The Iceman Cometh, EBU Champion’s Jason Cunningham’s Biggest Test in Birmingham
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Southpaw European Super bantamweight champion Jason Cunningham, 29-6 with six knockouts, Woodlands, Doncaster, Yorkshire, will fight the main event at Utilia Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom Saturday. The EBU, BBB of C and Commonwealth British Empire Super Bantamweight titles will all be at stake in a high stakes 12 round battle again 14-0-2 with five knockouts, International Boxing Federation International Super Bantamweight, Commonwealth British Empire and BBB of C champion Brad Foster of Lichfield, Staffordshire. The IBF title will not be at stake, but the three British and European titles will be in this crossroads unification bout.
Cunningham has ten years of pro experience to Foster’s six. Cunningham critically lost three decisions to Reece Bellotti, Jordan Gill and Michael Conlan, but beat Josh Gill and Paul Economides. Cunningham has won five straight, including winning the EBU Super Bantamweight title at Manchester Arena in May 2021 by 12 round decision over defending champion 18-1 Gamal Yafai of Birmingham. Cunningham dropped Yafai three times, and cut him over the left eye, to win on the scorecards thanks to three 10-8 rounds.
Foster has taken bouts into the twelfth round four times already, winning three and drawing one. Foster will have to fight a precision technical bout to outpoint Cunningham, known as “The Iceman”. Cunningham is not known for power, but he dropped Yafai three times in his last bout, power training which, if he can work Foster over, could make the difference in an otherwise close bout matchup on paper. Cunningham is predicted to win by an upset majority 12 round decision. A 12 round majority draw could occur otherwise, even with knockdowns, in what is an even match-up close bout. Who wants it more? The British public will find out. There are eight separate boxing cards on Saturday, October 9, 2021, in the United Kingdom, the same day as the Tyson Fury versus Deontay Wilder trilogy bout in Las Vegas. Among the eight British cards, super welterweights Liam Smith and Ted Cheeseman are fighting in separate t12 round regional title bouts in Liverpool.
Five prospects open the undercard: welterweight Owen Cooper and George Davey; super lightweights McCauley Owen and Amaar Akbar; and super featherweight Nick Ball. British light-heavyweight Callum Johnson and British super-bantamweight Liam Davies will appear in ten-rounders in the two preliminary bouts to the main event. Davies will fight a vacant WBC Silver Super Bantamweight bout, while Johnson will fight for the WBO Global Light Heavyweight title. The British fighters are all favored to win.
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