meals and making some vitamin packed fruit drink using a juicer. Steve keeps the same basic diet year round. No simple sugar in this champs diet.

Latest Boxing News www.diamondboxing.com

Dr. Pietro Baio
Performance Edge Chiropractic, P.C.
7315 Ave U
Brooklyn, NY 11234
(917)-309-5464
PBaio_DC@yahoo.com
myspace.com/performanceedgechiro

BY: Ricky Ray Taylor

Every once in a great while a match-up catapults to the surface that gets us salivating at the mere thought of it.  Although this weekends contest is about 5 years past what it could have been, in most boxing circles the JONES-CALZAGHE duel is no exception. 

In August of 2003, Jones was proudly sitting on top of boxing’s pound-for-pound list.  He actually was there for so long that his bones were beginning to creak. Jones had absolutely destroyed everyone in his path for 6 1/2 years in fights that were sometimes so lopsided that it left the casual Boxing “fan” questioning the abilities of his opposition.  Nobody had a clue or seemed to pay attention to the fact that the combined record of Jones opponents within this 6 1/2 year run was 417-22; and 14 of those fights were for World Championships against mandatory qualified contenders.  In fact the only issue people seemed to sink their teeth into regarding Roy Jones career was that he “just didn’t have anyone decent to fight”. 

After winning a relatively controversial majority decision to Antonio Tarver in November of ‘03, for the first time we began to see some kinks in Jones armor.  There just always seemed to be something about the loudmouth Tarver that Roy couldn’t seem to completely conquer.  Perhaps it was the fact that Tarver showed absolutely no fear of Roy? 

 Regardless, the fight was finally close - so close that an immediate rematch was declared by the screaming-Tarver as well as all of boxing’s sanctioning bodies.

The second time around shocked us all as we witnessed yet another great champ be humbled by the brutality of our sport. 

Two more losses followed by 2 wins verses B- fighters and a grand finale victory over an aging Trinidad have done little to recapture the legacy we once knew.

Funny, but by the time Jones was decapitated by Tarver - Joe Calzaghe was 35-0 and creating quite a legacy of his own across the pond. He has been calling out Roy for years.  Understandably so, Jones handlers weren’t hearing him.  They saw what happened to Kostya & Chris Byrd and wanted nothing to do with reliving the nightmare of what happened in the Olympics.  Besides, Roy had troubles of his own in America battling the naysayers ~ and fighting an undefeated Welshman Calzaghe who nobody even heard of would only supply more rocks to the throwers if he were to beat him up.  It was basically a lose-lose for Jones to fight Calzaghe.

Enter Jeff Lacy, at 21-0, Lacy traveled across the seas to take on Calzaghe in front of an International television audience.  The fight was a beat down of cosmic proportions however, in Calzaghe’s favor!  Calzaghe busted up 3 more victims before sizing up Bernard Hopkins in front of an American viewing audience. 

 Now however, the shoe is on the other foot with Calzaghe sitting atop of boxing’s pound 4 pound 4 list, it’s Jones calling out Calzaghe.  Fortunately for Jones, Calzaghe obliged.

Now, finally there’s reason for Calzaghe and Jones to get it on.  The big question however is “how much does Jones have left in the tank”?