By Jack Welsh

Zab Judah, rarely short on bold predictions, made this one stick as he parlayed superior power, speed and strategy to become undisputed world welterweight champion when he TKO’d Cory Spinks in the ninth round Saturday in the latter’s home town of St. Louis.

The 27-year-old ex-two-time champion from Brooklyn, N.Y., became the ultimate spoiler in many aspects. Notably, shocking a record crowd of 22,000, who were expecting to see the son of former world heavyweight ruler Leon Spinks put Judah back on the canvas more than once like he did in winning a unanimous decision last April in Las Vegas.

This 12-round title test promoter Don King brought to this all-sports minded city was the first major championship fight for the “Show Me” state in 40 years.

It was an incredibly partisan assembly who wanted to see any serious knockdowns delivered by Spinks in his first defense at home as the complete 147 pound champion.

However, the Karma on this explosive night made knockdowns the property of Judah, who declared before breaking his training camp in Vero Beach, Fla., “it has been great down here and I know beating Spinks is going to be a much easier fight.”

Judah was so determined for a chance to win a championship, he twice took short money in the duels with Spinks. Zab has settled for $100,000 while the champion earned $800,000 in the original and $1.2 million in Saturday’s upset.

Team Spinks had to know he was behind with the ringside judges whose tabs read 79-76, 79-73, and 78-74.

Cory tried to load up starting round nine, sticking Judah with two rights and a combination but the latter didn’t blink. Judah lunged Spinks into the ropes and dropped him with a left hook. Spinks told the referee he was okay and tried to tie up the pressing Judah. The champion had no counters left and Judah finished it with a left hook and combinations to the body. Obviously hurt, Spinks stumbled out of the ropes erect but Garcia waved it over at 2:49 and wrapped his arms around the exhausted champion. Judah, lifting his resume to 33-2, 1 N.C, 24 KOs, wasn’t anxious for Garcia to stop it, but he wanted a knockout victory.

“I was much more hungry, much more determined this time then our first fight. What I feel got into Spinks’ head was that 12th round knockdown and he had to know I ran out of time that night. This is my era now. And the big difference in this fight than the first was I went to the body. That’s something I didn’t do in April and it made a big difference.”

Spinks, with his credentials dipping to 34-3,11 KOs, didn’t hide his emotions in losing before the biggest crowd in his pro career.

“I’m very disappointed because i feel I let so many of the great boxing fans in St. Louis down, but I have to hold my head up and take this like a man. It wasn’t so much what Judah did but what I didn’t do. i wasn’t connecting with my combinations like I have done in other fights. I may have Crawford Grimsley work with me about sitting down on my punches. I wish they hadn’t stopped it because I could have gone on.”

The effervescent King was delighted with Judah and Spinks in the post-fight media wrap-up.

“There’s an opportunity for all the guys out there. Anybody from Oscar De La Hoya on has a chance. Zab and Cory will probably be pressing for a third fight now that they have split two and set some indoor paid attendance records,” King reflected.

Going in with Showtime televising the action, the previous marks were 21.765 people when Mike Tyson stopped Michael Spinks (Cory’s uncle) in one round June 28, 1988 in the Atlantic City Convention Center, and 20,455 spectators when Smokin’ Joe Frazier decisioned Muhummad Ali Mar.8, 1971 in Madison Square Garden for the highest overall record.

Judah had no qualms going into Spinks’ backyard for the big challenge.

“I feel that being in St. Louis was really more of an advantage for me because of all the local fans putting all the distractions and pressure on Spinks. If we fight again, I wouldn’t want it to be in New York. I’m from Brooklyn and you can see what can happen when you come home. I ain’t stupid.”

Spinks has a different attitude, having fought nine times in St. Louis without a loss until Judah.

“No question. I want to fight Zab again wherever. This was a good fight I gave him a chance. Now I hope Judah will give me one in return,” said the ex-champ.

Spinks had to hit the road in his first bid for a title, jetting to Campione D’italia where he lost a highly-controversial 12-round decision Apr.13, 2002 to Michelle Piccirillo for the IBF crown in Campione.

The Italian Boxing Commission ordered a rematch Mar.22, 2003 back in Campione were Spinks was a going away winner in 12 rounds.

Spinks surfaced as the undisputed ruler Dec.13 in the same year when he upset WBC/WBA 147-pound king Ricardo Mayorga from Nicaragua in Atlantic City.

Judah was the IBF 140-pound boss when he challenged WBA/WBC super lightweight champion Kostya Tszyu and was TKO’d in the second round Nov.3, 2003 in Las Vegas.

Once again it was one of those highly hyped rematches but nothing like the spring scenario when Spinks was quick out of the gate, dominating for points with slick boxing that protected his lead when the southpaws exchanged knockdowns in the 11th and 12th rounds.

From the opening bell, it was clear Judah, long heralded as a speed merchant since he turned pro in 1996, would be the pressure man while Spinks would later admit he was having trouble scoring with sharp combinations that took him to the IBF,WBC and WBA crowns, all in 2003.

Both gladiators were short with their jabs and were sporadic when it came to landing significant punches in bunches firing from outside in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds. It was now that Judah began to score effectively with shots to the champion’s body, sometimes lunging to work Spinks into the ropes.

Judah continued as the stalker while Spinks was flicking long punches on the move but he never caught the New York import with combinations that kept the challenger at bay in the first bout.

Spinks slipped midway through the seventh round and Judah appeared to stun the St. Louis hero with a right to the chest at the bell. Spinks went to his knees but it was not ruled a knockdown by referee Armando Garcia, who was in his 31st world title bout.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Boxing Insider, plus other American sports publications.)