Steve Cunningham steps into the Dog House: "After August 14th, Antonio Tarver will know who I am!" - Interview
 Interview conducted by "Big Dog" Benny Henderson Jr., Doghouse Boxing (July 21, 2015)
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Steve Cunningham
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| Coming up August 14th, two former cruiserweight champions will collide as Steve “USS” Cunningham 28-7 (13 KO’s) goes head to head against the savvy veteran Antonio Tarver 31-6 (22 KO’s) in a twelve round heavyweight match-up.
This will be Cunningham’s eighth consecutive fight as a heavyweight, and the former IBF cruiserweight title holder, hopes this bout will push him forward to a world heavyweight title. In this exclusive interview, Cunningham speaks out on his upcoming bout, his family, his career and more, enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.
Thank you for stepping into the Doghouse, it is always a pleasure speaking with you. First and foremost, how is Miss Kennedy doing?
Steve Cunningham She has all this new extra energy and she does not know what to do with it. She is running around aggravating her brothers. Which is a beautiful thing, we are blessed and happy.
BH
You have he fight coming up against Antonio Tarver, give the readers your thoughts on that match-up.
SC I am fighting a legend, he beat and legend and became a legend in doing so. We are training accordingly. He is powerful, he has a pretty good left hand. He is a veteran and very tricky. I have to be the best Steve Cunningham in order to beat this guy, no doubt.
BH
Not trying to dwell on the past, but, I have to say, you have had some bad breaks in your career, some terrible decisions and outcomes. In your honest opinion, why is that?
SC I have asked that question as well. I have only come up with this answer. Now, I have not investigated any crime in the promotional part, or the judges or found that they have been paid off or just do not like me, I do not know. The only thing I did come up with, is that I am a believer in the almighty God. God said good things come to those who wait. You have to be patient, we have been patient. Nothing will come over night, I also know dealing with God when you ask for something, He makes sure you go through something to prepare you for that. He has made me a better fighter and a better person. he has helped me understand this business more. I am not saying that I wanted to go through this. (Laughs) But, it is what it is. We have dealt with it.
BH
Do you feel this fight here will be the fight that is going to catapult you to where you need to be?
SC I do not know, what I do know is that I want to go out there and fight my heart out and fight accordingly. I have been in this game for fifteen years now as a pro, and there have been fights where I would say, this fight should do it, this fight should do it. And I went in there and won those fights, preformed well, and it did not do that. I am going in this this fight to win for my fans, my family, myself.
BH
A lot of people have said that hungry fighters are better fighters.
SC Yes they are.
BH
Do you feel the same way about being a Dad and a fighter? Not only fighting for himself, but fighting for his family. Do you feel that makes you a much more dangerous fighter, than just fighting for Steve himself.
SC Yes I do. I am going to tell you this. I have done a lot of interviews, especially since the Kennedy situation. So many reporters want me to say that I am fighting for Kennedy, they just want me to say that one line. There have been times that I have avoided trying to say that, sometimes I stop the guy so we can move on. But like you said, if I was just fighting for myself, I would still be fighting hard, I would still be fighting for world championships, I would still be fighting to make more money, even if I was single without kids. But, I have kids, and Kennedy is not my only kid, I cannot just say that I fight for Kennedy, when I have two sons and a nephew who live with me. They are watching me, and I fight for them as well. I am fighting for more than just Kennedy, I am fighting for more than just my family, to sum it up, I am fighting for the will of God. that is the way I feel. There is more than more to this than fighting for belts and making good checks, there are way more important things.
BH
Looking at Antonio Tarver, he is an old dog, been around a long time, what do you see as his strengths that can pose a threat, and what weaknesses feel you can capitalize on?
SC His strength, he is a veteran, he can still preform. He stopped Banks who is a top fifteen heavyweight, Banks is a good fighter. When a man is able to stop a guy like that at his age, shows you that he still has power. He is smart, he is a veteran who is able to preform and put in ten to twelve rounds. He is a smart crafty veteran.
BH
I do not know if others have failed to see this, but, you are a veteran as well.
SC
Right. Indeed, indeed, with that being said, and I have a veteran trainer in Nazeem who sets a game plan, I can swear by it. Whatever Naz tells me to do in the ring, believe me, I am going to do it, it has brought me victory before. We have some tools, and I cannot wait until August 14th.
BH
If you could send out a message out to Tarver using Doghouse Boxing as a platform, what would that message be?
SC
Plain and simple, you are going to know who I am after this fight. I say that because when he was IBO cruiserweight champion and I was IBF champion, I figured we could unify titles, and give the division the spark that it needed in America. So I contacted Tarver on Twitter and he basically said who are you, nobody knows you. So that is why I say, you are going to know who I am after August 14th.
BH
Anything in closing?
SC
Tarver is up in age, but I see a battle tested warrior, a battle tested veteran who is always dangerous. We are prepared, I am ready to go next week if we have too.
Email Benny at: bigdogmedia7@aol.com
Check out Facebook: www.facebook.com/benny hendersonjr
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