Cunningham vs. Adamek:
Versus Bringing Boxing Back To The People

By Tim Donaldson

On Thursday, December 11, the Versus network will air two championship fights. The main event features IBF cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham defending his title against challenger Tomasz “Goral” Adamek. Versus will also air defending IBF bantamweight champion Joseph King Kong Agbeko against his mandatory IBF challenger, William “Chirizo” Gonzalez.

Growing up, I remember watching good fights on regular television. I am dating myself, but I remember watching fighters like Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman to name a few. That is what sparked my interest in the sport. However, as I got older, and cable television took over, the good fights disappeared from regular television. And, in the past few decades, you really only got to see the good fights if you were willing to pay for a premium channel or Pay-Per-View.

Now, we hear a lot about how boxing is losing its audience. Some say it’s due to the popularity of Mixed Martial Arts. But I believe the truth of the matter is that boxing has done very little to cultivate a new generation of fans. They have removed boxing from the sight of the casual fan. Some people might think that is a good thing. A true boxing aficionado would rather be surrounded by people who see the sport the same way. But what about the kids of those casual fans? They might become real fans someday. And what better way to catch the interest of those kids than to put good fights and good fighters on non-premium channels?

That is why I say that Versus is bringing boxing back to the people. They are giving the people a championship fight for nothing but the price of their basic cable package. (Oh yes, and you will have to sit through some commercials.) It should be a good fight. Cunningham is defending his title for the second time. He has proved himself to be a good fighter, able to throw strong punches and take hard hits. Adamek is an exciting fighter to watch, a truly skilled boxer. The fight is well matched, something that cannot always be said. And if Adamek can keep from being tangled up by Cunningham, I think he has a better than good chance of winning the fight.