09.04.04 – By Marc Abrams – On Saturday April 10, two fights will be held at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. These fight couldn’t be any further of a style match up as possible. The undisputed welterweight fight between the reigning and defending champ Cory Spinks and Zan Judah, looks to be a battle of a couple of slick lefty boxers. Where in the heavyweight fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Lamon Brewster, it looks to be a fight where all caution to wind should be thrown out.
Spinks, 26 years old from St.Louis, brings an outstanding record of 32-2(10), and is coming off a big upset win last December, when he won a majority decision over the incumbent champ Ricado Mayorga. In that fight, Spinks used his safety first, lightning fast defensive skills to frustrate Mayorga to the point where the hard punching Nicaraguan had two points deducted during the fight for holding and hitting after the bell. Spinks had previously won the IBF belt by winning a decision over Itallian Michele Piccirillo in March, 2003. That fight was a rematch and redemption fight of a bout that took place almost a year prior where Spinks dropped a very controversial decision against the very same Piccirillo. Ironically, his only other loss was another controversial decison that came in 1998 to Antonio Diaz. Spinks, the son of former heavyweight king and Olympic hero, Leon Spinks will be making his 1st defense of the undisputed crown and the 2nd defense of the IBF belt. He is on a 3 fight win streak and is 2-1 (0) in world title fights.
The 26 year old Judah is making his maiden voyage into the welterweight division, but is no stranger to big fights. He brings a record of 30-1(22). In just his 17th fight, the Brooklyn resident won a very easy decision over the tough Micky Ward. Three fights later, came a 4th round KO over Wilfredo Negron to win the IBF interim belt. After a couple of tuneup fights, Judah captured the same IBF belt with yet another 4th round KO. This time it was over Jan Bergman. Judah made five defenses of the belt, including wins over Junior Witter(UD), Terron Millett (TKO 4), and Reggie Green (TKO 10). Then in November, 2001, the fight that changed Judah’s career, was the only blemish on his otherwise perfect record. The fight for the undisputed 140 pound title against the great Kostya Tszyu. After a great 1st round, Judah was tagged with a viscous head shot, which sent him down to the canvas. Judah was on unsteady legs when referee Jay Nady called a halt to the action, much to the dismay of Judah. So much dismay, that Judah lost his cool and threw the corner stool across the ring and shoved his glove in the Nady’s face. The Las Vegas state athletic commission fined Judah $75, 000 and suspended him for 6 months. Since then, Judah’s racked of three straight victories, including winning the WBO belt from DeMarcus Corley in July, 2003 (SD) and defending it one time last December against Jaime Rangel (KO 1). Judah still feels that referee Jay Nady stopped his fight with Tsyzu prematurely, and is hoping a big victory over Spinks will propel him into a fight with Tsyzu. However, a win over Spinks, no matter how impressive, won’t be enough for Judah to lure Tsyzu into wasting time with a rematch with the weak-chinned Judah, I believe. In world title fights, Judah is 9-1(7).
This fight has a chance to be a real snoozer due to Spinks very cautious approach. I think that he must take chances in order to win. Judah can match his speed and brings much more of a punch. This has a chance to be much like the Corley fight, where two southpaws with speed and boxing ability, were trying to figure each other out without taking too many chances. In as much as Judah is a bigger puncher and may be able to land some quick hard shots, I give him the slight advantage of winning a very boring, yet close decision.
Klitschko was once dubbed “The next great heavyweight” by much of the boxing media. However, that was until he ran into Corrie Sanders about a year ago. The brother of WBC challanger Vitaly Klitscho, Wladimir, is from Germany by way of Kazakhstan. He brings a record of 42-2(39) and has brought on famed trainer, Emanuel Steward for the first time in this bout. Klitschko won his first 24 fights (23 in Germany), before heading to the Ukraine, and losing to journeyman, Ross Purity. Wladimir failed to pace himself in that bout, and was knocked out in the 11th round. After that defeat, he came back with 10 straight wins, including an 8th round Knockout of Axel Schultz of Germany, and a 7th round TKO over Monte Barrett. (A fight in which Barrett was knocked down 5 times in 7 rounds). In October, 2000, Vladimir challenged Chris Byrd for the WBO tiltle. Vladimir, battered the hard to hit Byrd in route to winning a very easy 12 round unanimous decision. In that fight, Vladimir won almost every round, closing one of Byrd’s eyes and knocking him down twice. He defended the belt 5 times, with wins over Derrick Jefferson (TKO 2), Charles Shufford(TKO 6), Francois Botha (TKO 8), Ray Mercer (TKO 6), and Jameel McCline (TKO 10). Then, 13 months ago, Vladimir was destroyed by South African, Corrie sanders in a fight, where he was knocked down 4 times in two rounds. Questions were immediately raised about Vladimir’s heart and chin. Since then, he has had 2 easy knockouts over third-tiered heavyweights, with the most recent being last December against Dannell Nicholson (TKO 4). This will be Vladimir’s second attempt at a world title. Ironically it’s the same belt he previously (WBO), which not many people understand why Vladimir would even have an interest in this fringe belt.
Brewster, 30 years old and a resident of Los Angelas, was once a good prospect, winning his first 23 fights against very non descript opposition before losing a decision to Clifford Etienne in May of 2000. 2 fights later he dropped another decision to the afore mentioned Shufford. It wasn’t so much that Brewster lost to such low level fighters like Eitenne & Shufford, it’s the manner in which Brewster was so utterly dominated by them. They toyed with Brewster in easily winning by decisions. Since then, Brewster has racked up 5 straight knockout victories against mediocore competition. Brewster’s record, for what it’s worth, is an impressive 29-2(26). This will be his first crack at a world title and hopefully it will be his last.
This fight should be very easy to predict. Despite the Sanders debacle, Klitschko still has some wonderful skills, in my opinon. He does have a very questionable chin, but Brewster doesn’t have the size or the ability to get close enough to him to touch it. I think Klitschko will try to jump on him early, setting up power punches with his hard left jab, and I believe this won’t be an even test for Klitscho. This fight should be over by the 6th round when Vladimir connects with a big left hook.