Cornelius Bundrage facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cornelius Bundrage
Statistics
Real name	Cornelius Bundrage
Nickname(s)	K9
Rated at	Light middleweight
Height	5 ft 6 in
Reach	72 in
Born	(1973-04-25) April 25, 1973 (age 52) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	44
Wins	37
Wins by KO	21
Losses	6
No contests	1

Cornelius Bundrage (born April 25, 1973) is an American professional boxer. He was a world champion twice, holding the IBF junior middleweight title between 2010 and 2015. In 2006, he was a contestant on The Contender reality TV show, where he made it to the semi-finals.

Becoming a Pro Boxer

When Cornelius Bundrage started his boxing career, he was a very promising fighter. For ten years, he didn't lose a single match! His record was 21 wins and no losses, with 13 knockouts. His nickname, "K9," showed how tough he was in the ring, like a fierce dog. He was known for hitting his opponents with strong combinations of punches.

Fighting on "The Contender"

In 2006, Cornelius 'K9' Bundrage joined a TV show called "The Contender" on ESPN. It was a boxing reality show hosted by famous boxers like Sugar Ray Leonard and actor Sylvester Stallone. Millions of people watched Bundrage every week for fourteen weeks. He was even named the "fan favorite" among sixteen boxers from all over the United States.

First Fight on the Show

Bundrage was the last boxer chosen for a team, which put him on the Blue Team. To show he wasn't bothered, he volunteered to be the first from his team to fight. He quoted a saying, "And the last shall be first." His first match was against Michael Clark. It was a very close fight for five rounds. In the last round, Bundrage knocked Clark down with a powerful punch, which helped him win the fight. He won by a majority decision, meaning most judges thought he won. After this, Clark had to leave the show.

Moving Up in the Tournament

In the next round, called the quarterfinal, Bundrage won against Walter Wright. He won by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed he was the winner.

Tough Loss in the Semifinals

Bundrage faced Steve Forbes in the semifinals. Unfortunately, Bundrage had lost too much weight before this fight, which made him weaker. Forbes won the fight by a unanimous decision. Some fans booed Bundrage because he hit Forbes in the back of the head during the fight.

Winning the Bronze Medal

Even after that loss, Bundrage bounced back! He went on to win the bronze medal fight against Norberto Bravo. He won with a powerful TKO (Technical Knockout) in the seventh round, which was a very impressive win.

After "The Contender" Show

After his time on "The Contender," Bundrage kept fighting.

Facing Chris Smith

On January 12, 2007, he fought Chris Smith. It was a very close fight. Bundrage survived a tough moment in the sixth round and then hurt Smith with a strong punch in the last seconds of the final round. Bundrage won this fight by a split decision.

Winning for Team USA

On March 30, 2007, he fought in "The Contender Challenge: UK vs. USA." He won his fight with a knockout in the seventh round against Colin McNeil. This win helped the American team secure a victory in the challenge. Bundrage showed he was much stronger throughout the fight. The fight happened in Newcastle, England.

A Challenging Fight with Joel Julio

On July 11, 2007, Bundrage fought Joel Julio, a strong young boxer. Bundrage took this fight with only three weeks' notice and had to lose a lot of weight very quickly (37 pounds!). He fought with a lot of heart, but Julio was too strong. Julio won the fight in the eighth round after landing a clean punch that caused the referee to stop the match.

Big Win Against Kassim Ouma

On March 28, 2008, Bundrage had one of his best career wins. He defeated Kassim Ouma, who was a former IBF Light Middleweight Champion. Bundrage won by a unanimous decision, even though he got a cut early in the fight.

A Controversial Loss

On November 13, 2008, Bundrage fought Grady Brewer. Bundrage lost this fight by a split decision, which many people thought was unfair. The punch statistics even showed that Bundrage landed more punches.

Winning in Germany

Just a month later, on December 13, 2008, Bundrage traveled to Germany with only two weeks' notice. He surprised everyone by beating Zaurbek Baysangurov, who had never lost a fight before. Bundrage won by TKO in the fifth round. This win helped him get closer to a world title shot.

A Fight That Ended Early

On June 27, 2009, Bundrage fought Yuri Foreman in another important match for the IBF title. The fight ended early as a "No Contest" in the third round because Bundrage accidentally headbutted Foreman, causing a cut that stopped the fight.

Becoming a World Champion

After several tough fights and close calls, Cornelius Bundrage finally got his chance to fight for a world title.

Winning the IBF Junior Middleweight Title

On August 7, 2010, Cornelius fought Cory Spinks, who was the IBF Light Middleweight Champion. Bundrage traveled to Spinks' hometown in St. Louis, Missouri. He won the fight with an impressive knockout in the fifth round! This was a huge moment for Bundrage, as he became a world champion. He also brought a major boxing championship back to his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, which hadn't had a world champion in 26 years since Thomas Hearns.

Bundrage put a lot of pressure on Spinks during the fight, not letting him get comfortable. In the fifth round, Bundrage landed a perfect combination of punches that knocked Spinks down. Spinks got back up, but the referee stopped the fight because Spinks had taken too many hits. Bundrage was declared the new IBF Light Middleweight Champion.

First Title Defense

Bundrage defended his IBF title for the first time on June 25, 2011, in a rematch against Sechew "Iron Horse" Powell. Five years earlier, Powell had stopped Bundrage in a very unusual fight that ended in the first round. In their rematch, Bundrage showed how much he had improved. He won a clear 12-round victory by unanimous decision, which meant he got revenge for his earlier loss.

Second Title Defense and Rematch with Spinks

On June 30, 2012, K9 had another rematch with Cory Spinks to defend his title for the second time. Bundrage knocked Spinks down in the first round. The fight became more even for a while, but then K9 knocked Spinks down three times in the seventh round, leading to a TKO victory. After this win, he said he wanted to fight another world champion, Saul Alvarez.

Losing the Title

In his third defense of the IBF title, Bundrage lost his championship to Ishe Smith on February 23, 2013. He lost by a majority decision. He also had a point taken away in the second round for hitting Smith while Smith was on the ground after a push.

Getting Another Shot at the Title

Bundrage got back to winning fights. On January 24, 2014, he defeated Joey Hernandez by unanimous decision. This win made him the number one contender for the IBF title, giving him another chance to win back the belt he had lost.

Winning the IBF Junior Middleweight Title Again

On October 11, 2014, Cornelius Bundrage fought against the IBF Light Middleweight champion Carlos Molina. Even though Bundrage got tired early in the fight, he controlled Molina, knocking him down twice and hurting him many times. Bundrage won the title again by unanimous decision, becoming a two-time world champion!

Professional Boxing Record