Leon Spinks
Leon Spinks is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1978 after defeating Muhammad Ali in a split decision, in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Spinks was later stripped of the WBC title for facing Ali in an unapproved rematch seven months later, which he lost by unanimous decision.
Besides being heavyweight champion and his characteristic gap-toothed grin, Spinks gained notoriety for the disaster which befell his career following the loss to Ali. However, he did challenge once more for the WBC heavyweight title in 1981, and the WBA cruiserweight title in 1986.
As an amateur, Spinks won numerous medals in the light heavyweight division. The first was bronze at the inaugural 1974 World Championships, followed by silver at the 1975 Pan American Games, and gold at the 1976 Summer Olympics; the latter alongside his brother Michael Spinks, who won middleweight gold. Leon served in the United States Marine Corps from 1973 to 1976.
Spinks also had a brief career as a professional wrestler in the 1990s, working for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling and holding the FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship in 1992.
Amateur career
- 1974, 1975, and 1976 National AAU light heavyweight champion
- Defeated future champion Michael Dokes for first AAU title in 1974
Olympic results
- Round of 32: Defeated Abdel Latif Fatihi KO 1
- Round of 16: Defeated Anatoliy Klimanov by unanimous decision, 5–0
- Quarterfinal: Defeated Ottomar Sachse by unanimous decision, 5–0
- Semifinal: Defeated Janusz Gortat by unanimous decision, 5–0
- Final: Defeated Sixto Soria referee stopped contest in the third round
Professional career
Spinks vs. Ali
At the time a lower-ranked contender, he made history on February 15, 1978, by beating Muhammad Ali on a 15-round split decision in Las Vegas, Nevada. Spinks won the world heavyweight title in his eighth professional fight, the shortest time in history. The aging Ali had expected an easy fight, but he was out-boxed by Spinks, who did not tire throughout the bout. It was one of the few occasions when Ali left the ring with a bruised and puffy face.The victory over Ali was the peak of Spinks' career. He was the only man to take a title from Muhammad Ali in the ring, as Ali's other losses were non-title contests or bouts where Ali was the challenger. Spinks' gap-toothed grin was featured on the cover of the February 19, 1978 issue of Sports Illustrated.
However, Spinks was stripped of his world title by the WBC for refusing to defend it against Ken Norton, instead agreeing to a return bout against Ali to defend his WBA crown. The title, stripped from Spinks, was then awarded to Norton.
Rematch
His second match with Ali, at the Louisiana Superdome on September 15, 1978, went badly for Spinks. A now-in-shape Ali—with better, sharper tactics—rarely lost control, winning back his title by a unanimous fifteen-round decision. Ali regained the title, becoming the first three-time lineal heavyweight champion. Spinks was never given a rematch; Ali retired after the fight.Career development
Spinks's next fight, his only one in 1979, was at Monte Carlo, where he was knocked out in the first round by future WBA world heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee. In the following fight, Spinks defeated former world title challenger and European title holder Alfredo Evangelista by a knockout in round 5. He fought to a draw in with Eddie López, in May 1980 he scored a knockout over Kevin Isaac, and in October beat the WBC's top-ranked challenger, Bernardo Mercado, by a knockout in round nine, this fight was on the undercard of Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes.Spinks vs. Holmes
His strong performance against Mercado earned Spinks a title match against Larry Holmes. In Spinks' only fight in 1981, and what would be his last opportunity to win the heavyweight title, he had a clear loss by a TKO in the third round at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on June 12.Move to cruiserweight
It was Spinks' last heavyweight bout for years, as he began boxing in the cruiserweight division. He beat contender Ivy Brown by a decision in ten rounds, and gained a decision against former and future title challenger Jesse Burnett in twelve rounds.When his brother Michael Spinks defeated Larry Holmes in a controversial upset for the IBF heavyweight championship in 1985, they became the only brothers to have held world heavyweight championships. They kept the distinction until the Klitschko brothers became champions two decades later.
In the 1980s Leon Spinks competed in several boxer vs. wrestler matches in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, including losing by submission to Antonio Inoki. In 1986 Spinks earned his last championship opportunity, fighting Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the WBA cruiserweight championship. Qawi had been defeated by Michael Spinks three years earlier for his WBC light heavyweight championship. However, Leon Spinks lost by TKO in the sixth round. During the fight, Qawi taunted Spinks as he beat him mercilessly in a corner.
Spinks boxed for another eight years with mixed results. In 1994 he lost a bout by KO to John Carlo, the first time a former heavyweight champion had lost to a boxer making his pro debut. Spinks retired at age 42, after losing an 8-round decision to Fred Houpe in 1995, who was coming off a seventeen-year hiatus.
Life after boxing
During the 1990s, Spinks worked for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, winning its world title in 1992, making him only the second man to hold titles in both boxing and wrestling. In the late 1990s, Spinks was a headliner on year-round, touring autograph shows.In 2009 Spinks was featured as part of the 2009 documentary Facing Ali, in which notable former opponents of Ali speak about how fighting Ali changed their lives.
As of 2017, Spinks lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He told a reporter his life is "comfortable", and that he keeps a low profile.
In August 2017, Leon was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame along with his brother, Michael.
Personal life and health
Spinks was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.Leon's son, Cory Spinks, held the undisputed welterweight title, and was the IBF junior middleweight champion twice.
In 1990, Leon's other son, Leon Calvin, was shot to death in East St. Louis as he was driving home from his girlfriend's house. Calvin was an aspiring light heavyweight pro boxer with a record of 2–0, with the two pro bouts occurring only a month before he died. Leon's grandson and Calvin's son, Leon Spinks III, is an aspiring light heavyweight southpaw boxer with a pro record of 11–3–1 with seven knockouts, his last outing being a six round draw with Robbie Cannon in October 2017.
Leon has slurred his words since his active boxing days, and was diagnosed in 2012 with shrinkage in his brain, which doctors said was likely caused by punches he took during his career. Spinks and his wife Brenda moved to Las Vegas in 2011. Spinks was hospitalized twice in 2014 in a Las Vegas hospital for surgery due to abdominal problems, from which he recovered.
In 2019 it was revealed that Leon Spinks is fighting advanced prostate cancer.
Professional boxing record
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
46 | Loss | 26–17–3 | Fred Houpe | UD | 8 | Dec 4, 1995 | A Little Bit of Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
45 | Win | 26–16–3 | Ray Kipping | UD | 8 | Jun 19, 1995 | A Little Bit of Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
44 | Loss | 25–16–3 | John Carlo | KO | 1, 1:09 | Oct 22, 1994 | Convention Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
43 | Loss | 25–15–3 | Shane Sutcliffe | UD | 8 | Oct 1, 1994 | Civic Arena, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada | |
42 | Win | 25–14–3 | Eddie Curry | 9 | Jun 22, 1994 | Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | Curry disqualified after refusing to answer the bell for round 9, believing the fight was scheduled for 8 rounds | |
41 | Loss | 24–14–3 | James Wilder | PTS | 10 | Feb 27, 1993 | Davenport, Iowa, U.S. | |
40 | Win | 24–13–3 | Kevin Poindexter | KO | 1, 2:37 | Dec 11, 1992 | Union Hall, Countryside, Illinois, U.S. | |
39 | Loss | 23–13–3 | Kevin Porter | PTS | 10 | Sep 26, 1992 | Lansing, Michigan, U.S. | |
38 | Win | 23–12–3 | Jack Jackson | KO | 3, 2:52 | Jul 24, 1992 | Union Hall, Countryside, Illinois, U.S. | |
37 | Win | 22–12–3 | Rocky Bentley | 10 | Jun 17, 1992 | World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | ||
36 | Win | 21–12–3 | Rick Myers | UD | 10 | Mar 20, 1992 | Clarion Hotel Ballroom, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
35 | Win | 20–12–3 | Andre Crowder | SD | 10 | Feb 28, 1992 | Union Hall, Countryside, Illinois, U.S. | |
34 | Win | 19–12–3 | Lupe Guerra | KO | 3, 2:13 | Nov 15, 1991 | Genesis Convention Center, Gary, Indiana, U.S. | |
33 | Loss | 18–12–3 | Tony Morrison | TKO | 1, 0:33 | May 30, 1988 | Marriott Hotel, Trumbull, Connecticut, U.S. | |
32 | Loss | 18–11–3 | Randall Cobb | 10 | Mar 18, 1988 | Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||
31 | Loss | 18–10–3 | Ladislao Mijangos | SD | 10 | Dec 20, 1987 | San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | |
30 | Loss | 18–9–3 | Terry Mims | SD | 10 | Oct 20, 1987 | Swingos, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
29 | Draw | 18–8–3 | Jim Ashard | SD | 10 | Aug 29, 1987 | Lane County Fair grounds, Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | |
28 | Loss | 18–8–2 | Angelo Musone | KO | 7 | May 22, 1987 | Iesi, Italy | |
27 | Win | 18–7–2 | Jeff Jordan | SD | 12 | Apr 28, 1987 | Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, Japan | Won vacant WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title |
26 | Loss | 17–7–2 | José Ribalta | TKO | 1, 2:10 | Jan 17, 1987 | Coconut Grove Convention Center, Miami, Florida, U.S. | |
25 | Loss | 17–6–2 | Rocky Sekorski | TKO | 6, 1:43 | Aug 2, 1986 | Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, U.S. | |
24 | Loss | 17–5–2 | Dwight Muhammad Qawi | TKO | 6, 2:56 | Mar 22, 1986 | Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S. | For WBA cruiserweight title |
23 | Win | 17–4–2 | Kip Kane | TKO | 8, 1:37 | Dec 13, 1985 | Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S. | Won vacant WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title |
22 | Win | 16–4–2 | Tom Franco Thomas | UD | 10 | Jun 29, 1985 | Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, California, U.S. | |
21 | Win | 15–4–2 | Tom Fischer | UD | 10 | May 9, 1985 | Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
20 | Win | 14–4–2 | Rick Kellar | TKO | 2, 2:47 | Apr 9, 1985 | Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | |
19 | Win | 13–4–2 | Lupe Guerra | TKO | 4, 0:43 | Feb 21, 1985 | Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |
18 | Loss | 12–4–2 | Carlos de León | 6, 3:00 | Mar 6, 1983 | Broadway by the Bay Theater, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | ||
17 | Win | 12–3–2 | Jesse Burnett | UD | 12 | Oct 31, 1982 | Great Gorge Resort, McAfee, New Jersey, U.S. | Won vacant NABF cruiserweight title |
16 | Win | 11–3–2 | Ivy Brown | UD | 10 | Feb 24, 1982 | Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
15 | Loss | 10–3–2 | Larry Holmes | TKO | 3, 2:34 | Jun 12, 1981 | Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | For WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles |
14 | Win | 10–2–2 | Bernardo Mercado | TKO | 9, 2:52 | Oct 2, 1980 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
13 | Win | 9–2–2 | Kevin Isaac | TKO | 8, 2:11 | May 3, 1980 | Circle Star Theater, San Carlos, California, U.S. | |
12 | Draw | 8–2–2 | Eddie López | SD | 10 | Mar 8, 1980 | The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
11 | Win | 8–2–1 | Alfredo Evangelista | KO | 5, 2:43 | Jan 12, 1980 | Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
10 | Loss | 7–2–1 | Gerrie Coetzee | TKO | 1, 2:03 | Jun 24, 1979 | Le Chapiteau de l'Espace, Fontvieille, Monaco | |
9 | Loss | 7–1–1 | Muhammad Ali | UD | 15 | Sep 15, 1978 | Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Lost WBA, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles |
8 | Win | 7–0–1 | Muhammad Ali | 15 | Feb 15, 1978 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Won WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles | |
7 | Win | 6–0–1 | Alfio Righetti | 10 | Nov 18, 1977 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | ||
6 | Draw | 5–0–1 | Scott LeDoux | 10 | Oct 22, 1977 | The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | ||
5 | Win | 5–0 | Bruce Scott | KO | 3, 3:02 | Jun 1, 1977 | Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
4 | Win | 4–0 | Pedro Agosto | KO | 1, 1:55 | May 7, 1977 | Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
3 | Win | 3–0 | Jerry McIntyre | KO | 1, 0:35 | Mar 20, 1977 | Exposition Center, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
2 | Win | 2–0 | Peter Freeman | 1, 1:26 | Mar 5, 1977 | Liverpool Stadium, Liverpool, England | ||
1 | Win | 1–0 | Bob Smith | 5, 0:20 | Jan 15, 1977 | The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |