Leon Spinks, boxing’s former heavyweight champion, dead at 67

- Leon Spinks, the gap-toothed fighter from the St. Louis slums who pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history in 1978 by defeating Muhammad Ali to take the undisputed world heavyweight title, has died at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer, a spokesman said on Saturday.

Spinks passed away with only a few close friends and family present due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Leon fought his battle with numerous illnesses resiliently, never losing his trademark smile,” The Firm PR said in a statement sent to Reuters. “Showing true Spinks determination, he never threw in the towel.”

Spinks rose to fame winning the lightheavyweight gold medal for the United States at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He shocked the boxing world just two years later when he defeated Ali in a split decision. It was only his eighth professional.

That would be the highlight of Spinks’ career as Ali would get his revenge in the rematch seven months later in New Orleans.

Spinks would fight for a heavyweight crown only on one other occasion, losing to Larry Holmes in 1981.

On Saturday, Holmes wrote on Twitter: “You gave me a hell of a fight but you were a good guy. You lived your life the way you wanted and it was a good one. I pray you Rest In Peace.”

Spinks retired in 1995 at the age of 42 with a pedestrian 26-17-3 record, including 14 knockouts. Much of his post-boxing life was marked by substance abuse, subsistence jobs and obscurity.