By Jake Donovan
Two-time junior middleweight titlist and former lineal welterweight king Cory Spinks was arrested early Saturday morning in Vero Beach, Florida. He was charged with misdemeanor DUI and leaving the scene of the accident.
Details are sketchy as to what exactly took place, or even if Spinks is guilty of either incident.
According to the online report from Indian River County Sheriff's Office, Spinks was arrested on Saturday, April 10 at 3:28AM local time.
Bail was posted for each charge, with two separate bonds placed for $500 each, allowing Spinks to be released from the sheriff’s office approximately 8 ½ hours later.
The incident comes on the heels of what has been a frustrating stretch for Spinks. The second generation prize fighter has been inactive since last April and has twice seen his mandatory title defense against Cornelius “K9” Bundrage postponed, with no rescheduled date yet set.
Born and raised in St. Louis, Spinks (37-5, 11KO) recently set up training camp in Vero Beach after hooking up with former two-division champ and 2002 Trainer of the Year James “Buddy” McGirt earlier this year.
Spinks’ last ring appearance came a year ago, scoring a well-deserved decision over Deandre Latimore in St. Louis to begin his second tour as junior middleweight titlist.
The win allowed him to regain the same alphabet belt he lost a year prior in the very same Scottrade Arena, dropping a controversial split decision to Verno Phillips.
Prior to his move to junior middleweight, Spinks’ association with boxing history came in the welterweight division. His rematch win over Michel Piccirillo in March 2003 earned Spinks an alphabet title at welterweight.
Greater fame was earned after outboxing Ricardo Mayorga later that year to earn the lineal welterweight championship, allowing him to join his father, Leon Spinks as one of the few father-son acts to both capture lineal championships.
Leon won the true heavyweight championship in just his eighth pro fight, scoring an upset win over Muhammad Ali, though giving up the crown seven months later.
The arrest over the weekend isn’t Spinks’ first brush with the law.
He was popped for outstanding traffic warrants in September 2008, though the sequence ultimately cleared him of a more serious charge, when he was wrongly accused of a being involved in a separate altercation with a woman.
Upon his being released on Saturday afternoon, Spinks was issued a returning court date of May 11 at Indian River County Courthouse in Vero Beach.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at
JakeNDaBox@gmail.com
