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

Philly’s James Shuler Memorial Gym the Foundation of Boxing Champions

BY:  Diane Bennett www.diamondboxing.com   

 

 

 

 

 

When you write about James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym and its boxers your words need to be golden, each word needs to be carefully thought out each word must be crisp and precise. Most of all your thoughts need to have passion and desire, you need to be dedicated to your story and be able demonstrate commitment.  Since these are the keys to the James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym from the crispness of their hits, to their passion, dedication and desire to be successful, the boxers, trainers and coaches at Shuler’s expect only the best of themselves. Commitment runs rampant within the gym walls from the up and coming amateurs to the experienced professionals they all share the same goals. When it comes to boxing history especially the rich Philly Boxing History no one at Shuler’s comes up short either. They can tell you about the greats from Jolting Jeff Chandler to Bernard Hopkins, from Bob Montgomery to Tim Witherspoon.

Each boxer training on the day we visited wasted no time to show us the love they have for their sport and for each other within the gym. And it was for the love he had for the late James Shuler that Percy “Buster” Custus opened the James Shuler Memorial Gym in 1994.Cutus a trainer had met Shuler while he was working out at Joe Frazier’s Gym the two established a special relationship. They were friends for over 14 years, until Shuler’s life was cut short when he passed away from a fatal motorcycle accident in March 1986.

 

 

 

The city of Brotherly Love holds true to form in Shuler’s when we chatted with Gee Culmer, Jamaal Davis, Steve Cunningham, Marianne Marston, Jason Sia, Sharron Baker and Percy Custus himself each one in their own words described the support and encouragement they exude for each other. It was Jamaal Davis who said it best if it wasn’t for everyone in my Shuler Gym family I would not have been able to go forward with my career after the passing of my wife Patrilla to cancer last year “There is nothing else I would rather do than be in this gym”. Davis spoke about how at 4AM he can call his trainer Sharron Baker and without hesitation she will pickup the phone and listen to him. He told us how Steve Cunningham and his family was there every step of the way to help him deal with the challenging times he was facing and how Nazim Richardson (trainer of Bernard Hopkins) and Percy Custus guide him, “They are my father figures” Davis says. Davis who has dedicated his career to his wife is scheduled to fight on October 4th at the National Guard Armory in Northeast Philadelphia.