Glowacki-Cunningham_2_1  Krzysztof Glowacki tags Steve Cunningham with a jab during their 12-round battle Saturday. Glowacki dropped Cunningham four times on his way to a unanimous decision victory to retain his 200-pound title. (Ryan Greene/Premier Boxing Champions)

Steve Cunningham entered Saturday’s 200-pound title fight against champion Krzysztof Glowacki with a history of struggles against southpaws and Polish titleholders. Those struggles continued at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Krzysztof Glowacki (26-0, 16 KOs) twice floored Steve Cunningham (28-8-1, 13 KOs) with second-round, left-hand counters, then used short right hands to drop him once more in the 10th and 12th rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Thanks to the four knockdowns, Glowacki prevailed by lopsided scores of 115-109 twice and 116-108, much to the delight of a Barclays Center crowd that was packed with Polish fight fans. It was Glowacki’s first defense of the championship he won in August by rising from a sixth-round knockdown to dethrone longtime champ Marco Huck by 11th-round stoppage.

In that victory, Glowacki fought through injuries to his left wrist and shoulder that required surgery in September.

“The plan from the beginning was to hit him with the left hand, and you could tell I was hitting with full power,” Glowacki said. “I couldn’t hit that hard against Marco Huck because of my injury, and now I’m hoping to keep that power up in my next fight.

“Power and precision are my trademarks. That’s always been my game. I was a little bit reluctant because of the surgery, but I got more comfortable as the fight went on.”

Despite the wide final scores, the victory wasn’t easy for the 29-year-old Glowacki, who was often forced to hold or fight off the ropes against a game challenger who engaged toe to toe throughout the night.

In fact, while Glowacki had an advantage in power punches 101-96, Cunningham out-landed him overall, 124-117.

“He punched with me and caught me coming in,” said Cunningham, a former two-time champion at 200 pounds who was returning to the division after spending four years fighting as a heavyweight. “I knew after the second-round knockdowns that I had to get rounds back and go get him. I knew I hurt him a few times with good shots, [but] he’s a smart fighter.

“I’m just disappointed. I wanted to be a three-time champion, and I took my shot at it.”

In between the knockdowns in the second and 10th rounds, the fight was evenly contested, with the 6-foot-3 Cunningham using his boxing skills and seven-inch reach advantage to slow the 6-foot, come-forward champion. However, a large welt—which looked to be caused by a head butt—began to develop over Cunningham’s right eye in the seventh round.

If the welt bothered him, though, the challenger refused to acknowledge it.

“There was a head butt in the third or fourth round that started the growth on my head,” Cunningham said. “But I’m a warrior and a champion. That stuff doesn’t bother me. If a missile hit me, I’d keep going.”

A 39-year-old native of Philadelphia, Cunningham came into Saturday’s fight with a 3-3-1 record against southpaw fighters. He also had a tough time in four previous bouts against Polish titleholders, having dropped a pair of close decisions to Tomasz Adamek while splitting two fights with Krzysztof Wlodarczyk.

Against Glowacki, Cunningham not only had to deal with a brawler who possesses a potent left hand, but also a large contingent of Polish fans who booed his entrance into the ring and chanted Glowacki’s name throughout the bout.

Glowacki credited those fans—who also turned out in force for his victory over Huck in nearby Newark, New Jersey last summer—for pushing him past Cunningham.

“The fans were my motivation throughout the fight,” Glowacki said. “I just wanted to give them more and more. I want to thank everyone who came and watched me.”

After his last two performances, the unbeaten Glowacki is quickly becoming a rising star with a bright future in the competitive 200-pound division. Conversely, Cunningham—who fell to 4-6-1 in his last 11 outings after Saturday’s defeat—isn’t exactly sure what lies ahead.

“I feel good,” Cunningham said. “I just don’t want to be that [former] champion who is getting used for a record builder.

“I’ll talk with my team and figure out the next step.”

http://www.premierboxingchampions.com/news/krzysztof-glowacki-drops-steve-cunningham-four-times-successfully-defends-200-pound-title

Date:   Saturday, April 16, 2016

WBO JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:  Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Promoter:    DiBella Entertainment

Supervisor:   John Duggan, Esq.

Referee:

Judges:

Results:  The Champion Krzysztof Glowacki retained the WBO Jr. Heavyweight Title against Steve Cunningham by Unanimous Decision, Judges scores 116-108, 115-109, 115-109.

TV:   USA NBC

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By Przemek Garczarczyk –

Undefeated rising welterweight star Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr.and former world champion Chris Algieri went face-to-face Wednesday to kick-off fight week activities with the final press conference before they meet in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC this Saturday, April 16 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Also in attendance at the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan were cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Glowacki and former champion Steven “U.S.S” Cunningham plus undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian “Sir” Marcus Browne and unbeaten light heavyweight Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic who round out Saturday night’s telecast. In addition, popular Brooklyn undefeated fighter Heather “The Heat” Hardy was in attendance as she nears her undercard bout against Sweden’s Anna Hultin.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/spence-jr-algieri-glowacki-cunningham-face-off-in-nyc-333089

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By Przemek Garczarczyk  –

WBO cruiserweight champion Krzysztof “The Head” Głowacki (25-0, 16 KOs), who this Saturday will defend his title vs. former IBF champ Steve Cunningham (28-7, 13 KOs) at Barclays Center (live on NBC, 8.30 PM), has already for more than a week enjoyed training with his team in New York City.

“I love to work out at Gleason’s Gym. So many rings, champions working next to real fans – the atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone is so friendly, there’s no animosity because I’m fighting one of their own!” said Glowacki, who after a sensational knockout against Marco Huck in one of the best fights of 2015, expects to do the same against Cunningham. “Right now we’re just working of making me as optimally prepared for Saturday as possible, building energy that has to explode in the ring. There’s no doubt in my mind, just like there was none before I grabbed the title away from Marco Huck. I will stay world champion!”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/glowacki-i-love-to-train-in-nyc-333006

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Krzysztof Glowacki is undefeated, 10 years younger than his upcoming opponent and riding the momentum of a dramatic come-from-behind, title-winning knockout. But his biggest advantage against Steve Cunningham could be his southpaw stance.

Cunningham has labored against lefties, getting dropped six times while posting a 3-2-1 record, with both defeats coming against Yoan Pablo Hernandez in successive 200-pound championship fights.

The first loss to Hernandez was by disputed sixth-round technical decision in October 2011, when Cunningham was floored in Round 1 before the bout was stopped due to a Hernandez cut caused by a headbutt. In the rematch four months later, Hernandez put Cunningham on the canvas twice in the fourth round and won by unanimous decision.

On Saturday, Krzysztof Glowacki (25-0, 16 KOs) will attempt to become the latest lefty to befuddle Steve Cunningham (28-7-1, 13 KOs) when the two clash at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT). Glowacki will be making the first defense of his 200-pound crown, while Cunningham will be returning to the weight class where he twice won world titles before moving to heavyweight, where he went 4-3-1 over the last four years.

Both boxers will be back in action for the first time since August 14, when Glowacki and Cunningham fought on the same Premier Boxing Champions card at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. That night, the 29-year-old Glowacki rose from a sixth-round knockdown to dethrone Marco Huck by 11th-round stoppage, denying the German a division-record 14th straight title defense.

Then in the main event, the 39-year-old Cunningham struggled against yet another left-hander, battling former 175-pound world champ Antonio Tarver to a split draw in a heavyweight battle.

“I did not see the Cunningham-Tarver fight, but my coach was watching,” says Glowacki, referring to trainer Fiodor Lapin. “I cannot disrespect Cunningham’s power when you’re talking about Tarver, because we all know how good Tarver is defensively.”

Lapin was the man with the plan for southpaw Artur Szpilka in his heavyweight title match against world champion Deontay Wilder in January. Wilder had a tough time figuring out Szpilka until the ninth round, when the champ crushed Szpilka with a counter right hand and knocked him out cold.

“We are not looking at Cunningham as a southpaw thinking he is easy to hit,” Lapin says. “I don’t yet have a blueprint how to fight him, but no doubt there’s stuff, errors in both his offensive and defensive stance that we can exploit. What I’m doing is finding his mistakes.”

Not only did Lapin get a ringside glimpse of Cunningham against Tarver, but he worked the opposite corner for Cunningham’s two fights against Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. The Polish fighter won a vacant 200-pound title by split decision over Cunningham in November 2006 before being dethroned in their rematch by majority decision in May 2007.

“Tactically, Cunningham is a lot harder to fight than Huck, who is simple: Stay close, don’t let him start swinging, hit him before he wants to hit you,” Lapin says. “Steve Cunningham is a more difficult fighter who gives you more complications.”

Prior to Glowacki’s rally in August, Cunningham had been the last 200-pound fighter to defeat Huck, winning the first defense of the title he won from Wlodarczyk by 12th-round stoppage in December 2007. But Cunningham was dethroned in his next fight by Poland’s Tomasz Adamek, falling by disputed split decision in December 2008.

Cunningham avenged the defeat four years later when he and Adamek squared off as heavyweights, earning a split-decision victory.

“I’ve watched Cunningham’s old fights with Hernandez, Adamek and Wlodarzcyk, and I noticed his long reach, which makes a difference, and how quickly he responds to being hit,” says Glowacki, whose 75-inch reach is seven inches shorter than Cunningham’s. “When you hit him, he wastes no time before he retaliates.

“My trainer will show me a round or two of how he fights, but regardless, I know that Cunningham is a fighter who likes to bring it. This is possibly his last opportunity [to win a championship], so I feel this is going to be a fan-friendly fight.”

www.premierboxingchampions.com/news/krzysztof-glowacki-looks-become-latest-southpaw-give-steve-cunningham-fits

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By Przemek Garczarczyk
Photo: Lucas Noonan/PBC –

“I know what’s expected from me: to deliver a great fight on NBC in front of a big American audience. I’m fine with that. I’ve already proved that I can get hit and hit back harder. For me, knocking out Huck and hopefully do the same to Cunningham in Barclays is just a start. I’d like to be champion for a long time,” – said undefeated WBO cruiserweight champion Krzysztof “Head” Głowacki (25-0, 16 KOs). After a sensational win over Marco Huck, Glowacki will defend his title against former IBF champion, Steve “USS” Cunningham (28-7, 13 KOs) on April 16 at Barclays Center.

Steve Cunningham is connected to Polish fighters in championship bouts like no other. Two cruiserweight championship bouts with Krzysztof Diablo Wlodarczyk, and the already a classic championship bout when he fought Tomasz Adamek. Now, on April 16 at Barclays Center, it’s your turn defending the WBO title.

I know, it’s unreal. I can tell you that I was very happy when Steve decided to leave the heavyweight division and come back as a cruiserweight. I always wanted to fight him and now my wish will be granted. I don’t pay attention to how many years he’s spent in boxing. What I’m paying attention to is how well he’s always prepared, the problems his enormous reach causes, and how smart Cunningham is in the ring.

It will be your first experience fighting Steve, but for your trainer Fiodor Lapin, who was in Diablo’s corner with one win and one loss in championships bouts, it’s business as usual…

This is why Fiodor is watching all the Cunningham tapes and looking for perfect sparring partners while I’m just walking into the gym asking ‘What are we doing today, coach?’ You know that I never get too excited. I’m always calm. Nerves are never something I have to worry about. Before the Marco Huck fight, when almost no one thought I could win, I knew what I had to do to beat him – and it happened. Same thing now . I’ll arrive in New York early and do what my trainer tells me to do – just a routine. No extra jitters because this is my first world title defense. It’s not me.

Your first U.S. fight against longtime titleholder Marco Huck won Premier Boxing Champions’ “Fight of the Year” award. Cunningham fights differently than Marco, he’s more controlled, takes less risks. What will be the biggest adjustment you have to make?

I’m convinced that it will be Cunningham who’ll have to make adjustments to whatever plan he has when our fight starts… I know what’s expected from me: to deliver a great fight on NBC in front of a big American audience. I’m fine with that. I’ve already proved that I can get hit and hit back harder. For me, knocking out Huck and hopefully do the same to Cunningham in Barclays is just a start. I’d like to be champion for a long time. Just like my friend Diablo Wlodarczyk, who just knocked out Valery Brudov and wants to get back his WBC belt. Why shouldn’t Poland have two cruiserweight champions? I have to do my part first.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/glowacki-i-always-wanted-to-fight-cunningham-328330