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By Thomas Gerbasi - It should be a time for celebration. But Kevin Cunningham always catches himself. The fighter he has trained for the last 16 years, WBC and IBF junior welterweight champion Devon Alexander, is about to engage in the Halley’s Comet of the boxing world on January 29th – a Super Fight – against fellow unbeaten Timothy Bradley, but despite all the success, there’s still a daily reminder of the ones that got away.
He recites a few names: Terrance Barker, Willie Ross, LaDell Evans, Johnny Hubbard, “and so many more that are no longer here with us.” There’s also Alexander’s brother Vaughn, serving an 18-year sentence for armed robbery, and more lives lost to the streets of St. Louis, named by the FBI as America’s most dangerous city.
“We end up talking about a lot of those kids that got lost along the way, and we talk about them every day because it bothers me,” said Cunningham. “It really bothers me. I’m happy for what Cory was able to accomplish and what Devon is doing right now, but I always find myself thinking about the others, and they were just as talented as Devon. It’s a sad situation, but all you can do is put forth the effort and try to do what you can do. After that, there’s nothing else you can do. I know I put forth the effort. I didn’t stand on the sidelines and watch a bunch of young people fall by the wayside. I jumped in and tried to help them out and they chose the negative vices in life over this positive option.”
The voice of Cunningham, who is never at a loss for words, trails off.
Back in 1995, the former detective and then-patrolman opened a boxing gym in the basement of an old police station in the Hyde Park section. The goals were simple – give the children of the community a place to go, something to do, and a positive outlet that they weren’t going to find on the streets. That looks good on a press release. Cunningham’s reason for doing it came from a more personal place. [Click Here To Read More]
He recites a few names: Terrance Barker, Willie Ross, LaDell Evans, Johnny Hubbard, “and so many more that are no longer here with us.” There’s also Alexander’s brother Vaughn, serving an 18-year sentence for armed robbery, and more lives lost to the streets of St. Louis, named by the FBI as America’s most dangerous city.
“We end up talking about a lot of those kids that got lost along the way, and we talk about them every day because it bothers me,” said Cunningham. “It really bothers me. I’m happy for what Cory was able to accomplish and what Devon is doing right now, but I always find myself thinking about the others, and they were just as talented as Devon. It’s a sad situation, but all you can do is put forth the effort and try to do what you can do. After that, there’s nothing else you can do. I know I put forth the effort. I didn’t stand on the sidelines and watch a bunch of young people fall by the wayside. I jumped in and tried to help them out and they chose the negative vices in life over this positive option.”
The voice of Cunningham, who is never at a loss for words, trails off.
Back in 1995, the former detective and then-patrolman opened a boxing gym in the basement of an old police station in the Hyde Park section. The goals were simple – give the children of the community a place to go, something to do, and a positive outlet that they weren’t going to find on the streets. That looks good on a press release. Cunningham’s reason for doing it came from a more personal place. [Click Here To Read More]
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