Godfrey Not Offered Cunningham Fight

PROVIDENCE, RI (July 12, 2006) – NABA and USNBC cruiserweight champion Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey (12-0, 7 KOs) has angrily responded to an erroneous report on the Internet that claimed, due to a hand injury, he turned down an International Boxing Federation (IBF) title fight offer last week against Steve Cunningham in St. Louis.

“Completely false,” Godfrey said about the aforementioned report. “His name (Cunningham) was never mentioned to me. If that fight is offered to me in the future, I’ll take it in a minute.”

Godfrey, 25, already is rated No. 15 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 16 by the World Boxing Council (WBC), and No. 1 in the North American Boxing Federation (NABF).

“We were not contacted by anybody associated with Cunningham,” Godfrey’s manager Bret Hallenbeck added, “not his promoter or manager. I wouldn’t have let Matt fight him on only two days notice, but we wouldn’t back down from Cunningham. In the future they can just let us know the time and place.”

Godfrey’s victims include former IBU champion Ernest “M-16” Mateen (TKO2) ex-NABO titleholder Jermell “The Truth” Barnes (UDEC8), former NABF champ and previously unbeaten Shaun George (TKO1) and Willie Herring (UDEC10).

“Nobody contacted me about Matt fighting Cunningham,” Godfrey’s promoter Jimmy Burchfield (Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc.) noted. “I return all of my calls. Matt Godfrey will fight anyone, anyplace.”

For more information about Matt Godfrey visit his web site at www.mattgodfreyboxing.com.