Heavyweights Mansour, Cunningham to battle at the Liacouras Center on April 4

PHILADELPHIA, March 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Unbeaten heavyweight contender Amir "Hardcore" Mansour takes another step toward a world championship when he squares off against two-time cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham in a pivotal fight for both on Friday, April 4.

Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140313/PH82098

The scheduled 10-round bout for Mansour's USBA championship belt will take place in Cunningham's hometown of Philadelphia at Temple University's Liacouras Center, and will be featured as part of NBC Sports Network's Fight Night series beginning at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

Mansour (20-0, 15 KOs), a 41-year-old southpaw from Wilmington, Del., who trains at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym in Philadelphia, is ranked No. 13 by the International Boxing Federation and is the World Boxing Federation Intercontinental champion.

Cunningham (26-6, 12 KOs), 37, first won the vacant IBF cruiserweight title in 2006 and again in 2007, and needs a victory over Mansour to keep his championship hopes alive.   

"I'm really looking forward to this fight," said Kathy Duva, chief executive for Main Events. "It has everything we want on this series – heavyweights in an evenly matched crossroads bout at a great venue in a location that really adds something to the match. You can't ask for more."

Back in December at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, Mansour scored an impressive seventh-round knockout over 6-foot-7 Kelvin Price (14-2, 2 KOs).  Mansour, who has 13 knockouts in three rounds or less, has won four of his last five fights by stoppage.

"I'm looking forward to this fight more than any other fight in the past," said Mansour, who recently signed a managerial contract with pay-per-view and closed-circuit TV mogul Joe Hand, Sr. "I'm gonna train for Steve as if my life depends on the win. I greatly respect Steve, but on April 4, I'm gonna speak to the boxing world using my hands. I will not be denied."

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Mansour was out of boxing from 2001 to 2010 while in prison at the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institution in Minersville, Pa., for a drug possession. Since his return to the ring, Mansour has registered 11 wins, nine by knockout.

"The only thing I can say about prison is that it's a hole in hell, and it's a place nobody should ever want to go," said Mansour. "But at the same time, I took the situation and I would not allow it to define me as a person. It was a hardship I endured, and it obviously taught me a lot of valuable lessons.

"One good thing that it did for me was while everybody else was getting beat up and going through wars, I was just training as if there was no tomorrow. I kept training and training and training. For years I trained my heart out because I knew that I wanted to fight again when I came home." 

Last summer, Mansour, who will be making his second appearance on the Fight Night series, claimed the USBA heavyweight title by scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over Maurice Harris of East Orange, N.J., at the Dover Downs Casino in Dover, Del.

At 6-foot-1 and with an expected 20-pound weight advantage, Mansour will not be intimidated by Cunningham's 6-foot-3 stature. But with lighter weight comes quickness, and boxing fans are wondering how Mansour will be able to handle Cunningham's speed and agility.

Last December on the same card as Mansour at Resorts, Cunningham scored an important eight-round unanimous decision over Manuel Quezada. The win snapped a two-fight losing streak that began with his controversial points loss to Tomasz Adamek (49-2, 29 KOs) on NBC-TV on Dec. 22, 2012, and continued with a seventh-round TKO loss to Tyson Fury (22-0, 16 KOs) on NBC on April 20, 2013.

"I'm very focused and taking this seriously," said Cunningham. "This time I'm fighting in my backyard, and I want to give my fans a spectacular performance. It's time to fight."

Co-promoter J. Russell Peltz said, "Cunningham has to win this fight to remain viable in the heavyweight division. Mansour needs to win to prove to people that despite beating the second tier of heavyweights en route to his 20-0 record he is capable of taking the next step."

Along with Main Events and Peltz Boxing, the card is also presented in association with Joe Hand Promotions and BAM Boxing.

Tickets can be purchased online at ComcastTix.com or at the Liacouras Center Box Office at 1-800-298-4200, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Ticket prices are: $113, $86, $58, and $41.

CONTACT INFO
Bill Kettelberger
Joe Hand Promotions, Inc.
407 E. Pennsylvania Blvd., Feasterville, PA 19053
(800) 557-4263
www.JoeHandPromotions.com

SOURCE Joe Hand Promotions