After 14 Years, Steve Cunningham Ready For HBO Debut

by David P. Greisman

Steve Cunningham was an American cruiserweight, which meant that he was a cruiserweight who had to leave the United States to get more opportunities in places where the division is deeper and more widely followed.

He turned pro in late 2000 and fought in the U.S. In 2006 he went to Poland and lost his first title shot, returning there immediately to win a belt in a rematch. He went to Germany to defend it, then came back to New Jersey in 2008, losing a war with Tomasz Adamek. Over the next few years he fought four more times in Germany, briefly holding the title again before moving up to heavyweight in 2012.

All this time, the most exposure he got in his home country was through cards on NBC and NBC Sports Network.

“I gave up fighting on HBO and Showtime,” he said.

Now that’s about to change. He will be in the co-feature on HBO’s March 14 broadcast of light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev vs. Jean Pascal. Cunningham faces unbeaten heavyweight Vyacheslav Glazkov.

It’s an achievement for the 38-year-old, but as is the case with his entire heavyweight campaign, he also will be stepping in once again against a naturally bigger opponent.

“I’m fighting my fourth undefeated heavyweight,” Cunningham said at a Jan. 14 press conference. “I want to be heavyweight world champion. Czar is … in my way of that.”

Cunningham was stopped in seven rounds by Tyson Fury (then 20-0) back in 2013, then outpointed the 29-7 Manuel Quezada later that year. In 2014 Cunningham had to get off the deck to outpoint Amir Mansour (then 20-0) in an April battle and did the same before scoring a technical knockout of Natu Visinia (then 10-0) in October.

Glazkov is 19-0-1 with 12 KOs, that lone draw coming against Malik Scott in 2013 in a bout some observers felt Scott deserved to win.

Cunningham of course wants to give Glazkov his first official loss.

“When my trainer, Naz [Naazim Richardson] comes up with the plan, whatever it is, I’m going to execute it,” he said.

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