IBF Boxing Champ Cunningham Tries A Different Combat Sport

© Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro

IBF Cruiserweight Champion, Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham is set to experience a totally different type of “contact” sport on Wednesday evening, when he attends the New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers ice hockey game as a special guest.

The volatile, local derby, game takes place at the Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, the same venue where ‘USS’ Cunningham will defend his IBF crown against Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek from Poland on Thursday, 11 December 2008.

Cunningham, the recent recipient of a ‘Briscoe’ award as fighter of the year, spoke briefly about attending. “This is my first time. I’m really looking forward to getting to see a game – live. When we did the press conference at the Prudential Center last month we got to watch the Devils practising. Man, those guys are quick. I just don’t know how they even see the puck at that speed. We were standing in line with the goal keeper.

“Man, that dude’s amazing, he’d just catch it, or flick it away. He’s gotamazing reflexes. I’m glad we were behind plexi-glass, some of shots ricocheted off the screen or ran round the edge of the boards right past us. We jumped back every time. Can you imagine what it must be like having them coming at you with nothing in the way like that. Man, they’re all crazy. I just can’t wait, I could easily get hooked on the sport, it’s wild.”

The IBF Cruiserweight Championship title fight between champion Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham and challenger Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek is co-promoted by Kathy Duva’s Main Events and Don King Productions and takes place at The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Thursday December 11, 2008.

Tickets priced at $303, $153, $78, $53, $38 are on sale now and can be purchased at The Prudential Center box office or by calling TicketMaster on 201-507-8900.