K9 Bundrage Fires Back at Cintron: Show Me The Money

By Ryan Burton
 
BoxingScene.com recently ran an article in which former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron said that he would like to fight IBF junior middleweight champion Cornelius "K9" Bundrage on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito rematch that is tentatively set to take place on July 16th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  Cintron said that Bundrage's aspirations of fighting Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto were unrealistic and that he should look for more realistic fights which include a fight with Cintron.  Bundrage reached out to BoxingScene.com to respond to Cintron's comments.
 
"I see that Kermit Cintron has been calling me out.  I thought he was going back down to welterweight?  Now he is saying that he will fight at junior middleweight?  He was saying it isn't unrealistic for me to get a fight with Manny Pacquiao and those guys.  It is highly realistic with me being 37 and being a champion you would think they would say lets give K9 a shot," Bundrage told BoxingScene.com.
 
The former Contender series participant feels that he has a better shot at landing those big fights compared to Cintron.  Bundrage points to Cintron's most recent fight that aired on HBO in which the Puerto Rican fighter fell out of the ring ending the fight in the fourth round after Cintron could not continue.
 
"It is not realistic for him to get an opportunity again with HBO when they said they don't want to see him no more with the performance he had with Paul Williams.  It is realistic for me to get a shot and to fight on TV because I am a world champion.  When they show the world champions of the junior middleweight division whether they want to show it or not they have no choice but to show K9 on there."
 
The Detroit, Michigan resident feels that a fight with Cintron would be a step back in his career.  He did however say if the demand for the fight was there and the money was right that he would have no problem making the fight and even went as far as to say that he would be willing to go to Cintron's homeland of Puerto Rico.
 
"If the money is right I would fight him but I am really trying to go forward with my career and not backwards.  If he gets a belt then we can fight or if they get that cake right then we can fight.  I ain't got no problem with it.  All they have to do is call Don King or Emanuel Steward and we can do it.  I would even go to Puerto Rico if they get that cake right."
 
Bundrage finished up our conversation by stating his long range goals.  He revealed that he wants to become the undisputed junior middleweight champion of the world and a fight with Cintron doesn't help him in his quest.  If K9 had his druthers, WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto would be facing him in July instead of facing Margarito.
 
"To be honest with you, me beating Kermit Cintron does nothing for my career.  If I beat him they will be like look at his last performance against Paul Williams.  He flew out of the ring.  So the win won't do anything for me.  I have respect for Kermit Cintron.  He was trained by Manny Steward and we sparred before.  I have respect for him but I want to fight these world champions or the fighters in my windshield.  Not the guys way way back there.  I want guys who are champs or the mandatories.  I want to unify the belts.  I want to be the undisputed champion.  I don't just want one title.  I want all the titles.  That is why I had said I wanted the Cotto fight.  After Cotto beat Mayorga at the press conference Arum was talking about making Cotto-Margarito and that is why Don King and I said 'Hey Arum what about unifying these belts?'  Arum just kept looking at me and didn't say anything."

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