Leon Spinks
Professional Boxer, Boxer
1953 –
Who is Leon Spinks?
Leon Spinks is an American former boxer, who had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and three draws as a professional, with 14 of those wins by knockout. In only his eighth professional bout, Spinks won the undisputed world heavyweight championship when he beat Muhammad Ali on February 15, 1978, in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. However, he was stripped of the WBC title for fighting Ali in an unapproved rematch seven months later, which he lost by a 15-round 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.
Prior to turning professional, Spinks won a bronze medal at the inaugural 1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Havana. Two years later, he capped off his amateur career by winning a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, alongside his brother Michael Spinks, who won the gold at middleweight.
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- Born
- Jul 11, 1953
St. Louis - Also known as
- Neon Leon
- Siblings
- Spouses
- Children
- Ethnicity
- African American
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Profession
- Lived in
- St. Louis
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Leon Spinks." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 May 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/leon_spinks>.
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