He suffered from various types of cancer. He also suffered from alcoholism in his life.
Leon Spinks, who won an Olympic gold medal and shocked the boxing world when he defeated Muhammad Ali to conquer the world heavyweight title in just his eighth professional fight, has died. He was 67 years old.
Spinks, who resided in Las Vegas for the last years of his life, has died, according to a statement released by a public relations agency. He suffered from prostate cancer and other cancers.
His wife, Brenda Glur Spinks, and other close friends and family accompanied him at the time of his death.
An affable heavyweight who suffered from alcoholism, Spinks defeated Ali by decision in a 15-round fight in 1978 to become champion.
He was not in the division ranking at the time, and was selected as a challenger due to Ali looking for an easy fight.
He found the opposite.
Spinks’ unorthodox style confused Ali throughout the match, and he ended up taking the victory with a split decision.
The two contested a rematch seven months later at the New Orleans Superdome, with Ali winning the judges’ ruling in front of 72,000 viewers, a record number of viewers for boxing in an indoor arena, and a US television audience that reached 90 million.
“It was one of the most absurd things when Ali agreed to fight him, if you started to watch the fights he had fought. He wasn’t a top-tier challenger, he didn’t even have to be a challenger, ”promoter Bob Arum said.
“He was just an opponent, but somehow he managed to win that fight,” he said.
Spinks lost the rematch to Ali in New Orleans and fought for the title once more after that, when he was knocked out in the third round in 1981 by Larry Holmes. He remained active until the mid-1990s, completing his career with a 26-17-3 record.
With a beaming smile without a front tooth, Spinks became popular with the boxing crowd for his memorable victory over Ali and his friendly demeanor.
But he soon squandered all the money he pocketed fighting and, after retirement, ended up as a gym employee in Nebraska, cleaning the locker rooms.
Later he was one of a group of ex-boxers whose brains were examined by the Lou Ruvo Center for Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas.
Spinks was diagnosed with brain damage caused by blows to the head and alcoholism, although he was able to attend autograph signing sessions in his later years.
“He was a man of good soul,” said Gene Kilroy, a business associate of Ali’s when he faced Spinks and became friends with the boxer.
Spinks conquered the Olympic gold of the division of the light heavy in the Olympic Games of 1976 in Montreal, surprising the Cuban Sixto Sori.
He was one of five American boxers who climbed to the top of the podium on that date.
His brother, Michael, who would later be crowned world heavyweight champion, took gold in the middleweight division, and Sugar Ray Leonard took the welterweight title.
Boxing legend and former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks Jr. died Friday. He’d had prostate and other cancers. He was 67. pic.twitter.com/ljBh2tKIvG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 7, 2021
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