Leon Spinks
| Leon Spinks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Spinks vs. Ray Kipping, 1995
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| Nickname(s) | Neon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rated at | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
July 11, 1953 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
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| Stance | Orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draws | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Leon Spinks (born July 11, 1953) 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 via 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 (due to losing two and later all four of his front teeth), 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 (losing to Larry Holmes), and the WBA cruiserweight title in 1986 (losing to Dwight Muhammad Qawi).
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 would also serve on active duty in the United States Marine Corps from 1973 to 1976.
Spinks debuted professionally on January 15, 1977 in Las Vegas, Nevada, beating Bob Smith by knockout in five rounds. His next fight was in Liverpool, England, where he beat Peter Freeman by a first-round knockout. Later, he saw an improvement in opposition quality, when he fought Pedro Agosto of Puerto Rico and knocked him out in round one. He then fought Scott LeDoux to a draw and defeated Italian champion Alfio Righetti by a decision.
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