K9 Bundrage KOs Cory Spinks on ShoBox

It hasn't been a stellar last few years for Cory Spinks, who dropped his IBF junior middleweight crown to K9 Bundrage in their August 2010 tangle. Spinks secured a rematch and said his Crohn's disease, which had depleted him prior to the first scrap, had leveled off. Spinks came in winning two straight, against Shakir Ashanti and Sechew Powell, but it is now clear that his best days are far in the rear view mirror. He was knocked down twice in round seven, and needed to be saved by the ref, who halted the headline scrap on ShoBox at 2:32 of the seventh.

K9 holds onto the IBF junior middleweight strap with the win. He went 97-301 to Spinks' 75-247.

This was no classic, but that's K9 for you. His skills are basic, but he is strong, and in shape. He sent Spinks down in the first, and we thought it would be a short night. But Spinks has something left, if not near as much as he had.

Spinks said he was wasn't able to do what he wanted, and that the best man won. He said he will soldier on, and thinks he is better than what he showed. Bundrage after said that he told Spinks is the best fighter in St. Louis. He said he was in “too much shape for the fight,” and that he knew he would get Spinks eventually. Next for him? He said he wants Canelo on Sept. 15. “We want Canelo…Let's fight. he's a fighter, I'm a fighter, let's get it on,” adding a few barks to top it off.

Spinks (39-6 entering; from Missouri; age 34) started out the first jabbing against Bundrage (age 39; 31-4 entering; from Michigan), who came in dry. Bundrage beat Spinks for the crown, and defended against Sechew Powell last summer. He sent Spinks down, from a right, and Spink was up with 27 seconds left. He hugged and held to help clear his head. “Keep roughing him up,” trainer Manny Steward told K9 after the round. The right was not a subtle one, making one wonder if Spinks' reflexes were all there.

In the second, the ref kept working hard, breaking clinches, yelling “work” and “stop” and “step back” time and again. In round three, poor Ray Corona was less busy as Spinks was working harder to keep his hands free. His jab to the body had some pep on it but K9 pumped a jab as well and that caused some eye swelling. Steward told his man his jab won him the round, and that Spinks' legs weren't strong.

In round four, an accidental butt sliced K9's eye. Spinks then ate a few off a semi-break, not good news considering he had gotten his legs back, I thought. The chippy tone of the fight continued, as they mauled each other and clinched when close. Spinks was down in the seventh, off an overhand right, and he needed to go 2:20. Down he went again, off a right again, and he got up to continue. He looked to his corner, maybe hoping for a towel. His legs were rubber, and he fell twice to the canvas. K9 belted him three times low, the poor sap. K9 cornered, clanged him clean, and the ref leapt in as he cowered.