Cory Spinks | |
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Statistics | |
Real name | Corey A. Calvin |
Nickname(s) | The Next Generation |
Rated at | Middleweight Light middleweight Welterweight |
Height | 5 feet 9.5 inches (1.765 m) |
Reach | 71 in (180 cm) |
Nationality | American |
Born | 20 February 1978 St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
Stance | Southpaw |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 43 |
Wins | 37 |
Wins by KO | 11 |
Losses | 6 |
Draws | 0 |
No contests | 0 |
Corey Spinks (born Corey Calvin, February 20, 1978 in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.) is a professional boxer. He is a former IBF Light middleweight champion, and a former Undisputed Welterweight Champion.
Spinks is the son of former heavyweight champion of the world Leon Spinks and the nephew of former light heavyweight and heavyweight world champion Michael Spinks. Cory was born five days after his dad defeated Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight world title in 1978. He is one of three boxing brothers: older brother Leon Calvin was a top St. Louis amateur and 2-0 as a pro when he was murdered in 1990, older brother Darrell Spinks is a retired pro.
He's a southpaw with good skills, handspeed, and mobility. He's known for keeping a busy pace, keeping his opponents off-balance, and outworking them. Spinks also has a good amateur background. He won in first major title in March 2003, when he defeated Michele Piccirillo by unanimous decision for the WBC Welterweight Championship.
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Spinks started boxing at the age of 7 for the North Side Bombers boxing team in St. Louis, Missouri. Charles Hamm (the owner and coach for the team) introduced him and his two older brothers to the sport. Hamm trained Cory well into his professional career. His current trainer and former St. Louis policeman Kevin Cunningham, opened a boxing gym in the basement of an old police building, where Hamm took them to train until his retirement. Cunningham was also a former boxer in the Army.
Spinks won the National Police Athletic League (PAL) Jr. championships in 1993. He was hospitalized when he was 17 years old suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper torso. He recovered from his injuries, becoming the 1997 National Golden Gloves champion at 147 pounds, and the 1997 National PAL champion at 147 pounds. In the National PAL finals, Spinks won a 4-1 decision against Dante Craig, who went on to make the 2000 US Olympic team.
Spinks reportedly had 91 amateur bouts (78-13). He fought against Ken.
Spinks rose to boxing stardom by unifying the WBC, WBA, IBF, and Ring Magazine welterweight titles on December 13, 2003, when he defeated Ricardo Mayorga by majority decision. Spinks was a 5 to 1 underdog going into the fight with Mayorga. The judges scored the fight 114-112, 117-109, 114-114, favoring Spinks.
Spink' first Welterweight title defense came on April 10, 2004, against former world champion Zab Judah. Spinks controlled the action over the first four rounds. In the later rounds, however, Judah's quick left hands began to find their target. Both men hit the deck late, but all three scorecards favored Spinks, as the champion won with scores of 116-111, 114-112, 114-112.
Spink's second Welterweight defence came when the two fighters met in a February 2005 rematch. The second fight was the first major bout in St. Louis in more than 40 years, and it was a 22,000+ sellout at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Spinks received star treatment during introductions, with rapper Nelly accompanying him into the ring and leading the crowd in a singalong.
Midway through round 9, Judah landed a huge left that hurt Spinks, with a follow-up putting him on the canvas. Spinks rose, but Judah rushed in with a series of hard punches that left Spinks defenseless on the ropes. Judah tried to get the official to step in, but the bout continued until another right-left sent Spinks sprawling into the ropes, where the official finally halted the bout with 11 seconds left, transferring the undisputed Welterweight Championship to Judah.
On July 8, 2006, Spinks earned his fifth world title, the IBF Junior Middleweight Championship (also called Super Welterweight by some sanctioning bodies), in a fight with reigning champion Roman Karmazin at the Savvis Center. Despite having some rough moments in the bout, Spinks beat Karmazin by majority decision with final scorecards of 114-114, 115-113, and 115-113.
On May 19, 2007, Spinks moved up one weight class to Middleweight with a challenge against World Middleweight Champion Jermain Taylor at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Taylor held on to the title, defeating Spinks in a split decision.[1]
On March 27, 2008, in a fight with Verno Phillips at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Spinks lost the IBF Junior Middleweight Championship in a split decision.
On April 24, 2009, Spinks reclaimed the vacant IBF Junior Middleweight Championship in a close split-decision victory over fellow St. Louis native Deandre Latimore. Spinks fought back after suffering a 1st round knockdown to win by the scores of 115-112 Spinks, 115-112 Latimore and 114-113 Spinks. The fight was held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
On August 7, 2010, after a five month delay due to scheduling conflicts,[2] Spinks lost the IBF Junior Middleweight Championship in a fight with mandatory challenger Cornelius Bundrage at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The fight was decided by a technical knockout in the fifth round.[3]
38 Wins (11 Knockouts), 6 Defeats, 0 Draws[4] | |||||||
Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Rd., Time | Date | Location | Notes |
N/A | Sechew Powell | - | ? (12) | 2012-01-28 | Shrine Mosque, Springfield, Missouri, United States | IBF Light Middleweight Final Eliminator. | |
Win | 38–6 | Shakir Ashanti | UD | 10 | 2011-06-25 | Family Arena, Saint Charles, Missouri | |
Loss | 37–6 | Cornelius Bundrage | TKO | 5 (12), 1:28 | 2010-08-07 | Scottrade Center, Saint Louis, Missouri | Lost IBF World Light Middleweight title |
Win | 37–5 | Deandre Latimore | SD | 12 | 2009-04-24 | Scottrade Center, Saint Louis, Missouri | Won vacant IBF World Light Middleweight title |
Loss | 36–5 | Verno Phillips | SD | 12 | 2008-03-27 | Scottrade Center, Saint Louis, Missouri | Lost IBF World Light Middleweight title |
Loss | 36–4 | Jermain Taylor | SD | 12 | 2007-05-19 | FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee | For WBC & WBO World Middleweight titles |
Win | 36–3 | Rodney Jones | UD | 12 | 2007-02-03 | Silver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee, Florida | Retained IBF World Light Middleweight title |
Win | 35–3 | Roman Karmazin | MD | 12 | 2006-07-08 | Savvis Center, Saint Louis, Missouri | Won IBF World Light Middleweight title |
Loss | 34–3 | Zab Judah | TKO | 9 (12), 2:49 | 2005-02-05 | Savvis Center, Saint Louis, Missouri | Lost The Ring, WBC, WBA Super & IBF World Welterweight titles |
Win | 34–2 | Miguel Ángel González | UD | 12 | 2004-09-04 | Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada | Retained The Ring, WBC, WBA Super & IBF World Welterweight titles |
Win | 33–2 | Zab Judah | UD | 12 | 2004-04-10 | Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada | Retained The Ring, WBC, WBA Super & IBF World Welterweight titles |
Win | 32–2 | Ricardo Mayorga | MD | 12 | 2003-12-13 | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey | Retained IBF and Won The Ring, WBC & WBA Super World Welterweight titles |
Win | 31–2 | Michele Piccirillo | UD | 12 | 2003-03-22 | Casino di Campione, Campione d'Italia, Lombardia | Won IBF World Welterweight title |
Win | 30–2 | Rafael Pineda | TD | 7 (12), 3:00 | 2002-08-23 | Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, Florida | Won vacant WBA Fedelatin Welterweight title |
Loss | 29–2 | Michele Piccirillo | UD | 12 | 2002-04-13 | Casino di Campione, Campione d'Italia, Lombardia | For vacant IBF World Welterweight title |
Spinks and his wife Christy have a daughter together named Chloe Leona Spinks, named after her grandfather and former heavyweight champion of the world Leon Spinks.
Spinks and his ex-wife Kimberly King have one daughter, Brianna Calvin. King was charged with domestic assault in the first degree and armed criminal action, in 2005, for stabbing Spinks, then her husband, in the shoulder and abdomen during a domestic dispute. Spinks was taken to Christian North East hospital (St Louis, MO) and later released with what his trainer described as "minor" wounds. Spinks's brothers Darrel and Steve are also fighters, and his eldest brother Leon Jr., was also a fighter before his death.
Preceded by Michele Piccirillo |
IBF Welterweight Champion March 2, 2003 – February 5, 2005 |
Succeeded by Zab Judah |
Preceded by Ricardo Mayorga |
WBC Welterweight Champion WBA Welterweight Super Champion The Ring Welterweight Champion December 13, 2003 – February 5, 2005 |
|
Vacant
Title last held by
Lloyd Honeyghan |
Undisputed Welterweight Champion December 13, 2003 – February 5, 2005 |
|
Preceded by Roman Karmazin |
IBF Junior Middleweight Champion July 8, 2006 – March 27, 2008 |
Succeeded by Verno Phillips |
Vacant
Title last held by
Verno Phillips |
IBF Junior Middleweight Champion April 24, 2009 – August 7, 2010 |
Succeeded by Cornelius Bundrage |