Recent Leon Spinks Interview.

[KOJOE90]

I found this recent interview with former Olympic Gold medal winner and Heavyweight Champion 'Neon' Leon Spinks.

Ex-champ Leon Spinks cleans up in Columbus

BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star

COLUMBUS — He does volunteer work in an after-school program three days a week. On weekends, he cleans locker rooms and bathrooms at the Columbus Family YMCA. He spends many nights watching movies, favoring westerns and gangster and horror flicks. Sometimes, he says, he feels bored and restless. Asked what's become of the millions he earned in the 1970s, Leon Spinks chuckles and says, "That's my business, not yours."

On a recent Friday, the 51-year-old Spinks emerges from a friend's SUV. The broad shoulders, thick neck and overall athletic build are enough to convince one that he indeed could have once been the world's heavyweight boxing champion, the fighter who shocked the sporting world with his 1978 victory over Muhammad Ali on national television.

Spinks is wearing a Chicago White Sox ball cap, blue jeans and a black jacket. His handshake is firm, his demeanor no-nonsense.

Judging from the way he shuffles into the Village Inn for dinner, boxing and hard living have taken their toll.

Many residents are surprised to see him around town, says Bob Lauterbach, executive director of the YMCA. Some people still don't think he really lives here, that he really is the Leon Spinks, although he'd been visiting a friend here periodically during the past four years and has lived in an apartment on the west end of town since January.

Spinks generally maintains a low profile, locals say.

"He kind of likes the idea of people not knowing who he is, and I think people here are respectful of his privacy," says Marla Kurtenbach, one of the coordinators of the after-school program.

Adds Lauterbach, "He's never said a word to me about his fighting career."

Spinks, a St. Louis native, captured the light heavyweight crown at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Two years later, in his eighth professional bout, he captured a 15-round decision over Ali in Las Vegas. Toward the end of a glorious era for heavyweight boxers, Spinks suddenly became top dog, his infectious gap-toothed grin making him one of the nation's most recognizable athletes.

Nevertheless, Spinks' presence isn't necessarily big news to everyone in this town of 21,000 on the Loup River. Heck, a whole generation of people don't even recognize his name. To many townsfolk, Leon's just Leon.

"I needed some help and he was available," Lauterbach says. "My custodial supervisor says he's doing a good job."

Spinks works three-hour shifts Saturdays and Sundays at the YMCA. The supervisor writes out a list of tasks so the ex-champ doesn't forget anything.

"You can really tell Leon wants to do a good job," Lauterbach says. "I think what he's become is very humble."

The champ sits at a cafeteria-style table in the Emerson Elementary School gymnasium in the heart of town, waiting for the fun to commence.

Brady Ligenza, a third-grader, is itching for action.

"Hey, Leon, you want to play dodge ball?" asks Ligenza, almost nose-to-nose with Spinks. "It'll be me and Zack against you, since you're the famous world-champion boxer."

So, here we go. Spinks moves gingerly on the gym's tile floor as the kids — two of them, then four, then a few more — zoom around him in every direction, like mosquitoes buzzing around a porch lamp. He turns his ball cap backward and smiles that famous smile.

In 1973, Spinks says, he was in the Marine Corps, getting a routine checkup when a dentist pulled his top front teeth "because they were going bad."

"Most of the time, he's just one of the kids," says Lisa Kaslon, who helps oversee the after-school program.

Spinks has been volunteering in the program three days a week for the past month. Kaslon says officials of the federally funded program are considering hiring him.

"Right away, the kids really warmed up to him."

On this afternoon, Spinks and second-grader Chelsey Wyatt spend nearly 30 minutes playing a "Pop-o-Matic" board game called "Trouble." It's just Spinks and the slender, bespectacled girl sitting at a table. Spinks ultimately prevails and raises a fist in jubilation as Chelsey's shoulders slump.

"On the days Leon isn't here, the kids ask, ‘Isn't Leon coming today?'" says Stacey Whiting, who works in the program.

Says Spinks, "I'm a kid myself. I know what they like to do. It takes me back to my childhood."

Spinks grew up in the St. Louis projects. His dad wasn't around much, he says, and he got little attention from grownups.

He hopes to stay involved in boxing and help kids. The gist of his message to them: Stay in school. Keep God in your life and treat others the way you want to be treated.

Nearly two hours pass, and only a few kids remain in the Emerson gym. Spinks waits for a ride home from his friend as first-grader Molly Lovell jumps rope, all the while sing-songing one of those peculiar jump-rope ditties.

"Fudge, fudge, call the judge, someone's going to have a newborn baby …"

"I love this," he says, smiling. "It makes me sweat and stretch out my muscles. Being with the kids, it makes me want to get back into the gym."

Spinks is comfortable in Columbus.

Yes, the pace is slower than the world of heavyweight champion boxing. It's certainly slower than the ride he enjoyed during his prime.

"Maybe too slow sometimes," Spinks says. "But it's fun. I have a good time. I meet a lot of people."

People here generally treat him well, he says, "except for that son of a bitch who stole my hat."

A few months ago, Spinks was playing a computer card game at a bar/pool hall a stone's throw from Main Street. He enjoys the game immensely, almost transfixed as he surveys the screen, oblivious to everything around him.

The front of his ball cap — a gift from one of his three grown sons — read, "Leon Spinks, World Champ, 1978."

A patron from the other end of the bar swooped toward Spinks, grabbed the cap and bolted out the back door and into the cold night.

Becky Oppliger, owner of the establishment, says she had never seen the thief before that night and hasn't seen him since.

"I still think there was a car waiting for him outside," she says.

Adds Spinks, "I'd still like to catch the son of a bitch."

He grinned from the cover of Sports Illustrated and hired Mr. T. as his bodyguard. He was a worldwide celebrity.

But Spinks will never be regarded as one of the great heavyweight champions, says Bert Sugar, former editor-in-chief of The Ring magazine and noted boxing historian.

"He was almost an accidental heavyweight champion," Sugar says.

In February 1978, Ali — his glorious career on the downslide — underestimated Spinks, Sugar says. And Spinks was relentless the night he fought his idol.

"By the 15th round, Ali was exhausted — he could barely stand up — and Leon kept throwing punches. He kept coming," Sugar says. "Every dog, and every underdog, has his night, and that was Leon's night. And nobody can take that away from him, no matter where he lives or where he works."

As he waited for the opening bell that night, Spinks recalls, he couldn't believe he was even standing in the same ring with Ali.

"I just figured, ‘It's his ass or mine.'"

Seven months later, the two stood before 70,000 spectators at the Superdome in New Orleans for Ali-Spinks II seven months later. Ali earned a unanimous 15-round decision, although Spinks still thinks it should've been his.

Sugar disagrees.

"It wasn't a great fight. Leon didn't have anything that night. He won about four or five rounds. It just wasn't the Leon we'd seen the February before."

Spinks, who earned $3.75 million for the second Ali fight, went on to a rather ordinary professional career, retiring in 1994 with a record of 26 wins, 17 losses and three draws.

In recent years, he's made sporadic appearances as a "personality." He signs autographs, shakes hands, mingles and smiles that famous smile.

He'll be a special guest at the Midwest Golden Gloves April 16 in Omaha.

"Great guy? Yes," Sugar says. "Great fighter? No."

Great guy?

Well, that must be why Spinks couldn't walk three steps without someone wanting to take his picture when he went back to St. Louis in February for son Cory's defense of his three welterweight championship belts. (The younger Spinks was knocked out in the ninth round by Zab Judah before a crowd of 22,370.)

Leon Spinks' popularity explains why the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y., foots the bill each summer for his appearance at its Hall of Fame weekend, highlighted by induction ceremonies. Spinks hasn't been inducted.

"He's always one of the most popular people there," Sugar says. "You can't give Leon a lot of points as a fighter, but you can give him a lot of points for personality.

"He's like a little doggie you like to scratch behind the ears."

This summer, Spinks' trip to Canastota will originate in Columbus, of all places.

"Leon's a wonderful, fun person who enjoys being anywhere he is," Sugar says. "He's a great story in life.

"P.S., he was a boxer."

[silkov]

Good interview, but I think Sugar underrates Spinks a bit as a fighter, not a great fighter perhaps but very good and always exciting... he just burnt out young.

[KOJOE90]

Good interview, but I think Sugar underrates Spinks a bit as a fighter, not a great fighter perhaps but very good and always exciting... he just burnt out young.

I agree.

I have many of Leons fights on tape and he was almost always value for money. Even when undertrained and past his best he had some entertaining fights with the likes of Tex Cobb and Eddie Lopez (a fight I thought Leon just won). Also his fight against the tough Jesse Burnett is entertaining.

But is was painfull watching the weight drained Leon take such a beating of Dwight Muhammad Qawi. If Spinks career wasn't over before that fight it sure was afterwards as far as World Titles were concerned.

I have some of Leons Pre Olympic fights on tape and the latest fight I have of his is against the teak tough Tex Cobb. Style wise he never really changed that much.

I hope to collect more of his fights as time goes by.

[KOJOE90]

I found another one.

5 June 2005

GALESBURG - After spending an hour signing autographs, posing for pictures and talking with fans, former World Heavyweight Champion Leon Spinks walked into the gymnasium of the Carver Community Action Center.
"Leon, Leon, can I get my picture taken with you," yelled Penny Russel as soon as Spinks, wearing a black Chicago White Sox hat, black shirt and blue jeans, emerged through the doorway.

"Yeah, sure," Spinks said, then posed with Russell and her daughter Marie Kelley of Galesburg.

Spinks, whose career highlights include an Olympic Gold Medal and a win over Muhammad Ali for the title in 1978, charged $20 for autographs, but pictures and conversation were free for the large crowd that showed up for Saturday's Galesburg Youth Athletic Club/Carver Center athletic programs fund raiser. The event also included a silent auction and boxing matches.

Carver Center president Rodney Wilson said Spinks' presence helped make the fund raiser a success.

"We've really been struggling with our finances, so we needed something like this," Wilson said. "Hopefully we can make this an annual event."

Wilson grew up next door to Spinks' first cousin Curtis - one of several of Spinks' cousins who live in Galesburg.

"It was a good cause, and I knew I had some people here, so I figured we'd get together and have some fun," Spinks said.

Sitting alongside Spinks while he signed autographs was his cousin Michael - not to be confused with his brother Michael, also a former gold medalist and heavyweight champion. Leon's cousin Michael is a 1986 graduate of Galesburg High School, and now serves as Leon's manager.

"Being a Spinks has its perks," Michael said. "When you do something like call and make airline reservations, they take care of you."

Michael, who played baseball in the Montreal Expos organization and now owns the All-Star Sports Academy in Hoffman Estates near Chicago, has been Spinks' manager for four years.

"We opened a boxing wing to the complex, and Leon talks to and mentors the boxers there," Michael said. "The proceeds he makes from the autographs go to the Leon Spinks Foundation, which helps buy equipment for the boxing program."

Leon, who retired from boxing in 1995, said helping out young boxers and his son Cory - who recently held the World Welterweight Title - were his main focuses.

"I go to a lot of schools and try to give back to young people," said Leon, who now makes his home in Chicago. "I didn't want my son to become a boxer, but he made up his mind to do it, so I went along with it. I try to help him as much as I can."

People getting autographs and pictures of Spinks included several Galesburg residents, but also some of the boxers and judges participating in the event.

"I'm not old enough to remember him, but it's an honor to meet a legend," said 16-year-old Bryce Louder of Peoria, who fought in the night's second match.

The first person in line to get an autograph from Spinks was 11-year-old Jordan Ahline, who had Spinks sign a pair of boxing gloves. Ahline is the son of Galesburg memorabilia collector Jon Ahline.

"I've heard of him," Jordan said of Spinks. "I was supposed to go to one of his concerts one time, I think."

From

http://www.register-mail.com/stories/06 ... .GID.shtml

[warrior]

i met leon years ago. was on the same fight card as him. what a nice all round guy. friendly and outgoing. he was the kind of guy you could become friends with. i also fought his brother. he was not as nice as leon*

[BrocktonBlockbuster49]

whats ur name warrior???: u fought mike spinks???

[KOJOE90]

i met leon years ago. was on the same fight card as him. what a nice all round guy. friendly and outgoing. he was the kind of guy you could become friends with. i also fought his brother. he was not as nice as leon*

Yeah I have heard many times that Leon is very likeable.

Maybe I will get the chance to meet him one day.

[silkov]

i met leon years ago. was on the same fight card as him. what a nice all round guy. friendly and outgoing. he was the kind of guy you could become friends with. i also fought his brother. he was not as nice as leon*

Yeah I have heard many times that Leon is very likeable.

Maybe I will get the chance to meet him one day.

You have pre-olimpic bouts of Leon?.... I'd really like a copy of those Ko Joe... maybe we can set up some sort of swap?... I have Leon vs Richettie and Mercadoe... along with those bouts you mentioned... what other fights do you have of him?. I've got him also against Kane, Delon, Gurrera, Carlo and Curry..... what pre Olimpic bouts have you got?... cheers! 8)

[dnahar32]

i met leon years ago. was on the same fight card as him. what a nice all round guy. friendly and outgoing. he was the kind of guy you could become friends with. i also fought his brother. he was not as nice as leon*

Yeah I have heard many times that Leon is very likeable.

Maybe I will get the chance to meet him one day.

I met Leon when he was signing autographs in a resturant about 5-6 years ago. I had heard he was going to be signing and brought in a Ring magazine for him to sign. But as a teenager I didn't have the $15 they were charging. When I went up to ask about him signing, his people gave me the brushoff but Leon was nice and signed anyway. I mentioned how I wanted to learn about the older fighters and I started rattling off his career highlights to him. He pointed to the monitor above the stage showing the Ali-Spinks fight and mentioned something about his days as a fighter. His speech was hard to understand and kind of slurred, but he was nice to me in one of the worst times of his life and I've rooted for him to succeed in life. It's good to hear what he's doing now.

Deepak