Exclusive Boxing Interview: Cornelius Bundrage

Tonight at the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center in Detroit, Michigan, Contender alum Cornelius “K-9” Bundrage, 26-3 (15), will face Nelson Manchego, 12-7-1 (8), in a 10 round light middleweight bout. K-9 has remained active since the second season of the Contender series ended in 2006. In January, he defeated Chris Smith on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.

Click for larger image © Jim Everett Saddo Boxing

Then in March, he traveled to the United Kingdom to compete in a Contender Tournament of UK fighters versus Contender fighters where he knocked out Colin McNeil.

In July, K-9 took a high profile fight on only two weeks notice that was televised on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Fights and took place as part of the after-party for the 2007 ESPY Awards Show. He suffered his first loss of the year against tough prospect Joel Julio.

SaddoBoxing had the pleasure of speaking to K-9 in an exclusive phone interview earlier this week.

SaddoBoxing: What have you been doing since your loss to Joel Julio?

Cornelius Bundrage: “I don’t like to talk about my last fight; some people don’t even know I lost my last fight. I would rather talk about something else.”

SB: Not speaking about that fight in particular, but what have been doing with your time since then?

CB: “I have been making sure I’ve been more committed to the boxing game. You can’t play boxing. I got caught up in the celebrity status; I have been invited to the Penguins and Lions games and being invited to dinner everywhere, so I was slacking up on my training.”

SB: So you are still feeling a lot of the celebrity status from the Contender series?

CB: “Everywhere I go people are like, “Hey K-9 what’s up!’ But now I’m back focused and I know when to be K-9 from the Contender and when to go in there and be the fighter that I am.”

SB: Are you still affiliated with the Contender promotional group?

CB: “Yep, they still promote me.”

SB: Did they set up your upcoming fight with Nelson Manchego?

CB: “The people who co-promote this fight put it together. I’m a fighter but I let the promoters handle who I’m fighting.”

SB: Do you know much about your opponent?

CB: “I think he is a tough guy from what I saw; I was able to see a little clip of him. He’s coming to my home town, so you know he must go down in my home town.”

SB: How have you been training to prepare for your fight? Who have you been working with during sparring?

CB: “I’ve sparred a few rounds with Kermit Cintron, the IBF champion and some other Kronk fighters. I have been getting some good work.”

SB: Where do you hope to achieve after this fight?

CB: “I definitely want to stay active. After this fight I look forward to being a movie star.”

SB: Do you have some offers on the table for an acting career?

CB: “I have been talking to a few people but they have been saying I have to come out to California and I don’t want to leave my family like that right now. I have a book coming out in 2008 too, so I have a lot of other things I’m doing. My main thing is I want to stay focused on this fight that’s how I get caught sleeping when I’m not focused.”

SB: It sounds like you are keeping very busy, is your book due out at the beginning of 2008?

CB: “Probably in the fall, it’s called Don’t Bark if you Can’t Bite.”

SB: Who is writing the book with you?

CB: “I’m writing it. A lot of people don’t realize that fighters are intelligent. When you are in that ring, it’s not just about throwing punches. I’m a technician and I use my brain when I’m in there fighting, I just don’t throw punches.”

SB: What do you have planned for your acting career?

CB: “I don’t really want to be a movie star; I just want to be in a movie about my life, like a documentary; where I came from and where I am at now.”

SB: How did your career change with the Contender? Do you think you would be where you are today without the show?

CB: “That question makes you say hhmmm. It was all up to God. God blessed me if it wasn’t for the Contender, God would bless me to do other things. I thank the Contender for giving me a lot of the success but if it wasn’t for God, I wouldn’t have been on Contender.”

SB: What do you think of the latest group of fighters in the Contender series?

CB: “A lot of them are veterans, I like a few of them on there, they are some cool guys. I wish them nothing but the best because a lot of times you only get one time when it comes to boxing and they have a chance to better their life for being on the show.”

SB: Are you planning on attending the Contender finals in Boston ?

CB: “I don’t know for sure, I’m really trying to stay focused. I’m trying to not be in the media as much because I have got to take care of my business. That’s how I got a scratch on my record because of not being in the gym, live appearances, being overseas and being everywhere but in the gym. But I would love to be there.”

SB: Anything you would like to say to your fans while you have the opportunity?

CB: “Oh yeah! The first shall be last, the last shall be first. Don’t ever give up. Keep God first and you shall succeed no matter what. The dog is coming; it ain’t over it just started.”

SB: I really appreciate your time and I wish you the best of luck in your career.

CB: “Ok man, thanks a lot.”

Special thanks to K-9’s manager Shawana for setting up the interview.