Jason Cunningham says loss to Zolani Tete should be “scrubbed off my record and turned into a no-contest”

IT TOOK me 10 years to get a world rating, I used to be nearly on the pinnacle and then it will get ripped away from me.

What can I do? This doesn’t occur fairly often. There was no one I may flip to for any recommendation. I had to simply crack on with it and have a look at it as one other character-building expertise.

Then after I came upon about Zolani Tete failing a drug take a look at, I used to be gutted. After the combat, I accepted how good he was. There have been no excuses from me. I knew his profession, knew he had been a pound-for-pound fighter a few years in the past and, from the beginning, I knew I used to be up towards it.

Then this comes out 5 months later and you get indignant. I really feel very arduous completed to. If I had gained that evening, the place would I be now? Instead of that, my profession has stalled and I’ve misplaced my world rating.

I acquired some motivation again when [Queensberry Promotions’] Andy Ayling rang me to say what the plan was for me. There’s the combat with [Miguel] Gonzalez on Saturday evening in Telford and if I beat him, it’ll be [British and European champion] Liam Davies in the summertime. I do know BoxRec has that combat occurring on April 29, however we’re taking a look at June.

By then, the loss to Tete should have been scrubbed off my record and modified into a no-contest. There’s going to be a listening to with UK Anti-Doping within the subsequent few weeks and I’m positive it’ll be declared a no-contest after that assembly. It shouldn’t be seen as a defeat anymore.

It took 5 months for the failed medication take a look at to come out and that point has value me some momentum after I had labored so arduous for therefore lengthy to get the place I used to be.

There’s the possibility that even with out dishonest, he should have gained as a result of he has been a prime, prime fighter, but it surely wasn’t honest.

Nobody had ever don’t that to me earlier than and that failed take a look at helps me to justify it. I wasn’t very properly for a few weeks after the combat. I used to be concussed and it may have been worse. I’ve to take it on the chin and get on with it. I’ve acquired the possibility to come again now.

Beating Gonzalez should get my world rating again and then the Davies combat could lead on to a world-title eliminator. Who is aware of, possibly I may nonetheless find yourself combating for a world title by the tip of the yr? The combat with Davies is huge domestically.

First, I’ve to show to myself there’s loads left on Saturday evening. I don’t have to show something to anybody else after the profession I’ve had and all the things I’ve achieved since I turned professional in 2011.

I simply want to know myself that I can nonetheless do it.

This combat on Saturday evening seems a good one for me.

It took a whereas to get it over the road, however I acquired the contract a couple of weeks in the past and I’m glad it’s occurring. Only world champions (Paul Butler, Andrew Moloney and Jerwin Ancajas) have overwhelmed him and he has a 33-3 record that appears good on paper.

“He’s small, although, developing from super-flyweight, and that should work in my favour. I should be ready to use my attributes. I’ve watched his combat with Ancajas and he’s given me the blueprint.

He [Ancajas] is a southpaw with good ft, like me, and the sport plan will be the identical. The distinction is, I’ll be very huge in contrast to Ancajas.

I want to use my ft so I’m at all times a step forward and throw them straight down the pipe. I want to maintain my self-discipline. I’ve seen that he fades, and I feel I can break him down and cease him.