"Certain guys don't want to see me. I don't want to say any names because then they really won't want to fight me. I ain't scared to fight guys. I wanted to fight Shane Mosley, you know. Whether I fight him or not, I'm not pressed. He just got a draw, even though he really won the fight, with Sergio Mora. Am I going get some credit for that? I mean, they don't want to give any credit. That's why I want to fight guys like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. I mean, not just for the money. Some of these guys just go in and want to just look good and get paid. Man, I don't want to just go in; I want to be the best...the WBA belt would've been mind. The IBF is already mine. And the WBC belt, man, bring on whoever gets that WBC belt. They don't want it. Manny Pacquiao don't want it with me. Pacquiao's's too little and Margarito is too slow. That's life. I want to fight the best. I proved my point. I don't want to hear no excuses. Why I got to look bad to get a fight? Why can't I look good? If anybody is looking for a good fight, an HBO worthy fight, holla at K9. The last two times I fought on HBO undercards, I had the fight of the night," stated IBF jr. middleweight champion Cornelius "K9" Bundrage, who strongly believes he deserves an opportunity on the big stage to prove he's just as exciting, just as entertaining and just as talented as the biggest names in the sport. Check out what he had to say about his future plans as he looks forward to trying to become a unified champion.
EB: First off, congratulations!
K9: Thank you, thank you! I'm happy to be congratulated because it has been a long time coming.
EB: I have to admit, I had a few mixed feelings, because I'm from the St. Louis area (laughs).
K9: (Boos) Y'all booed me, so I boo you (laughs).
EB: I wasn't there. It's all love. I'm a fan of boxing, so I'm glad you won.
K9: It's all good, but you on both sides of the fence (laughs). Like I said on the Contender, the first shall be last and the last should be first. I was the last picked on the Contender. They didn't want to pick me because they thought I just had muscles and that was it. They thought the Mike Tyson was over. He ain't punching no more and that style had played out, but little did they know, I know more than Mike Tyson. I know K9! I know karate too. Let 'em know I went from the 'hood to Hollywood. I am ready for whoever, whenever, wherever and I'm being humble when I say that because there's other things I could say, but I won't because my man Elvers is in the house (laughs). St. Louis! I got love for St. Louis. I want you to know they treated me real good out there well after the fight. Everybody loves a winner. The people were real nice. I'm from Detroit, the murder capital. People crazy in any city except for you and me (laughs).
EB: So what's next for you? I heard Ronald Hearns, but that didn't happen. I know Sechew Powell is ranked #1 by the IBF.
K9: You probably heard Ronald Hearns because people in Detroit want to do a city thing, but I'm not trying to do no city thing. I'm not a state champ, I'm a world champ! I'm trying do something worldwide. So you probably heard that because that came from Detroit. It probably came from his managers and them. You know, money talks. They ain't talking no money, so I'm straight. You got to talk some dollars now because I'm going to pick and choose and do what I want to do. I want to see what these fights are. As far as Sechew Powell, you know he's barking a lot, but you know what one of my sayings is? Don't bark if you can't fight. He barking about what he did, but that was when I was a kid. I'm a grown man now and the dog is coming. I'm off the leash now. Like I said, the first shall be last and the last should be first. You may have won the war, but I won the battle because I'm a world champion now and you behind me, in my rearview mirror now. I think I see Sechew Powell, Joel Julio; I see a lot of cats. I see Kassim Ouma, I see St. Louis Cory Spinks, Yuri Foreman. Now I see in front of me in my big seal window, I see Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, I see Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez. Those are the fights I want man. Unfortunately for me, to get one of those big fights, I will have to go 10 or 12 rounds in my next fight. Because whenever I do look good, they don't want to fight me, but when I look bad, thats when the phone rings. Ring, ring. That's when the phone starts ringing. If I knock them out, uh oh, the phone's not ringing. I don't know. What can I say? First shall be last, last shall be first.
EB: You are the only guy from Contender season 2 to win a title.
K9: That's right! That's because of my spirit, man. I put Jesus before everything. God and Jesus first. I changed my life and put Him first, and not my wife first or me first. I put Him first. I started putting Him first, so I knew when I would ask for something, I would get it. Instead of just running off with rap songs, running off with Lil Wayne songs or Jay-Z songs, I started running off to Christian music. I run off with music that was telling me the truth and uplifting me. I wasn't running off with songs talking about I'm going to kill you and your mama ugly. I started running off, you know, with God. God is real. God loves me. Please God. Jesus for life. I started winning. I ran off with Christian music, I won, but when I ran off with Lil Wayne songs, I lost. It's best to keep God first and you ain't got to do as much. He will lead you. I be throwing punches in the ring sometimes and don't even know why. The Spirit led me. I was just throwing punches at Cory Spinks. I was hitting him with a Jesus right hand, and uppercuts from Jesus. The Lord just had me going. I was in a zone. Usually when I fight, I hear my wife saying, "Baby, Baby, duck, throw the uppercut." I didn't hear nothing. She was like, "Baby, I was screaming, but you didn't hear nothing. You were in a zone." Man, I was just in a zone. I couldn't hear nothing. I will admit, I did hear some booing, but that just pumped me up. I was talking to Cory Spinks in the ring and his corner was telling him I was tired. They were like, "Cory, he is tired." I told Cory, "Don't you believe that. Don't believe that." (Laughs) They got me in Ring magazine. Thumbs down to them. They said I was old. They thought I was a club fighter. Well, they were wrong. I'm a world champion now. What I got to do to get some credit? I was on a reality show, they didn't think I would do nothing and I won a Bronze medal. I came back and shocked the world. They weren't talking about the championship fight, they were talking about what I did to [Nonito] Bravo. Then I read Ring Magazine and they said, "K9 will be a champion. He has the best chance of the group to be champion. He is getting better." It's like, which one is it? Am I old or getting better? I'm a world champion, so just say congratulations. Don't say he's this. He missed every other punch. In Ring Magazine, they don't even have me hitting him with a jab. But on the internet, I see me standing over Cory Spinks hanging out the ring. I see Don King, from 'hood to Hollywood, holding my hand up. Talk about that! This is the story to talk about. Don't hate on me because I am not with the people [Golden Boy Promotions] that own Ring Magazine. Show me some love. I don't have to sign with y'all. When you a Christian, you have to sacrifice. You never going to be accepted in this world when you a Christian because nothing bad is going on. Now if I start smoking a blunt and start drinking, then they will say he's the man. Smash the bottles! Naw, I'm not into that. They keep lining them up, I will knock them out in the name of Jesus. (Barks) The dog is coming. (Laughs) I'm keeping it crunk for you; letting you know you got the real interview (laughs).
EB: Appreciate it. I knew you would bring it!
K9: Oh yeah. I'm a hood cat. A lot of days, I'm home. I didn't change the world around me, but I didn't...I don't even have a car. I could've bought me a car, a brand new car, but I didn't. My wife got a car. I still ride to the gym with the same guy I rode with before the Cory Spinks fight, my dawg Kareem. You know, I still keep it real. Ain't nobody better than nobody. Beyonce, Jay-Z, they fart just like we fart. God don't care about the praises, so what that means is you me, him, her, he don't care how much money; we human. Ain't nobody walking on air. The only person I know or heard of that walked on water was Jesus...and Peter. Peter did too. I feel like I have walked on air and water, but I know I haven't. Man, God is great. I came a long way. I didn't graduate, I didn't have a daddy. My mama had to do a lot of things on her own. My sister was murdered. I didn't want to go down that path, I wanted to do something and I knew I would do something. You couldn't tell me I wasn't going to do nothing. I didn't care. I didn't graduate, so that don't mean I'm going to stop doing something. I was still going to be something in life. I got faith. When I got closer to God and closer to Jesus, He told me all things are possible. I said, "shoot, I didn't graduate, that don't mean it's over with. I'm still doing something. I'm still going somewhere." Now look! I got a spiritual degree and I'm a world champion and I didn't graduate. That's a heck of a story. I went from the 'hood to Hollywood and I still don't have a car. I'll probably get someone to donate me a car. They be like, "We'll get you a car." One of my teeth is messed up, "We'll fix your teeth. We'll fix your smile because you a world champion now." God is great. I'm going to take full advantage of the platform he has given me. We all got stories to tell and I'm going to make sure I tell mine. I'm just thankful. I'm not only a world champion, but a people's champion. Before I was a world champion, I was a people's champion. I just like to see people do good and doing something with your life. I like to see people happy. It's about being happy, not just here, but after you leave here. I'm tired of seeing these kids in the neighborhoods and they got world champions who ain't really world champions. All that smoking and drinking and being on the internet, on Facebook, and at the strip clubs. Those are not champions. I don't care if you got a belt. You are a champion when you're reaching out to these kids and trying to make a difference in your community. That's a champion before you are champion. When you got Jesus, when you got God, you are a champion. When you go from 'hood to Hollywood and become a leader, that's a champion. I've been a champion. I just had to get one of them belts. There was nothing Cory could've done in that fight to me. I don't care if Cory changed to 19-year-old Cory or 21-year-old Cory. I don't care if Cory changed into Floyd Mayweather or Mike Tyson all in one day, it didn't matter. I had him. He was through. No disrespect to him because he's a good guy from what I know. He's done some big things. I wish him the best. His family did some big things. He is probably the best son of a champion. There are a lot of father-son combinations out there and he was the best of all of them. He is a 5-time world champion. I mean, you can't beat that and I have a lot of respect for him. Actually, after the fight, I was writing to him and his wife to both keep their heads up. His wife was crying after the fight like, "You don't mean that. Who does that? You don't mean that." I was thinking to myself, "I'm a Christian. I'm different. I really want you all to be okay." She said, "Well, this is your first world title. You just saying that. You are just happy to be champion."
Man, being champion means something to me, but it really ain't registered yet. I don't walk around with my head all big. If you knew me and hung around me, you wouldn't even know I was a world champion because I don't act like it. I'm humble. I still act the same way I been acting. I be chillin'. Some of the people around me act different. People be yelling, "You are the world champ." I don't care; I be chillin'. Yeah though, I just want Cory to be right after boxing. A lot of people don't know, a loss can do some serious damage to a person. See, I'm thinking about the big picture. When you go from being a main event in St. Louis, selling St. Louis out, and the guy who is up under you goes to the main event and he wins his fight, you like, "I'm going to get my shine back," but then you lose your fight like that. Then you not all the way right with God. Some of the stuff I've heard about that man, I just pray for his soul. I want him to be straight after boxing. After boxing, we still got to live. Look at all these fighters. Look at Ricky Hatton, man, he is on cocaine. Joe Calzaghe sniffing on cocaine. You got to make sure you right after boxing. There is life after boxing. These cats don't know what to do with their time after boxing. When I leave the gym, I got my family, but after boxing, what are you going to do with that 4-5 hours you were at the gym? What are you going to do? You going to smoke? You going to drink? You going to praise God? What are you going to do with that time off? Look at Floyd. He is in some trouble. I'm not blaming him, but you got a lot of free time when you not boxing. You got to occupy your time with something positive. If not, the devil will come in and get you. That's what I was saying when I said I would pray for them. I was not trying to rub it in. It wasn't because I was so excited and happy. I told him after the last fight was cancelled, he might as well give me the belt because I knew I was going to win. It was predestined. It was destiny. I was a beast and a dog a long time ago. I was better known than a lot of these champions. I went over to the U.K. and they were barking, talking bout, "There goes K9 there." Cats over there probably didn't know who Cory Spinks was, but they knew who K9 was and I wasn't even a world champion. Some of them didn't know who Floyd was, but they knew who I was because I did a reality show. Reality shows are the stuff. Even Floyd knew who I was. When I came to downtown Detroit before he fought Oscar De La Hoya, and they were doing the press conference, I had never met Floyd before. You know what Floyd told me? He said, "K9, I seen the power." So Floyd knew who I was because he watched Contender. That Super Six stuff, they got that from the Contender. On the Contender, you all fighting for one prize. It's harder to fight there than for a world title. At least for a world title, win, lose, or draw, you get some nice money. On the Contender, if you lose, you go home. You don't get no money. It was harder fighting on the Contender than Cory Spinks. Not saying he can't fight, but because of the pressure. I was used to that. Being in his hometown and people booing me and critics saying I can't win, that wasn't nothing. I was on the Contender and I had just lost my first fight. I'm being viewed by millions of people. I walk down the street and people recognize me now. The Contender was a real good experience and prepared me for that. I knew fighting for a world title wouldn't be nothing just because of being in a small ring. It was like being unleashed. Winner go home or do or die. They took the chain off me and was like, "Go get 'em, K9." I was like, "Ahhhh."
EB: So how has it been working with Emanuel Steward?
K9: Oh man, it's been a pleasure. You got to remember, you do the math, this guy is the best manager and trainer of all time. You talking about Tommy Hearns, Lennox Lewis...come on. Klitschko. This guy is that guy. He just revived Cotto's career. Emanuel knows his stuff. I want to be a trainer when I'm done with boxing. I'm actually already helping some kids out now. This is what is going to help me be a great trainer because I'm being trained by the best trainer of all time. And plus, I got God and He been looking out for me for a long time. I only had about 12 amateur fights and I'm a world champion. Larry Holmes didn't have that many amateur fights and he's a world champion. Emanuel Steward told me some good things about myself. Certain guys don't want to see me. I don't want to say any names because then they really won't want to fight me. I ain't scared to fight guys. I wanted to fight Shane Mosley, you know. Whether I fight him or not, I'm not pressed. He just got a draw, even though he really won the fight, with Sergio Mora. Am I going get some credit for that? I mean, they don't want to give any credit. That's why I want to fight guys like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. I mean, not just for the money. Some of these guys just go in and want to just look good and get paid. Man, I don't want to just go in; I want to be the best. I was fighting guys on 2-3 weeks notice. Man, Joel Julio can't hold my jock strap and he called me on 3-week notice to fight. The guy from the Contender called me on 3-week notice. Man, they didn't have my best interest. Not the owner, the promoter of the fights for the Contender. They did a horrible job of promoting my career. I wouldn't have lost no fights. I would've crushed Joel Julio. He is one guy I don't mind getting back at one day. He was scared to death to fight me then and then I didn't have nothing. I lost 36 pounds in 3 weeks. I went from 187 to 151 in 3 weeks. I was so tired and drained. I had nothing. He should've been able to knock me out easy. I had nothing. I was nothing but meat. When the referee stopped the fight, I said thank you to myself because I didn't have nothing. I mean, I wasn't going to quit. I'm from Detroit and I'm a Christian. God said whatever you do, do with all your might and I did. I just didn't have nothing. All I could do was throw a jab. If you look at that fight, the most I could do was throw a jab. I was hoping later I could do something. I was hoping I could keep him off for 7-8 rounds with a jab and then get some bombs in the late rounds. Cats like him calling me out saying they want to fight me again. Man, I would crush you. I would've crushed you then if they would've told me in enough time. But you know, that's life. You just turn the page. Sechew Powell, he won that little fight. I know it got a lot of hits because people saw me fall and this and that, but I was a baby then. I didn't have the right team. I had guys that didn't even know how to wrap my hands right. You know how they have a guy from the other team come in your room? I bet his guy was like, "This guy ain't got a chance. He ain't got no pads; nothing." I know he went back and was so excited. He was like, "This guy is an amateur." Yep, but now I'm a professional. I am a world champion. It's a different ball game.
EB: Are you with Don King now? Is he working on anything for you?
K9: Yeah, I'm with him for a few fights. He is looking, but I don't want to say any names. I don't want them to get ready. I want to do them like they did me. The ball is in my court now.
EB: I know Sechew Powell wants the rematch since you got the belt.
K9: We will see. It's in God's hands. I'm not ducking him, but it is business now. It's mandatory for him to fight me in 9 months anyway, so he should just quit barking and in 9 months, let it happen. It may happen earlier, but I'm not scared of him. He is the contender; I'm the champion.
EB: You're kind of like Glen Johnson. You will fight anybody anytime.
K9: Yeah, that's really how it is. I'm not worried about that man. I'm a boxer/fighter. I'm not scared of anyone. I saw him on the internet saying, "This man is scared of me." I'm like, man, you talking that hood talk. I don't talk that hood talk no more. I'm a Christian. I just let those hands go; that's what I do. I heard a rapper saying all I do is win, win. Well, that's all I do is win. I don't do rap songs, but I like that quote. All I do is win, win. I got Jesus and I'm going to keep on winning. One thing about it they better forget what they saw and forget what you heard it's about going to happen. I got something they ain't ready for. I'm a world champion and you should get better. I know I've gotten better.
EB: You have definitely gotten better. You can see the difference from the Sechew Powell fight through the Contender to now. I will admit though, I have not seen the whole Cory Spinks fight. I just saw the KO.
K9: It's called round 5. You didn't really miss too much. I'm not going to fight everyone the same, so if someone sees that fight, they think, "Oh, he's just going to run out and throw punches." But I can fight. I can box. I can bang. I can do more than just that. If a person judges me off of that fight and thinks, "Oh, we can take K9. All you got to do is box or go inside." Man, I can do it all. I'm unpredictable. You hear me? You don't know what I'm coming with. They can think, "Oh, he is 37. He is old," and this and that, but that is an excuse. 37 nothing! I'm a young 37. I ain't been in the wars. I ain't been 12 rounds, so I'm fresh. I mean, I got kids and I'm a virgin (laughs). I'm strong mentally, physically, and spiritually. Ring Magazine says I'm old and I'm calling out Manny Pacquiao and that is just a pipe dream. I heard of pipe dreams before. They said it was a pipe dream when I said I wanted to be world champion. I had these managers talking about what they would do for me and they were lying to me. I went from pipe dreams to Contender, sitting right next to Sugar Ray Leonard, a Hall of Fame fighter that said I would do big things. I would keep getting better and better and do big things. I'm a world champion now. When you look in the books years from now, I will forever be in there as a world champion. K9 did it all because of Jesus. In this world, they don't want to hear that. I got a spiritual relationship with Him and He is amazing. I'm telling you, you will see some big things from me you never thought. Remember K9 told you. I'm getting better and better. Elvers, I'm telling you, I'm getting better and better. It's scary because I'm getting better, stronger and wiser. I'm doing things different. I'm telling you. Even Emanuel Steward told me, "You have actually learned on the job." I was fresh meat when I first walked in Kronk. I was undefeated. I had no real amateur background and no real trainer. Once I got with my coach, Sugar Hill, that's when I started learning. I really started to learn how to box. Now it's a wrap. But God bless you brother. We doing big things and remember what I told you, Jesus Christ! I always say that. Even if they don't want to give me credit, look at who I have fought. I fought, I think, 7 former world champions. My wife just told me that. I ain't fought no bums. I've been fighting the better fights the past like 10-12 fights. I fought Yuri Foreman, who became the WBA Champion. I took him to his hometown. I went to knock him out and then he goes in with his head, tries to headbutt me and he gets the cut. That wasn't my fault. So that was the blueprint for Cotto to beat him. I would've had his belt. If he would've given me a rematch when he got his belt, that belt would've been mine. They threw him around, said he was a light puncher, so the WBA belt would've been mind. The IBF is already mine. And the WBC belt, man, bring on whoever gets that WBC belt. They don't want it. Manny Pacquiao don't want it with me. He's too little and Margarito is too slow. That's life. I want to fight the best. I proved my point. I don't want to hear no excuses. Why I got to look bad to get a fight? Why can't I look good? If anybody is looking for a good fight, an HBO worthy fight, holla at K9. The last two times I fought on HBO undercards, I had the fight of the night. When I fought on a Klitschko undercard, I destroyed my man. We already knew Klitschko would beat Rahman, but didn't anyone think I would beat my guy. My fight was the fight of the night. It was a title eliminator; it should've been on HBO. Then I fought Cory Spinks in St. Louis for a world title. A knockout and fight of the night. Why wasn't that on HBO? The other fights weren't a KO, but mine was. Oh well. That's life. Sometimes that's the life of a Christian. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Never forget that. The underdog will continue to prevail in Jesus name.
EB: Alright, well, I'm proud of you and it sounds like you got big things coming.
K9: Oh yeah. I'm not trying to blast no one. I'm just hungry. God Bless you. Jesus for life.