NEWARK, N.J.—International Boxing Federation cruiserweight champion Steve “USS” Cunningham (21-1, 11 KOs) will meet Polish-born former world champion Tomasz Adamek (35-1, 24 KOs) at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Thursday, Dec. 11. Tickets priced at $303, $153, $78, $53, $38 go on sale on Today at 11 a.m. and can be purchased by calling TicketMaster at 201-507-8900.
The event, with full undercard, is being co-promoted by Main Events and Don King Productions.
A classic boxer-puncher, Cunningham will be making the second defense of his IBF 200-pound limit crown, which he won by defeating Krzystztof Wlodarczyk in Poland on May 26, 2007. Six months earlier, Cunningham suffered the sole loss of his career in a controversial split decision won by Wlodarczyk when the two squared off for the vacant IBF championship.
Cunningham also scored notable wins against former IBF cruiserweight champion Kelvin “Koncrete” Davis and Panamanian strongman Guillermo Jones, who recently took the World Boxing Association cruiserweight championship from Firat Arslan on Sept. 27.
Adamek burst upon the boxing scene in his first fight in America against Australian Paul “Hurricane” Briggs for the vacant World Boxing Council light heavyweight championship at the United Center in Chicago on May 21, 2005. Their 12-round slugfest, which Adamek won by majority decision, was one of the better fights of that year.
The inevitable rematch came the following year and rivaled the first match in its brutal intensity. Again, Adamek won by majority decision
Adamek’s lone loss came against undefeated “Bad” Chad Dawson in Kissimmee, Fla., on Feb. 3, 2007. The slick Dawson built a scorecard lead that Adamek came close to erasing when he landed his vaunted right-hand power shot and sent Dawson to the canvas in the 10th round. Dawson literally held on to Adamek to narrowly escape the round and survived to win the match by decision.
Adamek catapulted himself into position to face Cunningham by scoring an eighth round technical knockout on April 19 over O’Neil “Supernova” Bell, who in 2006 became the first undisputed cruiserweight world champion since Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield held that distinction in 1988.
