It took former welter shareholder Cory Spinks  near a year to get the ring walk together - then found a better weight to do the rapping at - and last nite over Showtime Cable he claims the IBF jr. middleweight bauble via majority decision over Roman Karmazin.

This one was really more about Spinks than the defending Karmazin - the plot being whether Cory "the rapster" had recovered from the surprise knockout loss to Judah a year ago - and once this one went to the scorecards we had ourselves a slice of the rest of the story.

Spinks looked fine over the early going - quicker hands and movement while easily finding  a slow target in the Russian plodder - only question of interest was the shortage of clout in the Spinks mittens and more importantly, what would be left in the tank for the run to the wire.

Sure enough, come stanza nine and its Spinks slowed to a walk and the fumbling, bumbling, but solid chinned Karmazin finally reaching him with a couple serious right hands - and a less than spirited affair went to the judges , with Spinks the rapper in retreat collecting two 115-113 ballots and the third a 114-114 standoff.

Post Scripts: Spinks ~ technically sound but offers little in the eye-catching department - the quick hands score one and two punch combos, but not once a hint of a barrage against an accessible Karmazin. Insisted the ring walk rap fiasco had zero negative impact on stamina or otherwise. Still, the fade was all too available in a lopsided mismatch in scoring department. Now wants mega-bucks, but doubt he would draw flies at that old wall in the city of Jerusalem.       
                    Karmazin ~ my first peek at the tough Russian - them film clips appear a bit doctored in speed department - the former Soviet soldier moves as if at parade rest or maybe stationary double time. Single positive, age 33 and used as target practice, still had more during the run to the wire.

                Closing thoughts: Referee Mark Nelson took some heat over being quick in breaking clinches - and Spinks used the old yesterday pot-shot, grab technique, to great advantage - still, a confused Karmazin never once utilized the superior muscle to try breaking clutching Cory.
                                             Think Cory, still young 28 could get by some of those available among the 154 mix of yesterday names and assorted run of the mill entities.
                                             Karmazin, ESPN2-SHO-Box entity - brought up to the majors a year ago - after snatching IBF crown from Kassim Ouma he turns one-hit wonder facing Spinks - had his cup of coffee, but now it’s back to the minors.

GEL -

7-08-06