Dead at 67, underdog who shocked Muhammad Ali
FORMER world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, who caused one of boxing’s biggest upsets when he defeated Muhammad Ali, has died aged 67.
The US fighter dethroned the great Ali in just his eighth professional fight to win the world title in 1978.
Spinks had been plagued by health issues in recent years and was diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer in 2019.
His management team said the former marine died on Friday evening in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife Brenda Glur Spinks by his side and “only a few close friends and other family” allowed to be present due to Covid restrictions.
Determination
A statement said: “Leon fought his battle with numerous illnesses resiliently, never losing his trademark smile. Showing true Spinks determination, he never threw in the towel.
“His final fight was fought with the same skill, grace and grit that had carried him through so many lifetime challenges.
“He was also a loving husband to his wife Brenda, a loving father and stepfather to his sons.”
Spinks won boxing gold at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and soon turned professional. Fewer than two years later, he would cause one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport. Challenging Ali, then 36, for his world heavyweight crown, Spinks was given little chance by pundits and fans alike.
However, the 24-year-old won the bout via a split decision to stun the boxing world.
His reign as world champion lasted seven months, as Ali gained revenge in an immediate rematch in September 1978 after a wide points win. Spinks would never reach such heights again. He challenged for the heavyweight title once more in 1981, but was stopped inside three rounds by Larry Holmes.
He finished his career with 26 wins, 17 defeats and three draws.
Spinks’s younger brother Michael would later become heavyweight champion from 1985 to 1988. And his son Cory is a former undisputed welterweight champion who also won a world title in the light-middleweight division.
Ali died aged 74 in 2016 after a long fight with Parkinson’s disease.