‘Gateway to Greatness’: A World Championship Tripleheader
With Addition of Cory Spinks vs. Cornelius Bundrage
Don King’s Star-Studded Boxing Event Now
Includes a Third Title Fight
With the Inclusion of IBF Junior Middleweight Championship;
WBC USNBC Championship Features a Battle of the Undefeated
With St. Louis Cruiserweight Ryan Coyne Taking on Sharp-Shooting Warren
Browning
ST. LOUIS—Don King has promoted many of the
biggest main events and best undercards in boxing history, and he’s
still building great shows as evidenced by the fact he has added another
world championship to his “Gateway to Greatness” on Aug. 7 in St. Louis,
which is now a world championship tripleheader.
King had said he would move the IBF junior
middleweight championship featuring titleholder Cory Spinks against IBF
mandatory challenger Cornelius “K9” Bundrage—originally scheduled for
June 12— to Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Aug. 7. He made it official
today by adding the 12-round match to his existing twinbill that
showcases two undefeated world champions. WBC and IBF 140-pound champion
Devon Alexander “The Great” (20-0, 13 KOs) will defend against former
WBA junior welterweight champion Andriy Kotelnik (31-3-1, 13 KOs), and
IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris “Thunder” Cloud (20-0, 18 KOs)
will face the former holder of that belt, Glen Johnson (50-13-2, 34
KOs).
“Many sportswriters have been lamenting
that other promoters do not present top-to-bottom stellar cards like I
have always done, and they are exactly right,” King said. “I have even
read where other promoters are now saying they are attempting to build
cards like I do. Well, St. Louis, I want you to know that I’ve already
put three world championships on my upcoming Scottrade Center card, and
I’m not done yet!”
Tickets priced at $17.50, $35, $70, $150
and $300 are on sale at Scottrade Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster
Ticket Centers, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, or online at
ticketmaster.com. A per ticket facility fee will be added to all tickets
purchased at all locations, including at the Scottrade Center Box
Office. Additional Ticketmaster service charges and handling fees apply.
For disabled seating, call 314-622-5420. The event is promoted by Don
King Productions. Doors to the event open at 5:30 p.m.
Spinks (37-5, 11 KOs), 32, is a five-time
world champion who hails from the legendary fighting family of St. Louis
that includes his father, Leon, and uncle, Michael—both former world
heavyweight champions.
Cory will be fighting for the first time
under new coach James “Buddy” McGirt, a former welterweight world
champion before he became one of the top trainers in the sport.
Bundrage (29-4, 17 KOs), from Detroit, is
also trained by a legend, Boxing Hall of Fame member Emanuel Steward
from the Motor City’s famed Kronk Gym. Steward is also known for his
television work as a boxing analyst for HBO.
In his last appearance, Spinks gave a
gritty, crowd-pleasing performance when he took on rising young
cross-town rival Deandre “The Bull” Latimore. The vacant IBF 154-pound
crown was on the line when the southpaws met on April 24, 2009, at
Scottrade Center.
Latimore lived up to his nickname as he
charged his former idol from the opening bell, winging power shots.
Midway through the opening stanza, Latimore landed a heavy straight left
hand that sent Spinks to the canvas. To his credit, the veteran rose to
his feet and regained his composure.
By round eight the tide had turned in
Spinks’ favor as the power-punching Latimore began to fade. Still,
Spinks had to make a dramatic rally and sweep the three judges’
scorecards in the 12th and final round. He did just that to earn a
split-decision win.
Spinks captured his first world title by
defeating Michele Piccirillo in 2003 to take the IBF welterweight
championship. He added the WBC and WBA 147-pound titles by defeating
Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga later that year.
After successfully defending his crowns in
2004 with a unanimous decision win over Zab “Super” Judah in a
back-and-forth affair that saw both fighters hitting the mat, Spinks
agreed to a rematch the following year. It was held in front of sellout
crowd of 22,370 at Savvis Center (precursor to Scottrade Center), which
was the second-largest attendance in boxing history for a match at an
indoor arena. Judah scored a technical knockout in round nine to spoil
Spinks’ homecoming.
After moving up to the 154-pound weight
division in 2006, Spinks became a world champion again by defeating
Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin.
He took a one-time gamble the following
year at 160 pounds by challenging then-WBC and -WBO middleweight
champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor in Memphis.
Taylor had trouble exerting his will over
Spinks, who proved he could compete at the higher weight by darting in
and out of range while successfully landing punches during exchanges.
Ringside experts and judges also had difficulty agreeing on a winner
after the fight went the full 12 rounds. In a rarity, one judge favored
Spinks by the wide margin of 117-111, while another judge favored Taylor
by the same score. The third judge favored Taylor 115-113 to break the
deadlock.
Spinks lost the IBF junior middleweight
title he still held by dropping a split decision to Verno Phillips in
2008. Phillips subsequently vacated the title, which paved the way for
Spinks to step in and regain his belt against Latimore last year.
The talented and determined Bundrage’s
biggest triumph came in 2008 on a unanimous 10-round decision over
former world champion Kassim Ouma. A victory over Spinks would be a
career highlight for the top IBF junior middleweight challenger, earning
Bundrage his first-ever world championship at age 37.
Another proud St. Louisan, undefeated
cruiserweight contender Ryan “The Irish Outlaw” Coyne (14-0, 4 KOs),
will face fellow unbeaten Warren “The Hit Man” Browning (12-0-1, 8 KOs),
from London, Ky., for the vacant WBC USNBC cruiserweight crown.
A collegiate football player at University
of Missouri in 2001 to 2002, Coyne has made steady progress and
maintained an unblemished record since turning professional in 2006. He
fought into the semi-finals during the fourth season of The Contender,
televised on Versus, before suffering an accidental headbutt that forced
him to leave the competition.
He is expected to face the toughest test of
his young career against the sharp-shooter Browning.
Coyne
trains out of the Sweat Pound 4 Pound Gym in Clayton, Mo., under the
tutelage of trainer Jose Ponce. He recently added strength and
conditioning expert Matt Brown, which has increased his power.
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