IBF champ(K9) ready to give Kirkland title shot.

November 10, 2011 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: K9 BUNDRAGE By Benny Henderson Jr IBF champ ready to give Kirkland title shot IBF light middleweight title holder Cornelius “K9” Bundrage 31-4 (18) is not only jumping on the James Kirkland bandwagon, the Detroit native is willing to put his belt on the line in giving Kirkland a chance at becoming a world champion. In this exclusive interview K9 speaks out on his intentions and more, enjoy. Benny Henderson Jr. : You reached out to ********** and wanted to get something out to the fight world, you have center stage to speak your mind. K9 Bundrage: I just wanted to say that you know my phone has been ringing off the hook every since Saturday when Kirkland beat Angulo. People have been calling me telling me that they would love to see that fight; people have been putting it on my FaceBook and Twitter page how they have wanted to see Kirkland and K9. I believe that out of all the other fighters Kirkland, he is the guy who has proven that he deserves a world title shot. You know, the opportunity is here for him, all his people has to do is get with my people, get with Don King and the fight can be made. BH: You say that out of all the fighters in the division, you feel that James Kirkland is the most deserving of a shot at your title, why so? K9: HBO has aid a lot of good things about him, when HBO is speaking well about you that is a good thing. Plus he has the attention of me, he made me interested in giving him an opportunity to fight me, because he is not scared to fight, he is a throw back fighter like the Mike Tyson days. And you know that Mike Tyson used to be my guy, that was the guy that encouraged me to want to become a boxer. It was a real good fight, I was really impressed, I just feel if I am going to defend my belt, well we know that Saul Alvarez is ducking me, we know the guys that are in my windshield, they already have dates, so a K9 versus Pacquiao fight is off the table right now, a K9 versus Mayweather is off the table right now, after Cotto fights Margarito, I don’t even think Cotto is going to win, and who really wants to see a fight between me and Margarito? I think the best fight for the public and the fans would be a fight against Kirkland. They have called me before for a fight against Kirkland, this was before I was world champion, but at that time he was getting his feet wet, he hadn’t gotten to that point to where if the fight would have been made it wouldn’t have been that big. I think the fight would be big now because of the win he just had and the fact that I am world champion. BH: What type of fight would you expect you and Kirkland to be? K9: I think if you liked the fight between him and Angulo, then you are going to love the fight between him and me. I have never been a punk, and his style is like my style, I go get it. I may have a different way of going and getting it, but I like getting it, I like to mix it up. I can almost guarantee but not fully guarantee because only God can guarantee, but I feel that would be a great fight, not only the fight of the year but the fight of the century. If you see this fight it will make you think of Ali versus Frazier, and rest in peace Joe Frazier. It would be Hearns versus Haggler. I think it would be that kind of fight. BH: I mean no disrespect but here you are a title holder and it seems that you have to call out people, it seems a little sad that you have to call people out when you have the strap. K9: Oh, it’s not me, I do not know if it is my promoter or what, but it is not me. A lot of these promoters want to do business with their self, Golden Boy will work with Golden Boy faster then he will with Don King, Bob Arum will do business with Bob Arum faster then he would Golden Boy. A lot of times Don King wants to keep the belt, because if he keeps the belt he controls what he is doing, he is like you have to come see me to get the belt. So a lot of times if somebody has to fight one of Don King’s fighters, Don King wants rights because he gave you that opportunity. So a lot of these promoters fight their fighters, they are not stepping out of the box, unless it is an opportunity they cannot refuse. BH: Well, if you could send out a message to Team Kirkland, what would that message be? K9: First of all I would say that I am not calling him out because I am the champ of the world, all unifications lead to me. I was just interested in what I saw, I know he was asked if he wanted to avenge his only loss and he said that an opportunity with K9 would be a better opportunity for him, so I already know that he and his people are thinking about me. I can hear them in my sleep talking, I can hear them right now talking. I am just letting him know that it is worth it for me to fight him now, not because I am desperate but because I am the champ of the world they have to come see me regardless. It is business, but you cannot beat being a world champion, there is nothing like being a world champion. And for Kirkland to get to the next level he has to become world champion, even Saul Alvarez, even though it is like they gave him the belt, he still had to get the belt to get to that next level, even though he is not fighting the guys you want to see him fight. I am not desperate to fight anybody, I have already accomplished what I wanted to do, I am the champion, I am not the number one contender, and I am the champion of the world. If they take the fight or not I could care less, as long as I have this strap around my waist I am good. BH: Anything you want to say in closing? K9: Jesus for life, God is great, I am still the dog out here, I am still the K9; do not bark if you cannot bite. To all of my fans keep God first. Boxing Talk .com