In front of 8,874 fans on a Don King promotion at the Scottrade Ceter in St. Louis, IBF Light Middleweight Champion Cory Spinks was outworked by 38 year old three time former world champion Verno Phillips, who scored a split decision upset victory by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 113-115.

“I felt good, just a little rusty that’s all,” said Cory Spinks. “Verno fought a good fight. He came in to do a job, but I feel I did what I came to do. I am upset with myself. I let myself down.”

Verno Phillips wins his fourth world title, upsetting the predictions of many in the media. “I hit more with my left,” said Phillips. “They told me not to reach in. He is hard to adapt to. He is sneaky. You lean in, he will hit you with a one-two. I just relied on my experience. I did my best and I am still in the top 10. I had harder shots. I felt like his people were booing him because they felt he didn’t bring it.”

Light welterweight prospect Devon Alexander was also on the bill and posted a wide points decision over Panama’s Miguel Callist. “I felt great tonight but I always feel I could have done better,” said Alexander. “I was happy with the knockdown in the last round, but I would have liked to have had a knockout. St. Louis has a new champion and I am going to stay around. I want to fight for a world championship by the end of the year.”

“He was a strong man,” said Callist. “Besides strong, he was a little younger. I did my best, but he had the home crowd on his side. Yes, I think I did enough to win.”

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