'A DOUBLE KNOCKDOWN' STARRING SECHEW
POWELL AND CORNELIUS BUNDRAGE
Sharkie's Machine by Frank Gonzalez, Jr.
Sharkie’s
Machine
By Frank Gonzalez Jr.
May 7th, 2005
“A Double Knockdown”
Starring Sechew Powell and Cornelius Bundrage
Jr. Middleweight Prospect, Sechew Powell of Brooklyn N.Y., improved his record
to 16-0-10 KO’s scoring an unforgettable TKO victory in round one over Detroit
native, Cornelius Bundrage (21-0-13 KO’s) Friday night at Foxwoods Casino in
Connecticut. It was a battle that featured two undefeated fighters and three
solid punches in 22 seconds of pure adrenaline.
Bad blood preceded this fight as Powell and Bundrage had to be restrained from
swinging it out during their recent press conference. There was no shortage of
testosterone in the ring as the stare down was like lighting the fuse for an
explosion.
When referee Dick Flaherty instructed both men to touch gloves before the bell,
Bundrage slapped down on Powell’s gloves maliciously.
Neither guy wasted time feeling each other out but met aggressively at the
center of the ring to duke it out. In the first exchange, Powell landed a left
hook direct to Bundrage’s jaw as Bundrage simultaneously landed a right hook
into Powell’s jowls.
Both guys hit the canvas simultaneously. It was a double knockdown!
They both got up so quickly and were scuffling in a clinch that the referee
didn’t even bother to call it a knockdown. How he missed that call, times
two—was amazing. That the ref didn't give either a standing count may have
contributed to what followed.
As soon as action resumed, Powell landed a straight left directly on the button
of Bundrage’s chin that snapped his head back. He fell backward to the canvas.
Bundrage got up—but fell back down. He got up again and started to walk across
the ring but his legs betrayed him halfway across the ring and down he went
again. It was over.
In all my years of following boxing, this was the first time I ever saw two guys
knock each other down at the same time. It was as close as you can get to a
double knockout.
Sechew Powell’s “highlight reel” performance Friday night will stand out in my
memory for a long, long time. Powell definitely improved his stock with this
sensational victory—even if he only landed two punches in the fight.
* * *
Shobox is one of the greatest boxing programs because it pits well matched,
young fighters against each other, two guys with everything on the line and that
makes for damn good viewing. Though the fighters face off with nearly identical
records, it’s usually the guy with the higher quality experience that rises to
the occasion.
On the under card of Powell vs. Bundrage fight was another Jr. Middleweight bout
that featured Belarus native and current Brooklynite, Yuri Foreman. Foreman
improved his record to 18 wins, no losses and seven KO's as he put on a boxing
clinic, winning a Unanimous Decision over his unbeaten opponent, Kevin Cagle,
who was 16-0-12 KO’s coming in. To Cagle’s credit, he came to fight and looked
pretty good in the first round with enthusiastic athleticism. But from midway
into the first round to the end of the eighth, Cagle, game as he was, was out
boxed, out scored and ultimately, out classed.
Yuri Foreman received good instruction from his corner of Tommy Brooks and Joe
Greer. He used his jab well to set up combinations that always included shots to
the body. His movement and defensive skills were also impressive.
When Cagle's trainer, Don Turner, was asked what made him want to work with
Kevin Cagle, he said he liked Cagle’s body punching. But in all of eight rounds,
I can’t recall Cagle throwing a single body punch. I also can’t recall the last
time I saw a Turner coached fighter win.
Each round featured Foreman controlling the tempo of the fight, jabbing, moving
and throwing combinations effectively, while Cagle’s offense consisted of
jumping in and out with wild shots that often missed the mark.
Foreman's skills made Cagle looked amateurish. Cagle rarely jabbed, led with
wild shots that rarely scored and proved to have defensive liabilities that
Foreman exploited all night. As the rounds passed, Cagle sunk deeper into a
hole. By the end of the eighth round, it was unlikely that Cagle had won a
single round. I had it a shutout in favor of Foreman.
Congratulations to Yuri Foreman, who demonstrated some quality boxing skills and
ring generalship. He suffered a cut over his right eye during the fight but
never let it interfere with his focus. Strangely enough, his corner seemed
displeased with Yuri’s performance. Tommy Brooks complained to Yuri that he
could have made it an easier fight.
It appears that Foreman’s team holds him to extremely high standards. Hey,
that’s a good thing. I expect Foreman will be a hell of a contender someday.
Friday night was a good night for two Brooklyn fighters visiting Connecticut.
