SPINKS DECKED LATE BUT TOO SLICK FOR JUDAH

Cory Spinks, looking like an easy winner almost unchecked, was suddenly in jeopardy by trading knockdowns with Zab Judah in the last two rounds before hanging tough to retain his undisputed world welterweight crown on a unanimous 12-round decision Saturday at Mandalay Bay‘s Events Center in Las Vegas.

It became HBO’s showpiece of the night that had an estimated 7,000 spectators screaming with applause when the decision was in doubt between two southpaw champions.

Spinks, 147, the slickster son of former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks out of St. Louis, Mo., appeared on cruise control when he dropped Judah,146, the WBO junior welterweight king from Brooklyn, N.Y., in a neutral corner with a short left hook.

Spinks, defending his WBC/ WBA/ IBF welter laurels, didn’t press the advantage but scored with a solid right hand at the bell after referee Joe Cortez had warned Judah for punching in the back of the head.

Judah, noted for his hand and foot speed, was unusually cautious, and trailed from the beginning on all judges” score cards. Coming out for round 12, the 26- year-old New Yorker was back in the fight but clearly needed a stoppage to take Spinks’ belts despite being an 8-5 favorite with Nevada’s legal bookmakers.

These talented adversaries were on their toes and moving coming out for the final round. Spinks was pressing with several combinations and Judah still missing when he needed accuracy.

Kevin Cunningham, Spinks’ trainer/ manager, reminded his fighter “don’t get careless” in the final three minutes and he obeyed, apparently with the round won and 25 seconds left.

Judah caught Spinks with his best left hand of the night, dropping the triple champion in a neutral corner. Cortez gave Spinks a standing eight-count, then the latter moved to the other side of the ring. The slow-reacting Judah seemed to be catering to the crowd but did shake Spinks with a right. It was too late with too little.

Judah was making his first start as a true welterweight and Spinks gave him a boxing lesson in what it was like to face a champion who has never stepped out of his natural class.

There have been some title fights when the crowd is fickle when the winner has been announced, but nary a protest on this night when announcer Mike Buffer declared Spinks was still the undisputed champion with Las Vegas judges Chuck Giampa and Dave Moretti both voting 114-112 while Doug Tucker saw it 116-111. This ringside correspondent had it 115-112, Spinks.

Spinks was making his first defense of the full 147-pound championship, which he won last Dec.13 when he upset Nicaragua’s Ricardo Mayorga on a 12-round decision in Atlantic City. He originally won the IBF laurels last Mar.22 when he decisioned Michele Piccirillo in Campione D’Italia, Italy.

Judah was making his first Las Vegas appearance since Nov.3, 2001 when he challenged Kostya Tszyu, the 140-pound undisputed ruler, at the MGM Grand Garden where the latter scored a second-round TKO. Judan nearly touched off a riot over the way referee Jay Nady stopped the bout and was later fined $75,000 and suspended six-months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Judah apologized to all concerned on that bizarre night and proved he had matured, coming back to win the WBO junior welterweight title from Demarcus Corley on a split decision despite breaking his right hand July 13,2003 at the MGM Grand Arena. He defended it Dec.13, chilling Jaime Rangel in one round at Atlantic City.

There was no question about the winner, but both Spinks and Judah were having trouble with their accuracy as disclosed by CompuBox’s punching stats.

In total punches thrown, Spinks was on target with134 of 746 for 18 percent while Judah’s 26 percent came from landing 146 of 467 shots. In the jab category, Spinks was true with 60 of 471 for 13 percent, Judah had 19 percent with 74 of 398 jabs on the mark. Power punches offered found 27 percent for Spinks, landing 74 of 275 shots and Judah wound up with 42 percent, accurate on 71 of 169 thrown.

It was a pleasure not to hear excess trash-talking by either champion. Spinks and Judah went in showing mutual respect for each other and departed
with even a higher regard.

Spinks, earning $800,000, lifted his credentials to 33-210 KOs while Judah, on short money at $100,000, saw his resume dip to 40-2, 1 NC, 22 KOs.

In media quotes before they left the ring, neither Spinks or Judah were shouldering serious complaints.

“In the 12th round, I got a little relaxed and a little too careless. Zab got me with a good shot. Of course, I’m a boxer and when I knocked him down in the 11th round, I thought I had the fight won. Zab’s a great fighter. I felt I boxed beautifully but I give Judah credit. I told you I could get mean in there and I was just a better fighter tonight. I feel I have to train harder to improve and become a better fighter. I know I have a lot to learn yet. Remember, this man is a great fighter and I beat a super fighter. If I don’t get credit now, I don’t know what I have to do,” the undisputed champion reflected.

“There was nothing Spinks did that surprised me. I probably could have done more, especially in the early rounds. However, I still thought that I did enough. I was not hurt at all in the 11th round, so I felt that was a BS knockdown.I definitely should have kept after Spinks after I knocked him down in the12th round. I let Cory off the hook, but I have no complaints. I feel I fought okay. It was a great fight and with God’s will, I hope we can do it again,” Judah opined.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas amd a regular contributor to Ringsports.Com as well as other popular sports magazines.)