In Praise of Boxer Steve Cunningham

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Although all eyes were turned to Connor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather late saturday night, one boxer from the evening made a particularly strong impression on me. And it wasn't either of the headliners. Instead, it was a Philidelphia, PA boxer who participated in one of the undercard matches. His name is Steve Cunningham.

Steve Cunningham giving his signature salute
Mr. Cunningham impressed me in the ring, even before I knew anything about his life. There was just something about the way this guy carried himself. Before I knew Cunningham is comic book nerd and artist. Before I knew he's boxed to raise money for his daughter, who needed a heart transplant in 2015. Before I knew he was a navy veteran who salutes each of the four corners of the ring after every match.

In watching his fight against TMT boxer Andrew Tabiti, I was impressed by his footwork, grace, agility, and dignity in the ring. Cunningham loves boxing, he says, and he's waiting for boxing to love him back. He's giving all he can.

In learning more about his life since, it all made sense.

Steve Cunningham reminded me that every little thing one does- including driving to work, for example-can be a reflection on you and your heart. Tomorrow's the first day of school. I'll try to not honk the horn on the way.

Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 28, 2017 at 9:13 AM

    Your entry today reminds me of four artists, each of whom has a song about boxing: Of course there is Dylan with Davey Moore and Hurricane, Warren Zevon with Boom Boom Mancini, Paul Simon with The Boxer, and Mark Knopfler with Song for Sonny Liston. Of course there are more, but these tunes are the ones that I associate most with boxing. If hockey is being mentions, of course, Warren Zevon has "Hit Somebody!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 95 NorthAugust 28, 2017 at 5:41 PM

      I haven't heard "Boom Boom Mancini" or "Sony for Sonny Liston" but I plan on listening. I know singer/songwriter Mark Kozalek has at least a few. Your comment has made me think of putting together a post about boxing songs!

      Delete

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