Spinks

[si7dog7]

Spinks came up from 12 stone 6, not 14 stone 4.

Obviously he was talented, but an animal too, like Duran

Yep. Gold medal Middleweight?
Stellar career. Stellar guy too by all accounts.

[Coco]

My old amateur trainer was at the Olympics when both brothers won gold.

At the time the eastern euros were favourites as they were so technically correct, but after seeing them spar, he was sure they would both win as they had that nastiness about them.

[si7dog7]

My old amateur trainer was at the Olympics when both brothers won gold.

At the time the eastern euros were favourites as they were so technically correct, but after seeing them spar, he was sure they would both win as they had that nastiness about them.

That’s a great anecdote from your trainer Coco.
Was his fav Leon or Mike?
Loved Michael but Leon fast tracked up. A latter day Loma.
I know Leon died 2-3 years ago.
Another great. Olympic Champion. Sadly missed.

[margaret thatcher]

leon certainly wasnt a great, though he did have a fantastic achievement beating ali

[Coco]

leon certainly wasnt a great, though he did have a fantastic achievement beating ali

We never saw what Leon could have done, he did great against a poor Ali, the after that his lifestyle caught up with him.

[si7dog7]

leon certainly wasnt a great, though he did have a fantastic achievement beating ali

Gold medal . In the books.
He was a great.

[si7dog7]

leon certainly wasnt a great, though he did have a fantastic achievement beating ali

We never saw what Leon could have done, he did great against a poor Ali, the after that his lifestyle caught up with him.

True. I was more thinking of Ams to Ali. He did pretty good.
Then effed it all away. Prob had a good time Dong it. George Best scenario

[margaret thatcher]

there are guys with 2-3 olympic golds + multiple world championships in the ams, id say those are greats in the ams. props on leon for the gold though

as a pro, leon certainly wasnt a great, he had 1 excellent achievement and then a career littered with mediocre results. even before beating ali he was held to a draw by scott ledoux.

[Fray Bentos]

Anyone who’s seen his fights live or after the fact knows this. He was faster than Bivol and as hard a hitter as Arty. Tough as they come with a great boxing IQ.

A modern legend.

[TheLeprechaun]

Anyone who’s seen his fights live or after the fact knows this. He was faster than Bivol and as hard a hitter as Arty. Tough as they come with a great boxing IQ.

A modern legend.

Agreed. This isn't a case of "old timers favouring the old timer fighter". It's literally just an objective appraisal of the fighters. Spinks is literally that good. It's rare that the hype is totally and utterly warranted. Spinks is literally that fighter that justifies all the hype about him at 175. All you have to do is watch his fights. I'll put it this way, if the bookies were pricing up Spinks vs Bivol or Beterbiev, Spinks would be around a 1/5 favourite to win. I'm 100% serious. He completely justifies his 175 hype.. Another example of a fighter justifying all his hype is the great Salvador Sanchez. What an amazing fighter he was.

[Counter-puncher]

Anyone who’s seen his fights live or after the fact knows this. He was faster than Bivol and as hard a hitter as Arty. Tough as they come with a great boxing IQ.

A modern legend.

Agreed. This isn't a case of "old timers favouring the old timer fighter". It's literally just an objective appraisal of the fighters. Spinks is literally that good. It's rare that the hype is totally and utterly warranted. Spinks is literally that fighter that justifies all the hype about him at 175. All you have to do is watch his fights. I'll put it this way, if the bookies were pricing up Spinks vs Bivol or Beterbiev, Spinks would be around a 1/5 favourite to win. I'm 100% serious. He completely justifies his 175 hype..

but modern training tho

[Counter-puncher]

leon certainly wasnt a great, though he did have a fantastic achievement beating ali

We never saw what Leon could have done, he did great against a poor Ali, the after that his lifestyle caught up with him.

True. I was more thinking of Ams to Ali. He did pretty good.
Then effed it all away. Prob had a good time Dong it. George Best scenario

according to anecdotes i saw from Manny Steward he certainly enjoyed himself

[Counter-puncher]

for me, no chance, we view past boxer through a mirage of a lens, most modern boxers would smash the previous ones.

You’ve not seen much of Mike Spinks have you?

its just a lazy take IMO. you get just as much laziness in the other direction with people saying the exact opposite and oveblowing old fighters, but its hardly a shocking take to simply look at someone like Spinks or Salvador Sanchez and think 'fvck I can hardly imagine anyone at the weight beating him'

I mean, like its rose-tinting history to suggest Duran at 135 was a near-unbeatable animal?

[Coco]

Duran was at his best at 135, one of the best lightweights ever, and yes he was an animal

Spinks and Sanchez were ATGs

[margaret thatcher]

incidentally ko #3 stefan tangstad died 2 days ago

also some of those refs are braver than i would be letting those fights continue as spinks pummels the guy

[margaret thatcher]

what really stands out to me in those clips is how good spinks was with subtle movements that would put him in the best position to throw and land shots in close/mid range. adapted very well to wherever the opponent was moving. brutal mixing from the uppercut to shots around the guard

[The Docker]

Mike Spinks was that great, if you split the difference between LHW and CW and put him in at equal 182.5 with cruiserweight beast Holyfield, no obvious or clear winner for me.

[Giancarlo]

Thanks for the link to that clip Mummery.

It was great to re-live the highlights of those fights.

Always enjoyed watching Michael Spinks, especially at 175.

He had every punch in the book and could put them all together in amazing combinations. His straight right hand was called The Spinks Jinx but he could use the left to brutal effect too. I particularly liked how in the middle of a 6 punch combination he would throw in a jarring left jab. Also blessed with a terrific engine, he was a superb fighting machine.

[Loynesy]

Anybody that thinks Spinks wouldn't have beaten, or at least been in epic wars with any current LH because we are wearing rose tinted nostalgic spectacles, knows nothing about boxing.

And if they also think Duran at 135 wasn't the ultimate fighting machine and wouldn't be competitive, knows even less.

I couldn't sleep last night so watched a couple of Hagler fights - again, please tell me any current fighter at MW that would stand a chance?

[Loynesy]

Again, we have no time machine but I'd have been at the fictional Hagler v Canelo fight and had a sizeable bet on the Marvellous one.

Not knocking - Saul, I've had some lovely evenings in Vegas at his fights but he struggles with counterpunchers and aggressors.

[MightyWarrior]

Would Michael Spinks have beaten Bivol and/or Beterbiew at light heavy? I reckon he`s got a good shout

Not just the Spinks Jinx, but the Camden buzzsaw Dwight Braxton would also have given Beterbiev pure hell. Bivol probably wisely stays away and outboxes him

[forcefraser]

incidentally ko #3 stefan tangstad died 2 days ago

also some of those refs are braver than i would be letting those fights continue as spinks pummels the guy

I've lived in Norway for 30 years now. Tangstad was the most well known fighter to come from these shores.

Pro boxing was banned in Norway when Tangstad fought, but apparently the media were all over the fight with Spinks.

I don't like calling fighters out on quitting, as they have 10 times the balls I have to even get in the ring, never mind fight for a title in front of thousands.

However, when Tanngstad went down in the 4th I think against Spinks, a naturally much smaller guy, he told the ref "I've had enough". There are boxers and there are warriors.

Regardless, RIP big Stefan

[JamesPhilips]

incidentally ko #3 stefan tangstad died 2 days ago

also some of those refs are braver than i would be letting those fights continue as spinks pummels the guy

I've lived in Norway for 30 years now. Tangstad was the most well known fighter to come from these shores.

Pro boxing was banned in Norway when Tangstad fought, but apparently the media were all over the fight with Spinks.

I don't like calling fighters out on quitting, as they have 10 times the balls I have to even get in the ring, never mind fight for a title in front of thousands.

However, when Tanngstad went down in the 4th I think against Spinks, a naturally much smaller guy, he told the ref "I've had enough". There are boxers and there are warriors.

Regardless, RIP big Stefan

Ole Klemetsen was also a pretty big star I think