Leon Spinks RIP

[Counter-puncher]

that was a really good fight, Romero showed some decent quality- i don't think he ever fought for a belt again though which is a shame, he could box and bang a bit, it seemed

[bennie]

that was a really good fight, Romero showed some decent quality- i don't think he ever fought for a belt again though which is a shame, he could box and bang a bit, it seemed

New York was playing second fiddle to Las Vegas in big-time boxing by the 1980s but the atmosphere was still special in the historic Garden. Azumah Nelson gave Salvador Sanchez hell there in 1982 in an amazing fight, Roberto Duran fought like a 21-year-old to butcher Davey Moore in June 1983 and Mancini-Romero a few months later was another great night.

[Lenny Cravats]

The only former heavyweight champion to lose to a debutant - Good old Johnny Bombs who was a BoxRec posters - Kevo and Neri once offered him out.

Read about Spinks a while back how he was getting on with his life being a janitor at a school.

[Tuan_Jim]

The only former heavyweight champion to lose to a debutant - Good old Johnny Bombs who was a BoxRec posters - Kevo and Neri once offered him out.

Read about Spinks a while back how he was getting on with his life being a janitor at a school.

Spinks was a fat, 41 year old corpse who literally limped into the ring versus the debutant John Carlo. In the couple of years before that he had been losing decisions to opponents with 2-30 type records. He was obviously brain damaged and should not have been licensed. He followed up the bashing against Carlo with a loss to Young Sanford--a journeyman who hadn't boxed in 17 years!

[Lenny Cravats]

The only former heavyweight champion to lose to a debutant - Good old Johnny Bombs who was a BoxRec posters - Kevo and Neri once offered him out.

Read about Spinks a while back how he was getting on with his life being a janitor at a school.

Spinks was a fat, 41 year old corpse who literally limped into the ring versus the debutant John Carlo. In the couple of years before that he had been losing decisions to opponents with 2-30 type records. He was obviously brain damaged and should not have been licensed. He followed up the bashing against Carlo with a loss to Young Sanford--a journeyman who hadn't boxed in 17 years!

That's true. I don't think Carlo himself thought much more than that. He never really talked about it on here.

[MightyWarrior]

His trainer tried to keep Neon Leon on the straight and narrow for the second Ali fight, I think he even posted guards outside Leon’s hotel room stop him going out partying.

Needless to say the next morning when they go into his hotel room he’s not there, and the window is open, curtains fluttering in the breeze ..

[mickey1975]

Good Convo on Leon on Costello and Bunce podcast.

[Tuan_Jim]

Does Bunce refer to Spinks as being "brown bread" in his usual respectful manner?

[bennie]

Leon fought in Britain in his second pro fight against Bolton's Peter Freeman, who was despatched in 86 seconds. Michael came over with him and Terry Spinks was also there because it was a big show at the Stadium in Liverpool, where local star John Conteh nutted Len "Stinger" Hutchins out of the fight to retain his WBC light-heavyweight title.
All three Spinks posed for photos together, all three former Olympic champions.

[mickey1975]

Leon fought in Britain in his second pro fight against Bolton's Peter Freeman, who was despatched in 86 seconds. Michael came over with him and Terry Spinks was also there because it was a big show at the Stadium in Liverpool, where local star John Conteh nutted Len "Stinger" Hutchins out of the fight to retain his WBC light-heavyweight title.
All three Spinks posed for photos together, all three former Olympic champions.

Terry looked nothing like his brothers.

[bennie]

Leon fought in Britain in his second pro fight against Bolton's Peter Freeman, who was despatched in 86 seconds. Michael came over with him and Terry Spinks was also there because it was a big show at the Stadium in Liverpool, where local star John Conteh nutted Len "Stinger" Hutchins out of the fight to retain his WBC light-heavyweight title.
All three Spinks posed for photos together, all three former Olympic champions.

Terry looked nothing like his brothers.

Terry Spinks wasn't related to Leon and Michael, he just had the same distinctive surname. He was a Londoner who won Olympic gold in 1956 in Melbourne and later turned to training fighters.

[mickey1975]

Leon fought in Britain in his second pro fight against Bolton's Peter Freeman, who was despatched in 86 seconds. Michael came over with him and Terry Spinks was also there because it was a big show at the Stadium in Liverpool, where local star John Conteh nutted Len "Stinger" Hutchins out of the fight to retain his WBC light-heavyweight title.
All three Spinks posed for photos together, all three former Olympic champions.

Terry looked nothing like his brothers.

Terry Spinks wasn't related to Leon and Michael, he just had the same distinctive surname. He was a Londoner who won Olympic gold in 1956 in Melbourne and later turned to training fighters.

I know, mate....

[TheGoods]

I really enjoy the Spinks vs Ali 2 fights. How was fight 1 a split decision I do not know and how Ali turned back the clock in fight 2, with all his health troubles was remarkable. I do wonder how that Ali would have failed against Holmes/Norton of 1978.

It was a real shame how Spinks career fell apart after the first Ali fight. Yes, we can state Ali wasnt a well man who was also lacking in motivation, but I dont think we should detract that Spinks, for that one night, showed a work ethic and skill set was world class and might have given other champions some contest. How would that Soinks faired against Weaver, Dokes, Tate etc .

On the Costello & Bunce podcast they said Spinks was drunk (or very hungover) just a few hours before the rematch having gone missing on the day and spending a chunk of it in a seedy downtown hotel with a woman. Less than three hours before the fight they were throwing him in cold showers to try and revive him. If true he did well to go 15 rounds with Ali. When I’m hungover I struggle to do any more than p**s chisel the sh**e stains off the toilet and eat a Dominos.