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The Savvis Center in St. Louis, MO was the site of former undisputed welterweight champion Cory Spinks’ triumphant return to form as he annexed Roman Karmazin’s IBF Light Middleweight crown on Saturday night during a close and hard fought bout. Below is a detailed blow by blow reading of this important contest, only on www.saddoboxing.com
Round One
After another overly long entrance from Corey Spinks, this highly anticipated rebound fight for both fighters starts with both meeting in the center of the ring. Spinks immediately goes to the body with the jab and Karmazin returns fire with a left hook, he misses. Spinks is jabbing and circling the center of the ring. Spinks is feinting a lot with the jab and Karmazin is biting every time. Spinks already looks considerably faster then the awkward Russian. Karmazin’s stance is very wide and it is allowing for Spinks to keep circling and jabbing. Spinks isn’t’ really following up on his jab and is only throwing the left ha! nd when he shoots inside, otherwise its all jabs. Its been almost all jabs this fight so far, with Spinks looking very sharp and very fast. The round comes to the close with Spinks, as was the case the entire round, circling and landing the jab.
Round Two
After a very good round for Spinks, he comes out jabbing and circling more. Spinks shoots about thirty seconds into the round and Karmazin nails him with a straight right hand that sends Spinks off balance, almost down. Spinks clinches and gets back to his formula of jabbing and circling. Spinks is scoring points on the outside, and Karmazin’s only chance looks to be when Spinks shoots inside with the left hand or when Spinks becomes flat footed. Karmazin isn’t working the body much at all, instead trying to connect with his own jab and it isn’t paying any dividends thus far. Spinks hit! s Karmazin with a straight left hand with about thirty seconds left in the round. Spinks is looking sharper and more accurate then ever this fight.
Round Three
At the start of round three, both fighters meet in he center of the ring and Spinks continues to jab. Spinks has been very engaging the last round and a half, not jabbing and circling as much as he did in round 1, instead choosing to feint the jab and try to connect with the straight right. Karmazin looks very uncomfortable at this point, not yet having been able to find a home for his straight right hand on Spinks chin. He isn’t throwing to the body either, and Spinks is having a field day with his straight left. With about twenty seconds left in the round Spinks lands a 1, 2 combination on the chin of Karmazin. Karmazin seems to be very frustrated right now.
Round Four
Spinks still hasn’t found an identity in e first three rounds, sometimes choosing to go to work jabbing and circling and firing with the lead straight right at other times. Spinks starts out this round jabbing and circling. Karamzin has no answer for the jab of Spinks, and his punch output is considerably less then it has been in previous fights. Spinks connects with a big 1, 2 combo with about a minute into the round that draws a roar from the St. Louis crowd. Spinks is slipping each and every one of Karmazin’s punches and ends the round pinning Karmazin on the ropes and landing a straight right hand. Very impressive.
Round Five
Spinks is putting on a boxing masterpiece. Karmazin is completely unable to answer Spinks punches. Spinks is just to fast for Karmazin at this point, and is getting off two punches before Karmazin can get off one. Spinks is fluctuating in the way he wants to fight a lot. Sometimes he gets flatfooted and comes lunging inside with the straight right hand and other times he jabs and circles. Karmazin lands his first big punch of the round with thirty seconds left, a straight right as Spinks is coming in. Spinks recovers and jabs and circles some more. The round closes with a straight left from Spinks at the bell.
Round Six
After a dominating first half of the fight, lets see if Spinks can continue. Karmazin is very awkward and holds his hands very low which is allowing Spinks to land his punches at will, and Karmazin is to slow to counter Spinks punches. He is also stalking Spinks around the ring. He looks like a very desperate fighter at this point, and his counterpunching style is not working at this point. Spinks jab has been totally neutralizing thus far, but Karmazin is having a fair bit of success throwing a lead left hook of his own but it is landing with nowhere near the frequency of Spinks punches. The round closes with the two in a clinch. Karmazin has some success that round.
Round Seven
After being pushed back virtually all of round six, round seven starts with Spinks going on the offensive, jabbing and circling in the middle of the ring. Jabbing and circling, jabbing and circling, that’s all Spinks is doing and Karmazin just isn’t throwing punches anymore. Halfway through the round, Karmazin just isn’t throwing. Spinks pace has slowed also, and Karmazin is finally capitalizing on it, landing his first big sequence of the round halfway through, a counter left hook to the ribs and a straight right upstairs. Karmazin is turning the volume up now but he just isn’t landing as much, or as cleanly as Spinks. This is the second close round in a row. Neither fighter did to much that round.
Round Eight
As has been the case in virtually every round previous to this one, Spinks starts at jabbing and circling to the right. Karmazin is stalking Spinks, and he is trying to time Spinks when he lunges inside, but Karmazin really isn’t as aggressive as he should probably be. He is allowing himself to be kept on the outside with the jab of Spinks, and has rarely beaten Spinks to the punch. Spinks is having so much success this round, jabbing and circling then occasionally coming inside quickly and moving out. Karmazin hasn’t landed a punch all round, and the round closes with him catching air on an attempted three punch combo. Spinks is too fast.
Round Nine
This is one of the more stellar comeback performances in a while on Spinks par, he is having his way with Karmazin, getting him to chase Spinks jab all around the ring. Karmazin is finally beginning to throw lead punches, and forces Spinks on the ropes and lands a straight right hand. Karmazin is cut above the right eye. Karmazin isn’t landing too much, but he still throwing lots of punches and has done a nice job in keeping Spinks from continually jabbing and circling. Spinks is slipping a lot of these punches though, and lands a very nice straight left hand with about ten seconds left. A very good case could be made that that was Karmazin’s round and things are getting closer.
Round Ten
Karmazin is picking up steam and Spinks looks to be slowing down. Karmazin is finally putting the pressure on Spinks and is making Spinks slip Karmazin’s punches rather then just firing at will with no return. Karmazin is finally beginning to work the body and it seems to be taking its toll on Spinks. Spinks punches have slowed significantly and so has his punch output. Spinks is getting dominated this round and looks to be hurt, he is grabbing every chance he gets. Karmazin lands a very big overhand right on Spinks and hurts him. Spinks slips the ensuing onslaught and survives the round.
Round Eleven
This fight has turned into the tale of two halves, as Karmazin has seemed to have gotten the better of the last six rounds. Spinks is looking very tired, and is circling to his left not his right. He has become target practice for Karmazin’s straight right hand. It is now Karmazin moving in and Spinks trying to time him. Karmazin has all the momentum but Spinks is answering punch for punch but, in a total opposite of the earlier rounds, Karmazin is landing with high percentage. The St. Louis crowds is stunned once again and Karmazin is controlling this fight. Spinks is just out of gas at this point. The bell tolls and Spinks survives to round twelve with his hands at his side.
Round Twelve
After a very good eleven rounds, the fight may hang in the balance with round twelve. Spinks tries to get back to the formula of circling and jabbing but he isnt as fast as he once was and isn’t connecting as much. However, Karmazin isnt throwing so much in this twelfth round as Spinks has been very slippery thus far. Spinks is doing a beautiful job of just surviving, occasionally jabbing and making Karmazin miss. Karmazin lands his first big punch of the round two minutes in, a straight right with Spinks on the ropes. The fight is stopped for a mouthpiece break and Spinks comes back out jabbing and circling. Karmazin isnt having any success thus far but he is the aggressor. With ten seconds left he catches Spinks with a left hook but misses over the top with the right hand. Very close fight that will go to the judges.
Spinks wins the fight by majority decision on the official scorecards 115-113 (twice) and 114-114 to capture the IBF Light Middleweight title.
