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Steve Cunningham has faced many daunting days in his life, especially since daughter Kennedy entered the world Sept. 6, 2005 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital heart defect that has left her requiring a transplant. Because of his natural resolve and strength from his little girl, the pugilist certainly fostered no fear when facing Natu Visinia, who possessed a 73-pound advantage over him, Saturday night at the 2300 Arena, 2300 S. Swanson St. Using the unfailing combination of talent and love, the heavyweight scored a technical decision victory, with Kennedy cheering for her patriarch.
“I always feel I have to prove myself,” the 38-year-old said during Oct. 16’s press event at The Holiday Inn Philadelphia, 900 Packer Ave. “What I never fail to see is that I can do all things through Christ. That’s how I operate.”
Sounding like a metaphorical doctor, Cunningham hopes he and wife Livvy will soon learn from an actual physician that Kennedy can receive a new organ. The youth also attended last week’s media gathering, with Cunningham’s trainer, Brother Naazim Richardson, noting “Kennedy is who Steve wants to be when he grows up.”
“She definitely gives me extra energy,” the fawning father said of the sister to Steve Jr. and Cruz. “I’ve grown as a child of God, and I’ve come to understand so much of who I am. That means realizing who I have to be as an emotional and financial supporter.”
For the first aspect of that description, Cunningham, who moved to Pittsburgh with his boys following his triumph, had been keeping in contact with Livvy and Kennedy at their Steel City abode. The females relocated from Philadelphia because a Pittsburgh hospital placed the 9-year-old on a transplant waiting list in June, with any cross-state trip posing problems, as every second would count in executing a surgical procedure. On the latter front, he and his management team reached an August agreement with the Visinia camp, giving Cunningham a second consecutive chance to fight in Philadelphia, the other occasion being April 4’s Liacouras Center brawl with Amir Mansour. He downed the then-undefeated foe via a unanimous decision in what many experts have tabbed a candidate for Fight of the Year. He claimed the United States Boxing Association heavyweight title that spring evening and thanked Mansour for his televised post-contest mention of Kennedy’s plight, a gesture that spawned heartbyfaith.com. As of press time, the website had generated $29,146, far exceeding the Cunningham clan’s $25,000 goal to secure funds to complement the family’s health insurance coverage.
“That was huge of Mansour to announce our struggles,” Cunningham said of his adversary, who, like so many of his opponents, has actually become an ally. “That should show people that this sport isn’t as evil as many presume. My boxing career has mainly been about relationships. I don’t really know Natu, but no matter what happens in the ring, I’d like to keep in contact. We’re part of a fraternity.”
Depending on one’s source, Cunningham entered the bout as a slight favorite or a marginal underdog. Definitely the more experienced combatant, the two-time International Boxing Federation cruiserweight belt holder set foot in the Whitman facility with a 27-6 mark, a ledger that includes tussles across the country and duels in South Africa, Poland and Germany. The 30-year-old Visinia, though, ventured to the venue with an immaculate 10-0 slate, including eight knockouts, and despite being a “big fan” of Cunningham, he wanted to conquer him.
“I’m hungry for a breakout,” the 278-pound thumper said. “Steve has been eating from a good menu for many years, and I’m ready for my turn.”
Through NBC SportsNet’s “Fight Night” series, the two came together for a figurative feast, with Cunningham hoping he could notch a win for the established guard and his 6-foot-5 antagonist yearning for youth to prove more potent. The older brawler gained an early edge in the scheduled 10-round affair, making most of the initial three segments a display of his excellent timing and footwork. Visinia ended the third with a powerful right hook and seemed to seize the momentum two rounds later when referee Gary Rosato ruled a knockdown off what appeared to be a slip by Cunningham following a shoulder shot.
“He’s a heavy hitter,” Cunningham told The Ring Magazine. “The knockdown, I was off balance, but it was the force behind his punches. Give him his due.”
The local product started to stun Visinia again in the sixth, a huge right-handed blow doing the trick, and applied more punishment to his fading foe in what turned out to be the final frame. With his bride and progeny cheering him on, Cunningham, who had labeled Visinia “a force” two days earlier, repelled the younger man and guaranteed that the familial bond his brood has formed will continue to include celebrations of athletic ascendancy.
“I’m going into this fight as a man, who through his time in the Navy, knows how to follow through with a mission,” Cunningham said Oct. 16 of his preparation. “I definitely want to give my fans something to cherish, and I definitely want to continue to make my family proud.”
Both tasks accomplished, he will patiently wait for the life-changing call for his little girl and will strive to help her to counter perceptions of what one can do in the face of extreme circumstances. Having beaten harrowing odds himself from his days as a teen drug dealer, the highly religious figure can certainly preach what he has practiced.
“We live small and smart,” Cunningham said. “We’re in this together, and I’m thankful for my daughter. I know, in my heart, she’ll be OK.”
Visit heartbyfaith.com.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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