IBF champ breaks down potential match-up with fantastic five

Current IBF champion Cory "The Next Generation" Spinks, perhaps the most underappreciated boxer in the game, is a frustrated man. After he became the IBF welterweight champion by besting Michele Piccirillo in Italy, Spinks suprised many, including myself, by unifying the welterweight titles against Ricardo Mayorga. Spinks followed his history making win over Mayorga by successfully defending the undisputed championship against Zab Judah and Miguel Angel Gonzales. This incredible run, which began in March 2003 came to a screeching halt in Cory's backyard when Zab Judah evened the score via knock out in front of 22,000 fans at St. Louis's Savvis Center. Eighteen months later Spinks returned to the Savvis Center to defeat Roman Karmazin, who was universally recognized as the best junior middleweight in the world following his one-sided victory over Kassim Ouma. "Floyd (Mayweather), Shane Mosley, Oscar, whoever, you know I fight there best." That's what Spinks told Boxingtalk during our post-fight interview in his dressing room moments after he became a two-division champion. His recent challenge to Puerto Rican legend Felix Trinidad has been well documented on Boxingtalk and over the weekend Spinks took some time to share his thoughts on the five fights he'd like to provide boxing fans with the most. Read on to see what the junior middleweight champion of the world had to say.

 

1. Oscar De La Hoya: "He's is too busy holding HBO hostage for dates as a promoter so I don't think he wants to fight anybody."

2. Shane Mosley: "He doesn't want to fight a highly skilled fighter like me, he's looking for another washed up opponent with a name."

3. Floyd Mayweather Jr: "He claims to be the best fighter ever and continues to disrespect the all time great fighters of our sport like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson and Ray Robinson. But those guys fought the best and biggest names of their era, this chump says that he will beat anybody from 154 on down. He chooses to fight Zab after Zab lost to Baldomir because he says he thought Zab won the fight and is the better fighter. I agreed with that because I thought Zab won the fight and should have gotten the decision in New York. But if Floyd thought Baldomir is such a great fighter and he only wants to make superfights why didn't he fight Baldomir instead of Zab? Because he felt that Mayweather-Judah was the bigger fight. Baldomir goes and wins the toughman championship against Gatti, a guy that Floyd beat with one arm tied behind his back. Are you telling me that Baldomir is the biggest fight that the so called best fighter ever could have made? And why? What for? Just because he beat another journeyman. Great fighters don't pick unskilled journeymen with 10 losses and six draws and claim that they only want the best fights. I signed the contract that Floyd's people sent me under his terms just to make sure that Spinks-Mayweather happened. The IBF approved the fight, so why did the so called best fighter ever tuck his tail between his legs, run away and make the Baldomir fight? This is why Floyd gets no love in the hood because real recognizes fake."

4. Felix Trinidad: "It would be an honor and a dream come true to get the opportunity to fight the best Puerto Rican fighter of all times. If he comes back, I would go to 160 to make the fight with no problem and it's like I said we could fight at the Garden, his backyard it dont' matter to me."

5. Vernon Forrest: "He can get it if he wants it...THE S.T.L vs. THE A.T.L And I'm looking forward to seeing which one of  these cats has the heart to get in there with me."

Needless to say Spinks was thrilled with the St. Louis Cardnials triumph over Detroit in the world series. "It's been a long time coming for them so I'm real, real, glad they won it. Now I'm not the only world champion in St. Louis but I don't mind at all.

"I want everyone to know that if that chump from Michigan ever grew the balls to fight me the result in our fight would be the same as the world series...what does Floyd try to call it? EASY WORK!"

M

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