Hernandez vs Cunningham Rematch Will Have Vacant Ring Title on the Line

by Scott Christ on Jan 12, 2012 2:35 AM EST in Boxing News Analysis

Steve Cunningham will get another crack at both the IBF title and the Ring Magazine championship on February 4. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

The vacant Ring Magazine cruiserweight championship will be on the line on February 4 in Germany, when Yoan Pablo Hernandez defends the IBF belt against Steve Cunningham in a rematch.

The decision comes down because Marco Huck has been moved out of the Ring's rankings with his coming move to the heavyweight division to challenge Alexander Povetkin on February 25. Huck was ranked No. 1, with Hernandez and Cunningham at Nos. 2 and 3. Ring has dropped Huck, which moves everyone else up.

Hernandez (25-1, 13 KO) and Cunningham (24-3, 12 KO) fought to a controversial and highly unsatisfying technical decision last October 1, with the fight stopped due to a cut that should not have stopped the bout, and a points win being given to Hernandez, who had dropped Cunningham in the opening round.

But it was Cunningham coming on strong when the fight was stopped, and Hernandez appeared to be badly fading. After the fight, Cunningham remarked that he'd "been had," and said he felt 'set up."

This will be the second time Cunningham has fought for the vacant real world championship, as he lost to Tomasz Adamek in an extremely memorable slugfest back in December 2008.

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Any word of EPIX possibly picking this up?

by tacklerford on Jan 12, 2012 9:28 AM EST reply actions

None. But BoxNation will have it in the UK.

Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."

by Scott Christ on Jan 12, 2012 10:47 AM EST up reply actions

that would be nice..

by Vicmatic1 on Jan 12, 2012 9:56 AM EST reply actions

This is about as weak of a fight as I can recall being for a vacant Ring title

They made the right move, I think, but I would have a hard time calling the winner lineal since there are still about 3 or 4 other cruiserweights who are about at the same level as these guys who haven’t been in Sauerland’s cruiserweight round robin. Also, I hope they stay true to their word and give Troy Ross the first crack at the winner.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Jan 12, 2012 1:03 PM EST reply actions

I agree with you there, but I like Steve Cunningham and hope he wins. Sadly… he has never gotten the props for being a really good fighter. I am sure he can walk in his hometown mall, and no one would know who he is… yet he can go to Germany and he most likely has more fans there, than here.

"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."

by Zocalo on Jan 12, 2012 2:23 PM EST up reply actions