By Jake Donovan

Memphis, TN – It was a picture-perfect day outside in River City, but things were far from perfect at the scales for the "Border Battle" pre-fight weigh-ins. In the end, all matters were resolved as the principal players of Saturday night's live telecast (HBO, 10:15PM ET/7:15PM PT) finally made weight before heading off to the pre-fighters meeting and rules discussion.

The weigh-in was scheduled to begin at 2PM, but one thing I've learned in my four years living in Tennessee is that nothing ever starts on time down here. The Volunteer State held true to form, with a room full of reporters, cameraman and a gaggle of fans left standing around waiting for the festivities to begin.

Team Spinks was first on the scene, though without former two-division titlist Cory Spinks visible to the immediate eye. Sporting red St. Louis Cardinals baseball caps and black "Next Generation" T-Shirts, family and friends of Spinks took up nearly an entire section in the front lobby of the FedEx Forum, which served as the backdrop for the dysfunctional weigh-in.

Team Taylor arrived soon thereafter, with cameramen stampeding out of the room, and nearly over one another, to get a glimpse at Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward. Much like the Spinks' entourage, the only player missing was the key one, with undisputed middleweight king Jermain Taylor downstairs officially weighing in with the Tennessee Boxing and Racing Commissions, who registers official weights before the public weigh-in can be held.

Don King arrived on hand in support of Spinks and serving as co-promoter of the event. King was true to his post 9/11 form, with his now-famous America The Beautiful denim jacket, waving the American flag and greeting his adoring public.   The instant excitement generated by The Don had people forgetting that DiBella Entertainment was actually the lead promoter of the event, thus allowing Lou DiBella to walk in to far less attention, instead high-fiving fans and joking with reporters. In other words, Lou just being Lou, as the New York-based promoter is easily among the most approachable figures in the sport.

Entrances for Bob Arum and Leon Margolis, who represent co-feature principles Kelly Pavlik and Edison Miranda, respectively, were far less noticeable or social. Arum beat most of the crowd in, walking through the front door and straight to the back area where he looked to meet up with his fighter. Margolis was seemingly surgically attached to his mobile phone. No official word on what he was discussing, though a betting man would wager that it had to do with Miranda's week-long struggle to squeeze down to the middleweight limit for his 12-round title eliminator with Pavlik.

Such was suggested when Miranda refused to come out for the public weigh-in when scheduled, electing to sweat off 6 ounces rather than step on a public scale to see that he was over the middleweight limit.

Cory Spinks had no such problem making his weight known, perhaps more interested in staying with the program. While he stood on stage in the background, Taylor was summoned to the scale by his promoter, who yelled out to the crowd "159.8 for the indisputable undefeated middleweight champion of the world!" Far less enthusiasm was offered for Spinks' tally, coming in at 161 lb. He was given 2 hours to sweat off the extra pound, though St. Louis' finest insisted it was literally no sweat at all.

"Honestly, all I did was walk around for an hour," Spinks informed the media on hand. "It wasn't no thing. I was 162 a week ago – it was just a scale discrepancy."

Such sentiments were echoed by Don King Productions publicist Alan Hopper, who insisted that Spinks' seven-day check-in weight was tallied on the official DKP scale.

There was a whole lotta sweating going on for Miranda, as well as his team. After missing by what was reported as "a few ounces", Miranda's next attempt fell 2 ounces short. In such instances, the fighter who made weight – in this case being Pavlik, who clocked in at 159.4 – would have the option of making the overweight fighter further lose weight, or settle for a portion of the purse as a penalty. Pavlik decided he was making enough money for the fight, and told Miranda to keep working until he hit 160.

That moment came, or at least was officially announced at around 3:30 PM CST, when DiBella informed those who stayed that Miranda and Spinks both successfully made weight.

The wait for the weight is now over, and both middleweight fights can proceed as planned. Spinks will be making his middleweight debut as he challenges for Taylor's 160 lb. crown in the main event. An hour or so before they take center stage, Miranda and Pavlik throw down for the right to challenge the winner of the main event, as their bout is a sanctioned middleweight title eliminator.

Both bouts are scheduled for 12 rounds or less, and will be aired live on HBO.

Notes and quotes:

The only weights announced for the non-televised undercard were that of a welterweight fight featuring DBE star pupil Andre Berto, who came in at an absolutely shredded 146 lb. His opponent, potential spoiler Martinus Clay, deserves full credit for coming in camera-ready, with a ripped midsection accentuating his 147 lb. frame. Their welterweight bout is scheduled for ten rounds or less.

Another undefeated welterweight prospect was on hand, though not as a participant. Devon Alexander, who serves as Spinks' stable mate, was in the house in support of his close friend. Alexander is coming off of an impressive 7 th round stoppage of Scott Ball last March in his ShoBox debut. Alexander informed BoxingScene.com that he is slated to return to the ring in July, in what he hopes to be his second ShoBox appearance.  

With Spinks on the card, kinship always comes into discussion. His uncle, Michael, was the first light heavyweight champion in boxing history to capture the heavyweight crown, turning the trick in 1985 in upending then undefeated Larry Holmes. Cory's father, Leon Spinks, registered one of boxing's biggest upsets, when he upended Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight crown in 1978, just two years and eight fights into his pro career.

Leon will work in Cory's corner for tomorrow night's fight, though longtime trainer and manager Kevin Cunningham remains the chief second.

The Spinks family was not the only famous fighting family on hand. While Thomas Hearns was in the area but not in the building, his son Ronald was on hand, as he takes on Dennis Sharpe in an eight-round heavyweight bout on the non-televised undercard.

Chazz Witherspoon, nephew of two-time heavyweight titlist Tim Witherspoon, also appears in preliminary action, as he faces chinny Midwestern slugger Joe Stofle in a heavyweight scrap scheduled for eight rounds or less. The undefeated Witherspoon, college educated and Mensa qualified, was announced as the most recent member of the DiBella stable earlier this week.