By Chris Robinson

Kevin Cunningham and his star fighter, IBF and WBC junior lightweight champion Devon Alexander, area heading out to Pontiac, Michigan for this coming weekend's hugely important showdown with fellow titlist Timothy Bradley. The two undefeated stalwarts are looking to break through as superstars at the other's expense and the bout figures to be full of suspense and calculated action.

I caught up with Cunningham and Alexander last week as their training camp was winding down and the ambience was very lively. What seemed to stand out to me during my conversation with the outspoken trainer was his dismissive attitude towards a possible unification bout with WBA king Amir Khan after this fight, as he instead threw out the names of Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Shane Mosley as more ideal candidates for the winner of this Saturday's bout.
 
Cunningham is a man who speaks full-throttle and there are many layers to him looking past Khan and eyeing bigger bounty sooner than later. Continue reading below for Cunningham's take on Timothy Bradley as an opponent, why he feels that Mayweather is the most dangerous threat out there, Pacquiao's incredible run over the past few years, his respect towards Juan Manuel Marquez and much more...
 
The fight we wanted...
"I think it's just the fact that he feels that he was forced into this fight. If it was up to him, this fight wouldn't be happening. This was the fight that HBO wanted to make. This is the fight we wanted to make because we want to prove that Devon Alexander is the top dog at 140. The only way to do that is to beat the consensus number one and everybody has Bradley sitting at number one. He's the guy that we have to beat if we want to be considered the best."
 
The perfect game plan...
"The way to beat Tim Bradley is putting together the perfect game plan, and I believe I've done [that]. Devon has the ability and talent to execute that game plan. And he will beat him on January 29th."
 
No joke...
"I think Tim Bradley is a warrior. I think he's got tremendous heart. He's a warrior and he has great boxing pedigree. I've been knowing this kid from that amateurs. He's always been in the top three or four in his weight class from the amateurs. So Tim Bradley is no joke. We know that he's earned the position that he has and we have to beat him to get the number one spot."
 
What Amir Khan will be thinking...
"I don't care what Amir Khan thinks. Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley are the best two 140-pounders in the world. Amir Khan has been knocked out cold. He was out on his feet in his last fight. I'm not concerning myself with that guy because I have the number one 140-pound fighter in the world right in front of me."
 
Sitting ringside for Khan-Maidana...
"Khan and Maidana, they gave it their all. Maidana is limited. He's a limited fighter. I mean, he hits good but in terms of skills he is limited. Very limited. Khan ran in and threw his flurry of cominbations then he ran around the ring. He fights like an amateur. He jumps in, throws combinations, and runs around the ring. That's what Amir Khan does. There's nothing hard to figure out about him."
 
Bradley-Alexander winner facing Pacquiao or Mayweather...
"Why not? When these are two undefeated world champions, both of them are two-time world champions, and they are willing to lay this on the line when we can't get the other top guys in the other divisions to do this. So why shouldn't these two be rewarded with a Mayweather, Pacquiao, Marquez, or Mosley fight?"
 
Mosley deserving of a fight with Pacquiao...
"I think if he would have fought Mosley in his prime I would have picked Mosley. But Mosley is past his prime. But I think Mosley deserves a fighter like this. What he's done, he's going straight to the hall of fame. He deserves a fight like this."
 
Mayweather's future...
"I think he's definitely going to fight again if he doesn't go to jail. But he's definitely going to fight again. I think Mayweather is the best fighter in boxing now, bar none. Pound for pound, Mayweather is the number one fighter in this sport. He beats Pacquiao easy if they fight. Mayweather is so fucking smart man. He's smart and he has the heart and will to win. Mosley had him hurt and the guy gathered himself in the same round and started beating the shit out of Mosley in the same round."
 
Pacquiao's improbable rise in weight...
"That's amazing. I don't know what to say. I've never seen nothing like it, ever in my life. To see a guy winning a world title at 112 pounds and goes up and he's beating up middleweights? It's amazing and he deserves all the credit in the world. He's the one that's keeping boxing in the mainstream right now and he deserves all the credit in the world."
 
Pacquiao's dissection of Antonio Margarito...
"It went exactly the way I thought it would go. Margarito is a slow, come-forward brawler looking to land bombs. There's no way you're going to beat a fast, combination-throwing southpaw with angles like Pacquiao."
 
Assessing Juan Manuel Marquez at 140 pounds...
"He went up to fight Mayweather but Mayweather was a welterweight. And then Mayweather didn't even fight at the agreed weight. That was a big difference. If Marquez wants to fight Pacquiao, he has to come to 140 or 147, right? So why would he be too small for Alexander or Bradley? I don't get it. When I hear people say that I look at them funny. Because what are you saying here? He's big enough to fight Pacquiao at welterweight, he's even been mentioned to fight Berto at welterweight, but he wouldn't be big enough to fight the winner of this fight?"

hris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. An archive of his work can be found here , and he can be reached at Trimond@aol.com