Always smiling... the nice guy who beat Ali
Odds defied by Spinks to beat Ali and become world champion in 1978
Ali beat Spinks in their 2nd bout health and he was found to be suffering with a shrinkage in the brain in 2012.
After retiring from boxing, Spinks lived quietly. His YMCA boss Bob Lauterbach said he was a good worker, adding: “I call him ‘Champ’ and he likes that. We get a ton of calls, mostly people wanting him to sign stuff. He’s real, real quiet.”
Spinks made over £4million from his fighting days but claimed he never saw most of it – and he fiercely denied spending most of the money on cocaine.
“That’s bulls***,” he said. “That’s what people think. My lawyers stole it from me. I was stupid and I gave them power of attorney.”
He claimed he never got a penny of the £2.5m he made for Ali-Spinks 2, saying: “Well, what can you do? Life is a bitch and then you live it.”
Much of his life was marred by tragedy – one of his sons, Leon Calvin, was killed in 1990 in a drive-by shooting.
Spinks later suffered with health issues and was diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer in 2019. He died on Friday evening in Henderson, Nevada, with his third wife Brenda by his side.
A statement from friends and family said: “His final fight was fought with the same skill, grace and grit that had carried him through so many lifetime challenges.
“Leon fought his battle with numerous illnesses resiliently, never losing his smile. He never threw in the towel.”
Son Cory, 42, and brother Michael, 64, also won major boxing titles.
He could’ve let tragedy be his story ..but it was not at all
GEORGE FOREMAN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP