US hometown rivals Cory Spinks and Deandre Latimore meet here Friday in a showdown of St. Louis southpaws for the vacant International Boxing Federation junior middleweight title.
Spinks, 36-5 with 11 knockouts, comes off two losses, dropping split decisions to fellow Americans Jermain Taylor in a 2007 middleweight title bout and Verno Phillips in 2008 for the title he vacated that is on offer Friday.
Spinks, a four-time world champion, is 31 and trying to reclaim the title he surrendered to face Taylor.
"I?m going to take Deandre to school," Spinks said. "I will teach him the skills he will need to perform at the world championship level. I respect Deandre and what he has done but he?s just not ready for me yet."
Latimore is 19-1 with 16 knockouts. The 23-year-old earned his first world title shot by winning his past eight fights since a third-round knockout loss to Ian Gardner in 2007.
"Cory Spinks was my idol growing up, but it?s time for me to step up and for him to step aside," Latimore said.
Copyright 2009  AFP American Edition
