Boxing Notebook: Cunningham Will Be Too Slick

Boxing Notebook: Cunningham Will Be Too Slick
By Carlos Guzman
Posted: 8:30 am PDT 2006-07-05

On Saturday, Steve "USS" Cunningham docks in St. Louis for his shot at the IBF cruiserweight title when he takes on Guillermo Jones in a highly anticipated rematch. This bout is on the undercard of Spinks vs. Karmazin, which will be televised on Showtime.

When the current cruiserweight champion, O'Neil Bell, upset Jean-Marc Mormeck at the Garden in January, at the post-fight conference Cunningham and Bell had a war of words. These guys know each other, they've sparred together -- rumor has it that Cunningham got the better of Bell in sparring. Despite the confidence boost from the win over Mormeck, Bell wasn't too thrilled about his chances against a slick boxer-puncher. So when Bell learned that IBF made Cunningham his mandatory, he developed "dental problems" and the fight was shelved. It didn't faze Cunningham.

"I guess Bell would rather lose his title rather than face me," said Cunningham, referring to Bell's withdrawal from their May 6, 2006, fight. "That's fine with me. Jones and I have earned the right to fight for the title. The Panamanian is a gutsy guy, but nothing's going to keep me from winning the world title."

Jones is no pushover. Many fans who saw Jones' first fight with Cunningham in 2005 had him winning. A few Cunningham fans told me "it was the first time I've ever seen him buzzed like that. I thought he would get stopped." It was Jones who was at the losing end of the split decision but earned the respect of the crowd. More than a year later and revenge is on Jones' mind.

WagerWeb Sportsbook has Steve Cunningham -200, Guillermo Jones +170. Jones is a banger, with some decent skills, but Cunningham will once again prove too slick and quick through 12 rounds. Bet Cunningham -- he's the future of the division.

Y'all Must've 4-Got

Mike Tyson once said he could sell out Madison Square Garden playing with himself. Based on his boxing earnings, that might not be far from the truth. On the other end of the spectrum is Bernard Hopkins, who at one point couldn't even sellout a fight in his hometown. Somewhere in the middle is Roy Jones Jr., who in the eyes of many (including some HBO executives) is a bad ticket sale. Jones' early PPV numbers were always dismal and his poor choice of opponents fueled the infamous "Roycott".

However, his megabouts sparked huge interest with PPV buys over 400K.

Today, Roy is back to the beginning -- struggling to convince the crowd to open their wallets. According to the Idaho Statesman, only 700 tickets have been sold for an arena that holds 5,000 for Jones' July 29 fight.

Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman weighs in:

"The Treasure Valley sporting public isn't buying into the boxing card at Qwest Arena at least not yet.

Its nonchalance can be attributed to several factors, none bigger than the card's average ticket price of more than $200.

So far, Boise has shown it isn't ready for pricy sporting events, especially one headlined by a fading star."

Jones faces Prince Badi Ajamu on July 29. Some sportbooks have Roy Jones -450, Prince Badi Ajamu +300. They should keep a stretcher handy at all times. Ajamu's style is similar to Glen Johnson -- who KO'd Jones when they met.

10 Seconds

On Saturday, Sept. 2, James "Lights Out" Toney faces Samuel "The Nigerian Nightmare' Peter on Showtime. The 12-round bout is a WBC heavyweight eliminator for the No. 1 spot. I bet Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's are clamoring to sponsor this bout -- these boys can eat.

This bout could be a final opportunity for both men. True, Peter is a young guy, but he already failed to against Wladimir Klitchsko. For Toney, a loss causes the lights to go out on his career. Going into this 18^th year as a pro, it's amazing that the 38-year-old Toney is still a force in boxing.

The heavyweight division is rising from its grave, so Toney will need to strike fast. He'll simply out-think Peter. He'll lie on the ropes, have Peter attack him to expend his energy, then outclass him for the remainder of the fight. Toney loves offensive fighters because it gives him an opportunity to use his fast hands to counter. Tune in to watch Peter get a boxing lesson from the old master.

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