http://www.secondsout.com/news/index...s=534&cs=20836
By Clive Bernath: Steve "USS" Cunningham has demanded an immediate rematch following his controversial 12 round points defeat to local hero Krzysztof Wlodarczyk for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title in Warsaw, Poland last weekend.
Cunningham, dropped a split decision when two judges Wilfried Rollert from Germany and Wlodzimierz Kromka from Poland scored for Wlodarczyk 116-112 and 115-113 while American official Charles Dwyer saw the fight at a much wider margin for Cunningham,119-109.
Speaking hours after the bout a very angry and disappointed Cunningham clearly believes he did enough to win the fight and issued the following statement via a press release:
"I'm highly pissed. How can they continue to do this stuff? There needs to be a world governing body so this stuff doesn't continue to happen," said Cunningham.
The "stuff" Cunningham is referring to is a whole range of issues in the days leading up to both the fight itself and afterwards:.
The issues are as follows.
TRAVEL: "We were told that we were going to be in Poland for 10 days to get fully acclimated to the surroundings." Said Cunningham, "We arrived in Poland on Monday morning. Basically five days before the fight on Saturday."
JUDGES: "The Polish judge was originally going to judge the fight. He was taken out and put back in at the last minute despite not being an IBF accredited official"
GLOVES: "Everyone who has seen me fight knows I use GRANT gloves,". Said Cunningham" They are my outfitters as well. Again at the last moment they pull the bait and switch and made me use Everlast gloves. I haven't used those gloves in years."
"Also, relating to the gloves, Kryzystolf threw his gloves in the crowd right after the final bell. Don't the gloves need to inspected after the fight?"
URINE TEST: "I am not trying to insinuate anything but, neither of us were given a post-fight urine test"
"This is my livelihood. This is how I put food on my table. Despite all those factors, I won the fight. Before the fight, everyone told me that every time he threw a punch the crowd would be roaring. I really didn't hear them at all during the fight, so that should tell you how effective he was during the fight"
"I demand an immediate rematch. This time let's do it in the States. He may have got the decision and maybe he has that belt but I know I am the champion."
This reporter has emailed IBF representative Daryl J. Peoples in regard to the allegations made by Cunningham and I await their reply.
