Tyson vs Spinks: 20th Year Anniversary: June 27th, 1988

[elmersalsa]

One of the most anticipated showdowns of all-time of the heavyweight division happened 20 years ago between the greats Mike Tyson, 21, of Brooklyn, NY and Michael Spinks, 31, of St Louis, MO. It was a record-breaking salary for both fighters, both undefeated in Atlantic City, NJ.

Tyson received a record at the time, 20 million dollars, and Spinks received 13 million. For Tyson, it only took 91 seconds of work. He anhiliated a Spinks that in my view, looked scared and worried for his life. It was the only time in his career that he was knocked out. It was Spinks last fight. This fight had the anticipation since the 1971's Fight of the Century between the greats Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, but it did not lived to the hype. The megafight was billed "Once and for All" which there were doubts that who was the REAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION. Tyson, erased those doubts in electrifying fashion and the media started comparing him to the all-time greats like Ali, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey.

It was Tyson's greatest victory of his career. Never again he looked that dominant.

[Robinson]

I got a Tyson-Spinks t-shirt on right now :)

[observer1]

Makes you think with Tyson... What could have been...

[cultus]

I'l take a sip of my whiskey for that. Braavo Mike, Braavo!

[overhand_right]

Makes you think with Tyson... What could have been...

He was all he could have been.

He wasn't going to reign long with Evander, Riddick and Lennox on the rise.

[Rocky Balboa]

Makes you think with Tyson... What could have been...

He was all he could have been.

He wasn't going to reign long with Evander, Riddick and Lennox on the rise.

Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree there mate!

[overhand_right]

I agree!

[Robinson]

However the 90s went Tyson has been the obsession
of fans and near fans since before he held a belt.

He was dynamic, young, aggressive and skilled....
he was always going to be that one step away from
greatness, but however you see his career you can
not deny the fact that the man was fun to watch
and frightening for his foes to face.

[Ezzard]

I agree but Spinks was never going to be a top HW. He had a style that meant he could beat vertain foes (mostly the less mobile HWs) but he avoided any serious contender because he knew it was more than possible that he'd lose to them. And if he was going to lose he wnated it to be for the kind of pay day Tyson would bring.

I never thought it was a great result at the time and still don't. Tyson got the job done but I wouldn't list this among his great wins.

[observer1]

I agree but Spinks was never going to be a top HW. He had a style that meant he could beat vertain foes (mostly the less mobile HWs) but he avoided any serious contender because he knew it was more than possible that he'd lose to them. And if he was going to lose he wnated it to be for the kind of pay day Tyson would bring.

I never thought it was a great result at the time and still don't. Tyson got the job done but I wouldn't list this among his great wins.

Nah Spinks is very under-rated IMO. The way he dealt with his Opponents, he could have just as easily stood upto Tyson and used his experience to win. The Talent was there, but the heat wasn't.

[bollox]

Michael Spinks - great LHW, average HW

[Ezzard]

I agree but Spinks was never going to be a top HW. He had a style that meant he could beat vertain foes (mostly the less mobile HWs) but he avoided any serious contender because he knew it was more than possible that he'd lose to them. And if he was going to lose he wnated it to be for the kind of pay day Tyson would bring.

I never thought it was a great result at the time and still don't. Tyson got the job done but I wouldn't list this among his great wins.

Nah Spinks is very under-rated IMO. The way he dealt with his Opponents, he could have just as easily stood upto Tyson and used his experience to win. The Talent was there, but the heat wasn't.

Spinks edged Holmes twice, many people thought he lost the 2nd fight. Holmes simply couldn't follow up quick enough to score the KO.

Spinks then beat 2 big plodders and obviously Cooney was no more than a name.

Spinks is one of the greatest ever 175'ers but at HW he faced only 1 young hungry fighter and got KO'd in no time. Tyson was too mobile for Spinks to have any chance.

[elmersalsa]

Spinks was the man that beat the champ that beat the champ. Therefore, Tyson became the man and the champ.

That was the great Mike Tyson at his very best...In my opinion, he had more to develop. He was not in his complete prime yet. I just imagine if he never got into trouble.

[Robinson]

I think Tyson's wins over Holmes and Tubbs were more impressive.

Holmes was not at his best, coming of a two year lay off, but he
was still a decent and capable guy at that time...far from his best,
Tyson was the ONLY man to KO him....regardless of Holmes's arm
getting caught in the rope. Tyson was able to get where he needed
to be to land those shots.

Tubbs is a talented big guy who could have been better had he
stayed focus, heck the guy is still fighting today ! When he
faced Tyson he was a very capable contender....and to KO
him in two rounds !

Spinks was blown away and his style just had no answer for
a Tyson like fighter, I suspect that a Floyd patterson would have
TKO'd Spinks in a few rounds more. The Holmes that lost to Spinks
was shop worn and for what ever reason struggled against the ziggy
zaggyness of Spinks.

I had the first Spinks fight a draw and the second a win for Holmes.

[elmersalsa]

To me, Spinks won the two fights with Larry.

[raylawpc]

Me too, Elmer. And as I recall 5 of the 6 judges in those fights did too.

[I Feel Fine]

I thought Holmes lost the first fight to Spinks, you have to be on the Holmes bandwagon to say that he didn't. But I thought he won the rematch; primarily because of Spinks' lack of effort, Holmes didn't fight a particularly great fight either. But Holmes should not have been undefeated at that stage, nor can he whine about bad decisions; Witherspoon and Williams beat him.

Tyson's win over Spinks is nice, but some make a bit much of it. Knocking out a hobbled, inactive, former Light Heavyweight, as great as that fighter is, does not make you an unbeatable, as some claim Tyson was on that night. And if the situation had been reversed, Tyson at 32 and Spinks at his best, Spinks could have beaten Mike.

[Robinson]

Like I said I scored Holmes-Spinks 1 as a draw.

I had Holmes-Witherspoon closer than the williams
fight but I still feel Holmes won both those.

And yes I am a Holmes fan, but I have sat down and
scored ll four of the fights.

[overhand_right]

What a surprise - a Holmes fan who scores Witherspoon, Williams and both Spinks fights all in favour of Holmes.

I think we can forget about your scorecards in future.

[Robinson]

why ?

I am open about it and I tried to view the fight as neutral as I
can. Ill post my scores ok ?

Ill open up anotehr thread :)

[bollox]

The leadup to the fight was huge but did anyone truly give Spinks a chance? I know I didn't. Especially after reading his reply to the question "are you afraid?". He said something along the lines of "I'm not scared but I'm afraid of what may happen". An unusual comment

[Flump]

The leadup to the fight was huge but did anyone truly give Spinks a chance? I know I didn't. Especially after reading his reply to the question "are you afraid?". He said something along the lines of "I'm not scared but I'm afraid of what may happen". An unusual comment

I didn't either I must say, Tyson looked unbeatable at that time. I was very disappointed with Spinks effort though, I think for the amount of money he got paid he could have shown a lot more. He was looking for a spot to lay down on as soon as the bell rang.

[bollox]

Michael Spinks saw boxing as his job and nothing more. He once said he'd beat an opponent (Qawi maybe?) because "you once borrowed $160 from me and never paid it back" The Tyson fight was a huge "see ya later" payoff and I don't blame him for taking it for that reason. I doubt he ever though he could win and it showed in his demeanour before the fight and during the fight itself. But I wouldn't hold anything against him

[raylawpc]

The leadup to the fight was huge but did anyone truly give Spinks a chance? I know I didn't. Especially after reading his reply to the question "are you afraid?". He said something along the lines of "I'm not scared but I'm afraid of what may happen". An unusual comment

It will sound like I'm bragging (believe me, I've made my share of bad picks too), but I think I'm the only person I know who picked Spinks to win the first fight. Everybody in my boxing crowd thought that I was completely nuts.

Why did I pick Spinks? Partly because I thought Holmes looked like he was slipping, but it was mostly a gut reaction. (I don't think Spinks could have defeated the Holmes who beat Gerry Cooney.)

[Ambling Alp]

That is a good prediction. Hardly anyone thought a lightheavyweight champion could move up and win the heavyweight title, so many had tried and failed. I don't recall any so call expert picking Spinks.

Holmes did look beatable, but was Spinks going to be able to be the guy to do it?
Holmes looked horrible against Carl Williams. Actually Williams beat Holmes convincingly and should have got the decision.

I don't think Spinks had any chance of beating a prime Holmes either. He was several years younger than Holmes and waited until Holmes got old before fighting him. A wise move.
Still pretty impressive to beat even that version of Larrry Holmes.
You wonder how Spinks would have done against Witherspoon, Thomas, Page, Tubbs etc.