Steve "USS" Cunningham (left) responded to the US Embassy in London denying one of
his fighters a visa.
Philly's own, former IBF Cruiserweight Champion Steve "USS" Cunningham, knows what it takes to win in the ring.
But in the case of Marianne Marston, one of the fighters that Cunningham trains and represents under "Team Cunningham," what to do in the ring isn't the issue.
It's getting to the fight.
Marston, a citizen of London, England, was denied a visa to fight here in the States by the American Embassy in London.
She was supposed to fight in Philly on May 9, but the embassy said that her lack of family in the UK (only two family members are living) and her lack of a "real" job there (they told her that her boxing was just a hobby) made her unlikely to want to come back.
However, Marston has applied for and received proper clearances to come and go between the States and the UK to train (with Cunningham in Philly) for two years.
Today, Cunningham reponded to the embassy's decision.
"People enter the US illegally every day and here is an honest, hardworking athlete, doing it by the books and she can't catch a break," said Cunningham. "Marianne is extremely dedicated to boxing and being the best. She works very hard. There are not many women in boxing over there (UK), so we really feel like she needs to be here. I don't think most Americans realize how difficult it can be to get a visa, I know I didn't before this experience. But we are not going to give up, we'll do what ever it takes to get Marianne back to the States to train and get her professional boxing career started."
If you would like to see Marston given the chance to fight here in Philly, send an email to the US Embassy in London titled "Let Marianne box" to Special Consular Services at SCSLondon@state.gov.
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For more information on Steve "USS" Cunningham, click here.
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