Interviews

“K9” Bundrage: ‘The Tim Bradley Fight is In the Works’

Cornelius “K9” Bundrage (34-5, 19 KOs) has become one of the most sought after opponents for the likes of Miguel Cotto and Timothy Bradley. Vlad Lik spoke with the IBF champion to get his take on a potential fight with Bradley and more.

K9 Bundrage Tom Casino Showtime Photo by Tom Casino/Showtime

Cornelius “K9” Bundrage (34-5, 19 KOs) has become one of the most sought after opponents for the likes of Miguel Cotto and Timothy Bradley.

Bundrage turns 42 on April 25, and is being very calculated in making the right decision regarding his next fight, which he believe will be a part of boxing history. Bundrage won the IBF Junior Middleweight world title by defeating Carlos Molina by unanimous decision last October in Mexico.

With Cotto announcing he will fight Daniel Geale on June 6 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Round By Round Boxing caught up with Bundrage to ask him about the rumors surrounding his career and who Bundrage wants to fight.

Vladimir Lik: K9 there are a lot of rumors about your next fight. Can you clear some of them up for me?

Cornelius Bundrage: Yes, the Tim Bradley fight is in the works right now and that’s the fight I actually wanted from day one. Once I found out Tim Bradley wanted to move up in weight and then they even mentioned my name on a few media sites, I welcomed that challenge. I reached out with my team, which includes Bill Waller who is the COO of K9 Global Boxing Promotions, and we spoke to Bob Arum and he agreed to the fight. We took it to HBO and they also agreed to the fight. So now we are just waiting to see what Bradley is going to do.

VL: So if everyone agreed to the fight when do you expect it to get done?

CB: I think we will know something in next few days but you never know what’s going on behind close doors. Either way I am ready. I know Bradley has a new born baby so I want to say congrats to him on that. We are just going to continue training. He is either going to fight me or he will have cold feet.

VL: I know Top Rank was holding June 13 for Tim Bradley in New York. Is that the date you have been given?

CB: Yes that’s a date and also possibly June 27 at Madison Square Garden.

VL: There was some talk that you were going to be Miguel Cotto’s next opponent. Was that a possibility?

CB: Look, in my mind I always knew I was going to fight Tim Bradley. I let everyone talk and didn’t want confirm or deny anything because this is boxing and you never know what could happen. I had fights on the table. I had Cotto on the table, Tim Bradley. No one knew this but even Erislandy Lara’s people reached out to fight me. I chose to fight Bradley because I feel it’s the best fight for me at this time.

VL: Why do you feel all these fighters are calling you out at this moment?

CB: First I’m a two-time world champion. Of all the champions maybe they all think I’m the weakest link. Also, I’m 41 years old. They think the first time I won the title was probably just luck for me, but it’s not luck when I won the title a second time.

VL: They must think you are a winnable fight for them?

CB: Yes exactly! Ever since Emanuel Steward passed away a lot of guys called me out because they think my team is not together. I don’t have a high profile trainer. If I had Teddy Atlas training me or one of these other famous trainers then they might look at K9 differently. My trainer’s name is “Third” and I have Coach Ali. No one knows who they are.

Another reason why they want to fight me is because I’m not a big junior middleweight. I’m only 5’6’’. That’s not big for this division. They can all look at me eye to eye. That’s why Bradley and Cotto want to fight me. Bradley said he would move up for this opportunity if he had a chance to fight Cotto, Canelo and K9 and guess what all of us are like 5’6’’.

VL: We didn’t hear much about you fighting Bradley until after Miguel Cotto signed with Roc Nation Sports and Bob Arum was very angry. Do you think that had something to do with a matchup now of you and Bradley.

CB: Anything can happen in boxing. Boxing is a dirty game, but I don’t believe Bob Arum used me to get at Cotto because I could have still fought Cotto if I wanted to. It was up to me and I wanted to fight Bradley. Bradley was actually on the table before anyone’s name came up. To me the Bradley fight is very big. He’s never been knocked out and he has a win over Manny Pacquiao.

I think it’s a good fight for me. I feel the fight with Miguel Cotto will still be here. This is the third time I had the opportunity to fight Cotto. After his fight with Geale I don’t think he moves up to fight GGG so all I have to do is win and I can still have Cotto. I will put myself in a position that the fight with Cotto can be even bigger than it would be now. After I beat Bradley my stock will be up and I can be in a position to fight against Pacquiao or Floyd.

VL: Which is bigger payday for you a fight with Cotto or Bradley?

CB: It’s the same because a fight with Miguel Cotto would be hard for me to co-promote because his name is big. In the Bradley fight I’m not just the fighter, I’m also the co-promoter. The COO of my team Bill Waller has promoted with Bob Arum before.

VL: Putting aside being the promoter and just talking about being a fighter, would a fight with Cotto pay you more?

CB: It’s really hard to say right now because we didn’t get that far in the negotiations. But remember I am my own promoter so I don’t have to pay anyone but myself. Bill Waller is a good negotiator so he will get the best deal for me. When I fought Carlos Molina it was supposed to be 75 percent to him and 25 percent to me. Well when we were done negotiating we got way more than 25 percent. We probably got more than Molina. We didn’t settle. We cashed out.

VL: Stylistically, which is a better fight for you?

CB: On paper Cotto is an easier fight for me than Bradley because Cotto only comes one way. I already know what to expect from him. Cotto is going to get me or I’m going to get him. With Bradley you don’t know if he will try to box you or try to fight. Cotto will be there for me. With Bradley I may have to go chase him or he might come to me. It will be more a technical fight with Bradley.

VL: So why choose the harder fight?

CB: Because the Bradley fight will do better for me in the long run. It’s about building relationships. I’m not just thinking about Round 12 or Round 13.  I have a chance to do business with the biggest promoter of all time. Bob Arum is right there with Don King. He’s promoting the biggest fight of all time now. Cotto probably hits harder, but I understand his style more than I understand Bradley’s.

VL: Assuming you will fight Bradley, give me your scouting report on him.

CB: I have a lot of respect for Bradley and I don’t want to believe he’s a coward. A lot of fighters get comfortable when they reach a certain level. They don’t always want the hard fights. He said it’s hard for him to make weight and he had trouble making welterweight his last few fights. He really didn’t look the same. He had a draw with [Diego] Chaves and took a loss to Pacquiao. I think It’s time for him to move up. It’s time for him to fight the dog. I think it will be a really good fight. Good for boxing and good for everyone. He walks around at 180 so he’s not a little guy.

VL: What did you think of Bradley’s last performance against Diego Chaves?

CB: He did good, but he looked sluggish to me. When you are going from 180 pounds and trying to make 147 we are not going to see the real Tim Bradley. Bradley’s trainer said when he’s in the gym at 152 and up he looks fine, but once he goes below 152 he starts to decline. I wouldn’t have called Tim Bradley out. He called me out.

VL: You are going to be 42 on April 25. How much longer do you plan to fight?

CB: [Laughing] Until they get a wheelchair for me. 41 is the new 27 when it comes to me. I didn’t have a million amateur fights so you have to take that into consideration. I don’t have a lot of miles on me. I only had 10 amateur fights. I’m a dog! I bull rush these guys I put these boys on their backs. These boys don’t want it. They think they want it but when the time comes they get cold feet. And that could be the case with Bradley now. Maybe he heard K9 is strong!

VL: Let’s say Bradley does back out. What’s your next plan?

CB: The bible says the left hand knows what the right hand is doing. I have I have Triple A plan. [Laughing] There’s a plan A1, a plan A2 and a plan A3. I will tell you about them once I see what Bradley is going to do.

VL: So now you are just waiting on Bradley’s next move?

CB: Now I just celebrated my nine-year wedding anniversary. I took my wife to dinner and she had salmon and I had chicken alfredo, which tasted more like chicken Bradley to me [laughing].

 

Stay with Round By Round Boxing for more information on Cornelius “K9” Bundrage’s next fight.

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