Leon Spinks

Infobox Boxer


name=Leon Spinks
realname=Leon Spinks
nickname=Neon Leon
height=height|ft=6|in=1
weight=Heavyweight Cruiserweight
nationality=United States
birth_date=birth date and age|1953|7|11
birth_place=St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
death_date|= Today
death_place|= New York
home=St. Louis, Missouri
style=Orthodox
total=46
wins=26
losses=17
draws=3
no contests=0
KO=14

Leon Spinks (born July 11, 1953 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a former boxer. He had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and 3 draws as a professional, with 14 knockout wins. While still an amateur, he also became a member of the United States Marine Corps. Spinks went from being heavyweight champion of the world to being homeless in little more than a decade.Fact|date=April 2008

He won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, alongside brother Michael Spinks, who also won a gold medal in those games. Two years earlier, at the inaugural 1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Havana, Cuba, he captured the bronze medal.

Along with Michael, Sugar Ray Leonard, Leo Randolph and Howard Davis Jr., Spinks was a member of what manyWho|date=November 2007 consider to be the finest United States national boxing team.

Professional career

He debuted professionally on January 15, 1977 in Las Vegas, beating Bob Smith by a knockout in five rounds. His next fight, his debut abroad, was in Liverpool, England where he beat Peter Freeman by a knockout in the first round. A couple of fights later, he saw a slight improvement in opposition quality, when he fought Pedro Agosto of Puerto Rico and knocked him out in the first. He then drew with Scott LeDoux and beat Italian champion Alfio Riguetti by a decision.

Spinks then ranked number one among the world's heavyweight challengers. He made history in only his eighth fight, on February 15, 1978, when he beat an aged and out-of-shape Muhammad Ali in a 15-round decision in Las Vegas. Spinks became the fastest man ever to win the world heavyweight title when he became champion in only his eighth fight. Ali, who had not been the same since his last fight with Joe Frazier, expected this to be an easy fight, but he was out-hustled by Spinks who never seemed to tire in the bout. The victory over Ali was the peak of Spinks's career. After it, he never again was as efficient as he was against Ali in the first time they fought. Spinks was known to be a party animal during his period as world heavyweight champion, always enjoying the night life and in the company of multiple women. He even hired a young Mr. T to be one of his bodyguards during that time.

Spinks was stripped of his world title by the WBC for refusing to defend his title against their #1 ranked contender, Ken Norton. Spinks instead agreed to fight a return bout against Ali for the WBA crown. The WBC subsequently named Norton its champion, marking the first time a boxer had been awarded the heavyweight title without winning it in the ring. Because of the WBC's action, Spinks was the last undisputed heavyweight champion until the emergence of Mike Tyson.

The second Ali fight was different from the first; Spinks lost the title to Ali in New Orleans at the Louisiana Superdome on September 15, 1978 by a unanimous 15-round decision. This time it was Spinks who did not train hard enough. Ali gave every ounce of himself in this fight and did everything he could to out-smart and out-box the much younger Spinks. Despite concerns of his health, by regaining the title, Ali became the first three-time heavyweight champion. Spinks continued to come into fights out of shape and was never as effective as he was in the first Ali fight.

In his next fight, his only bout of 1979, he went to Monte Carlo, where he was knocked out in the first round by future world heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee. In 1980, Spinks beat former world title challenger Alfredo Evangelista by a knockout in five, boxed to a draw in ten with "Eddie The Animal Lopez", and beat the WBC's number one ranked challenger Bernardo Mercado by a knockout in nine. The Mercado fight took place on the night that Ali challenged Larry Holmes to try to become the first boxer to win the world heavyweight title four times.

After the win over Mercado, Spinks challenged for the world's heavyweight championship once again. In his only fight in 1981, he faced Holmes in Detroit on June 12. Spinks was knocked out in the third round. In 1982, Spinks decided to go down in weight and competed in the Cruiserweights. He beat fringe contender Ivy Brown by a decision in ten rounds, and former and future title challenger Jesse Burnett by decision in twelve rounds.

Spinks boxed on and off from 1981 to 1985, in both heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions. When his brother Michael beat Holmes on September 21, 1985, the Spinks became the first pair of brothers to be world Heavyweight champions. With this victory, Leon was vindicated by his younger brother Michael, as Michael beat Holmes and Leon had been defeated by Larry Holmes (by TKO in the third round).

Spinks performed in several boxer vs. wrestler matches in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1980s, including losing by submission to Antonio Inoki. In 1986 Spinks lost to the WBA's world cruiserweight champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi by a knockout in six rounds, his second attempt at being a two-time world champion.

Spinks boxed for eight more years, with mixed results. In 1994 he lost a bout by KO to John Carlo, noteworthy for being the first time a former heavyweight champion had ever lost to a boxer making his pro debut. This humiliation was increased by the fact that Spinks lost by KO and was unable to land a single punch. He retired after losing by decision in eight to Fred Houpe in 1995. He was 42 years old, ancient by the standards of boxing.

Professional boxing record

After boxing

During the 1990s, Spinks worked for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, winning its world title in 1992. In the late 1990s, Spinks was picked up by Tri Star Sports Promotions to become a headliner on their year-round, touring autographs shows.

As of 2005 Spinks lived in Columbus, Nebraska, worked at a local YMCA and McDonalds, and volunteered at an after-school program for youth. He told a reporter his life is "comfortable", and that he keeps a low profile. [Steve Sipple, "Ex-champ Leon Spinks cleans up in Columbus," "Lincoln Journal Star", April 4, 2005.]

His son, Cory Spinks, held the undisputed welterweight title and was the International Boxing Federation Junior Middleweight champion.

Amateur career

*1974, 1975, and 1976 National AAU Light Heavyweight champion

Olympic Results

*Defeated Abellatif Fatihi (Morocco) KO 1
*Defeated Anatoly Klimanov (Soviet Union) 5-0
*Defeated Ottomar Sachse (East Germany) 5-0
*Defeated Janusz Gortat (Poland) 5-0
*Defeated Sixto Soria (Cuba) RSC 3

ee also

*List of heavyweight boxing champions

*List of WBC world champions
*Notable boxing families

References

External links

* [http://boxing-scoop.com/show_boxer.php?boxer_ID=4007 Leon Spinks' Amateur Boxing Record]
*cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/boxing/articles/2005/12/21/riches_to_rags/|title=Riches to rags|date=December 21, 2005|publisher=The Boston Globe