By John G. Thompson — As reported on various websites including a statement released by Christy Spinks on Boxingscene.com, her husband, thirty-four year old Cory “The Next Generation” Spinks (39-8, 11 KO’s) is retiring from the sport of boxing following his loss to Carlos “King” Molina (21-5-2, 6 KO’s) this past Friday night.
Molina dominated the IBF eliminator at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, pitching a shutout on one judge’s scorecard, and losing only one round according to the other two judges. Spinks was deducted a point in the ninth round for holding. Molina knocked him down in the eleventh, and Spinks was given a standing eight count in the twelfth after the ropes seemed to keep him from going down again.
Nicknamed “The Next Generation” in honor of his lineage – son of former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks and nephew to former light heavyweight champion Michael Spinks – Cory developed with a solid amateur background, winning National Golden Gloves and PAL titles. However, years of inactivity have plagued the Saint Louis, Missouri native. Spinks had two bouts in 2012 and two in 2007, but has otherwise fought just once a year going all the way back to 2005, with no more than two bouts a year all the way back to 2001.
Spinks was TKO’d by Cornelius “K9” Bundrage in June of last year, the second time Spinks was stopped by Bundrage. Spinks has faced the likes of Zab Judah (splitting a decision win and TKO loss for the welterweight belts), Sechew Powel (UD win), Deandre Latimore (SD win), Verno Philips (SD loss), Jermain Taylor (SD loss), Ricardo Mayorga (MD win), and Roman Karmazin (MD win for the IBF light middleweight title). All together Spinks has been stopped three times, though he won titles at welterweight and junior middleweight. Among the signs of his decline on the championship level, Spinks had won just three out of his last six bouts, or five of his last ten going in to Saturday night’s bout. Also, he hadn’t scored a knockout since 2001.
Cory’s wife Christy, who was at one time a stripper at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club in St. Louis, released this statement: “Friday night, February 1, 2013 was Spinks’ last fight… No more. As a wife I knew some fights ago that my husband wasn’t himself. Any time you let K9 Bundrage beat you twice something is definitely wrong, because K9 Bundrage has absolutely no talent. My husband has given all that he could to his boxing career. As a wife I will not allow him to put himself through this again… The Spinks family has nothing to prove anymore; everybody knows our name and our history… I am happy that my husband is retiring because nothing is worth your speech and body malfunctioning. Life goes on. Love all you guys and take care.”