Hernandez, Cunningham postfight quotes

Yoan Pablo Hernandez (26-1, 13 KOs) defended his IBF cruiserweight title with two knockdowns and a points victory over Steve Cunningham (24-4, 12 KOs) in Frankfurt on Saturday night. Next up for Hernandez is a mandatory defense against Troy Ross (25-2, 16 KOs), who outpointed journeyman Lukas Rusiewicz (10-12, 3 KOs) on the undercard.

Yoan Pablo Hernandez: “This is a big victory for me. But I take my hat off to Steve, he is a great, great fighter and once again proved his world class. But our strategy worked today and I am very happy about the outcome.”

Steve Cunningham: “I congratulate Hernandez for the win tonight. I fought hard and gave it my all. I know I’ll will be back stronger than ever. There were two warriors in the ring tonight and this warrior still wants the belt back. Many thanks to my fans and God bless.”

Hernandez trainer Ulli Wegner: “I am very pleased with Pablo´s performance. “He stuck to our plan. But I want to congratulate Cunningham. He was very impressive. How he recovered from those two knockdowns was amazing. Everybody knows he is a world-class fighter, one of the best out there. I am proud that Pablo defeated him tonight.”

Cunningham trainer Naazim Richardson: “Steve´s courage was impressive. Had I got hit by those shots, I would still be down. Not many fighters can recover from something like that. But Steve got back up, twice, and fought on. His courage is incredible.”

Promoter Wilfried Sauerland: “This was a fantastic fight, one of the best on German soil in a long time. Cunningham proved his class, as did Hernandez. This was a real treat for boxing fans. Hernandez was in the shape of his life, I have never seen him fighting better.”

February 5th, 2012

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