ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AFP) - Cory Spinks survived an early knockdown and captured the vacant International Boxing Federation junior middleweight world title here Friday with a 12-round split decision over Deandre Latimore.
Spinks, 31 and a former four-time world champion, was coming off two defeats in his last two bouts.
But he did enough to get the nod from two judges, 115-112 and 114-113, while the third saw it 115-112 for Latimore.
"I'm a little upset," Latimore said of the decision. "I dropped him in the first round. If the scorecards ended up that way it should have been in my favor."
Spinks improved to 37-5 with 11 victories inside the distance. Latimore fell to 19-2 with 16 knockouts.
The 23-year-old Latimore knocked Spinks down in the first, but said he wasn't surprised that his opponent bounced back.
"I knew he had the experience," he said. "I dropped him, and I should have dropped him again."
"I wasn't hurt, it was like I tripped or something," Spinks insisted of the knockdown.
While Latimore was strong in the early going, Spinks outboxed him in the middle rounds. While both were cut and appeared weary in the closing rounds, Latimore believed he had done enough.
"About the eighth or ninth round, I started throwing my punches more," said Latimore, who earned his first world title shot by winning his past eight fights since a third-round knockout loss to Ian Gardner in 2007.
"I slacked up a little bit in the middle rounds - that was my fault…
"I just thought I should have come out with the decision."
But Spinks said he did what was necessary in the 12th.
"I just knew I had to come out and perform that last round," he said. "I knew what I had to do, and I did it. I'm proud of myself."
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday’s Fights
Antonio Escalante catches Gary Stark Jr. with a left hook.
Click on photo to view galleries from Chicago.
CHACHOENGSAO, Thailand (AP)—Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, Thailand, outpointed Julio Cesar Miranda, Mexico, 12, to win the the interim WBC flyweight title.
ST. LOUIS (AP)—Cory Spinks, St. Louis, outpointed Deandre Latimore, Las Vegas, 12, to win the vacant IBF light middleweight title; Devon Alexander, St. Louis, stopped Jesus Rodriguez, Salinas, Calif., 9, light welterweights.
CHICAGO (AP)—Antonio Escalante, Mexico, stopped Gary Stark Jr., New York, 3, super bantamweights.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—Billy Lyell, Youngstown, Ohio, outpointed John Duddy, Ireland, 10, middleweights; Gabriel Rosado, Philadelphia, outpointed Kassim Ouma, Uganda, 10, light middleweights.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP)—Gennady Martirosyan, Russia, outpointed Vedran Akrap, Croatia, 10, to retain the PABA middleweight title.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)—Kariz Kariuki, New Zealand, stopped Sonni Michael Angelo, Australia, 9, to win the vacant WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight title; Matthew Paulley, Australia, outpointed Jason Kanofski, Australia, 10 , to retain the IBO Asia Pacific welterweight title.
Spinks wins IBF junior middleweight title
ST. LOUIS (AP)—Cory Spinks overcame a first-round knockdown to outpoint Deandre Latimore on Friday night and win the vacant IBF junior middleweight title.
Spinks (37-5) overcame a cut above his left eye to win the hard-fought split decision between two St. Louis natives. Two judges split their scorecards 115-112, while the third gave a 114-113 edge to the former undisputed welterweight champion.
Spinks won the 12th round all three judges’ cards.
“I knew I had to perform in that last round and I did,” said Spinks, now a five-time world champion. “I went out like a dog and got it.”
The 23-year-old Latimore (19-2) floored Spinks a minute and a half into the bout, but the 31-year-old veteran bounced right up and appeared unhurt. Latimore showed more aggression in the second and third rounds while Spinks was content to save his energy.
Spinks began to wake up in the fifth round after Latimore opened the cut, and the blow appeared to serve as a wake-up call. Spinks began to win rounds, scoring consistently with shots to the body, and needed the final round to beat the young challenger.
Latimore felt he had earned enough points early in the fight to get the decision. He noted that he recorded the only knockdown of the fight, held in front of 9,138 fans whose loyalties were split between the local fighters.
“That decision should have been mine,” Latimore said. “I’m a little upset. I dropped him in the first round. I should have had that (114-113) edge.”
Spinks comes from a famous fighting and added one more belt to its proud history. He was born five days after his father Leon Spinks upset Muhammad Ali on Feb. 15, 1978. The young Spinks’ uncle, Michael, won the heavyweight crown seven years later.
Latimore, who still calls St. Louis home, grew up watching Cory Spinks fight.
“He was my idol,” Latimore said, “but this is all business.”
Fight promoter Don King is hoping the victory can push Spinks back into the national spotlight. He even said he wanted a matchup with Floyd Mayweather Jr., although the former pound-for-pound king has not officially announced he’s coming out of retirement.
“I’m back and I’m ready for anybody,” Spinks said.
Spinks (37-5) overcame a cut above his left eye to win the hard-fought split decision between two St. Louis natives. Two judges split their scorecards 115-112, while the third gave a 114-113 edge to the former undisputed welterweight champion.
Spinks won the 12th round all three judges’ cards.
“I knew I had to perform in that last round and I did,” said Spinks, now a five-time world champion. “I went out like a dog and got it.”
The 23-year-old Latimore (19-2) floored Spinks a minute and a half into the bout, but the 31-year-old veteran bounced right up and appeared unhurt. Latimore showed more aggression in the second and third rounds while Spinks was content to save his energy.
Spinks began to wake up in the fifth round after Latimore opened the cut, and the blow appeared to serve as a wake-up call. Spinks began to win rounds, scoring consistently with shots to the body, and needed the final round to beat the young challenger.
Latimore felt he had earned enough points early in the fight to get the decision. He noted that he recorded the only knockdown of the fight, held in front of 9,138 fans whose loyalties were split between the local fighters.
“That decision should have been mine,” Latimore said. “I’m a little upset. I dropped him in the first round. I should have had that (114-113) edge.”
Spinks comes from a famous fighting and added one more belt to its proud history. He was born five days after his father Leon Spinks upset Muhammad Ali on Feb. 15, 1978. The young Spinks’ uncle, Michael, won the heavyweight crown seven years later.
Latimore, who still calls St. Louis home, grew up watching Cory Spinks fight.
“He was my idol,” Latimore said, “but this is all business.”
Fight promoter Don King is hoping the victory can push Spinks back into the national spotlight. He even said he wanted a matchup with Floyd Mayweather Jr., although the former pound-for-pound king has not officially announced he’s coming out of retirement.
“I’m back and I’m ready for anybody,” Spinks said.
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