so, after learning everything we could about both Michael Spinks and Wladimir Klitschko as part of our Brotherly Love special event, we here at Athletes and Eras believe that Klitschko would once again reign supreme. To put it simply: it's the balance, folks. We can't talk about it enough. Wladimir's combination of power, technical skill, and strategy would surpass Spinks' speed. We all remember what happened when Spinks tried to go up against Mike Tyson, another powerful puncher (knockout in 91 seconds).
Well, folks, it's that time of year. The holidays are here, Christmas cheer, and blah blah blah. So, we here at Athletes and Eras would like to take this time to say thank you so much for your overwhelming support. We've got some partying to do and eggnog to drink! Have a great holiday season! See ya next year!
Let's be honest... this win was probably not a big surprise for anyone. These brothers are alike in many ways; however, they do have some contrasting traits that would decide the fate of this fight. In this case, it was heart. Michael had more heart (commitment, dedication, etc.) than Leon, which is what allowed him to be on top for so long. Leon, however, while a skilled fighter, simply does not have the kind of heart and fierce determination it would take to beat his little brother.
We don't believe this fight would last very long, either. Michael's hand speed would be an immediate factor early into the fight; he would set up several powerful punches with hid lightning-fast jab, and probably claim victory some time before the 5th round, either by knockout or by TKO.
So, it's going to be a battle of the baby brothers this Sunday, with Michael Spinks taking on Wladimir Klitschko! Who's going to win this exciting match-up? Tune in tomorrow to find out!!
Almost immediately, Spinks signed to a rematch with Muhammad Ali. In a 15-round contest, Ali took advantage of his height and leaned on Spinks throughout while landing jabs and right hands, beating Spinks on points to recalim his title and become the first man to win the World Heavyweight Championship thrice.
By this point, Spinks had already received universal recognition for his incredibly fast ascent. But unfortunately, Spinks' fall from grace has overshadowed that. Following his defeat at the hands of Ali, Spinks was knocked out in the first round by Gerry Coetzee. This was the beginning of the end for him. The rest of his career was marked with mediocrity; his final record at retirement was 26 wins, 17 losses, and 3 draws.
While it's difficult to say what might have been had Spinks stayed the course, one thing that we can say for sure is that this man, Leon Spinks, rose faster than any other fighter in history, beating the legendary Ali, and earned more respect in just a few years than most people do in a lifetime. He certainly remains one our favorites here at Athletes and Eras, and who could ever forget that famous toothless grin?
Spinks currently enjoys retirement, staying out of the spotlight, and is involved in numerous charity activities.
For many boxers, the road to the championship of the world is a long and brutal struggle. Most boxers already have 20 or more fights when they climb through the ropes across from the champion. Many boxing experts and historians will tell you that those fights are a preparation for the big fight, and we here at Athletes and Eras totally agree. Before you can make a legitimate challenge, you have to earn it. Like we said, it usually takes 20 fights or so. But Leon Spinks, a powerful brawler from St. Louis, Missouri, earned his shot in just seven fights; he won the title in fight number eight.
There was an 11 year age difference between Spinks and Muhammad Ali, and that is clearly seen in the video above. Ali was aging, and it was nearly time for him to go. Spinks, however, at 25 years old, was just beginning.
In 1977, Spinks stormed into the boxing world, winning his first five fights by knockout before drawing with Scott DeLoux. He then defeated Italian champion Alfio Righetti by unanimous decision in 10 rounds. All of a sudden, this young man, whom very few had heard outside of his participation in the 1976 Olympic Games (with his younger brother, Michael). was propelled into the spotlight with a title shot against Ali.
Ali was expecting (and honestly hoping) for an easy fight. He thought what we're sure everyone thought at the time: "Only seven fights and he's fighting Ali? There's no way this kid is ready!" Well, on February 15th, 1978, Spinks proved the whole world wrong, utilizing his power and seemingly limitless supply of energy to outwork Ali. Spinks made boxing history that night; for one, that was one of the few fights where visible damage was done to Ali's face, and two, he ascent remains to this day, the fastest rise to the top in all of boxing history.
Good evening fans! Welcome to Week Two of Athletes and Eras' Brotherly Love Special Event! This week, we're taking a look at the legendary Spinks brothers, and how they'd fight each other in the ring. And we're starting out with Michael Spinks.
Though retired now, Michael Spinks is far from forgotten in the boxing world. He is a champion in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. As an amateur, he had a stunning record of 93-7 and went to the 1976 Olympics. He won the gold in the middleweight class!
From then on, Spinks was determined to make his imprint in the ring. After destroying Eddie Benson in 1977, Michael went pro. And his first 31 professional fights went undefeated! In 1978, Michael won the Middleweight championship from Tom Bethea. In 1980, he took on a future Super Middleweight Murray Sutherland. In 1981, Spinks had become the number one challenger to the Light Heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad! When the two fought, Michael defeated Eddie in the 12th round. He defended that title five times in the next two years!
The next year, 1983, Michael dealt with both severe tragedy and amazing triumph. His wife passed away, but he won the WBC crown. He defended it once in 1984, and then twice in 1985. Michael challenged Larry Holmes for the IBC Heavyweight championship, and won unanimously. With that fight, Michael Spinks became the first Light Heavyweight to win the world Heavyweight title!
Michael only had one loss during his entire professional career - to Mike Tyson in 1988. We'll bring you up to speed on that in the second profile, fans!
Okay, fans, we're on to part two of our Brotherly Love special event! And now, it's the Spinks Brothers, Michael and Leon! Leon Spinks is credited as having the fastest rise in all of boxing history; he won the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world after only 8 fights! Meanwhile, younger brother Michael was lightning-fast, highly skilled light-heavyweight champion who moved up to the heavyweight division and became the first reigning light-heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight title! So who's going to win when these two brothers step through the ropes? Tune in and find out!
