Michael Spinks boxer

Michael Spinks boxer
bouts
32
won
31
lost
1
draw
0
Status
inactive
Division
light heavyweight
Debut
1977-04-16
Height
6′ 2½″/189cm
Reach
76″/193cm
Age
-
Born
1956-07-22
Death
-
Nationality
USA

Michael Spinks (born July 13, 1956)a is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1988. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed light heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985, and the lineal heavyweight title from 1985 to 1988. As an amateur he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1976 Summer Olympics.Nicknamed "Jinx", which spawned the nickname of his straight right hand, "The Spinks Jinx", Spinks is the brother of former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, and uncle of Cory Spinks, a former welterweight and light middleweight champion.After a successful amateur career, which culminated in his Olympic gold medal win, Spinks went undefeated in his first 31 professional fights, beating Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Marvin Johnson and Eddie Davis en route to becoming the undisputed light heavyweight champion. After defending the title against 10 different fighters, Spinks moved up to heavyweight, and as an underdog defeated long-reigning IBF heavyweight champion Larry Holmes (whose own 48–0 record up to that point was one victory short of tying Rocky Marciano's 49–0 unblemished record); in doing so, Spinks became the first reigning light heavyweight world champion to win the heavyweight title. In his final fight, Spinks was knocked out by Mike Tyson in 91 seconds, the only defeat of his professional career.Spinks has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. The International Boxing Research Organization and BoxRec rank Spinks among the 10 greatest light heavyweights of all time.Spinks won the 1974 156-pound Golden Gloves Light Middleweight Championship by defeating Wilber Cameron in Denver, Colorado and then took the Silver Medal in the National AAU 165-pound Championship Competition in 1975, losing in three rounds to Tom Sullivan in Shreveport, Louisiana.citation needed He rebounded to take the 1976 National Golden Gloves Middleweight championship with a three-round victory over Lamont Kirkland in Miami, Florida, and that same year captured the United States Olympic Trials Middleweight Championship by defeating Keith Broom in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Spinks benefited from a favorable draw. Due to a bye and two wins by walkover, he was only required to box two opponents to win the gold medal in the middleweight division. He went on to defeat the Soviet Union's Rufat Riskiyev in the final. Gold at the XXI Summer Olympics (165 lbs), Montreal, Canada, July 1976:

Date Opponent Last Opponents' Results Place Result
1988-06-27 Mike Tyson WWWWWW Convention Hall, Atlantic City LOST
KO
1987-06-15 Gerry Cooney WWLWWW Convention Center, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1986-09-06 Steffen Tangstad WWLWWW Las Vegas Hilton, Hilton Center, Las Vegas WIN
Technical knockout
1986-04-19 Larry Holmes WWWWWL Las Vegas Hilton, Hilton Center, Las Vegas WIN
Split-decision
1985-09-21 Larry Holmes WWWWWW Riviera Hotel & Casino, Outdoor Arena, Las Vegas WIN
Unanimous decision
1985-06-06 Jim MacDonald WWWWWW Riviera Hotel & Casino, SuperStar Center, Las Vegas WIN
Technical knockout
1985-02-23 David Sears WWWDWW Sands Casino Hotel, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1984-02-25 Eddie Davis WLWWWW Resorts International, Atlantic City WIN
Unanimous decision
1983-11-25 Oscar Rivadeneyra WWWWW Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver WIN
Technical knockout
1983-03-18 Dwight Muhammad Qawi WWWWWW Convention Center, Atlantic City WIN
Unanimous decision
1982-09-18 Johnny Davis LWLWWW Sands Casino Hotel, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1982-06-12 Jerry Celestine WWWWWW Playboy Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1982-04-11 Murray Sutherland WLWWWW Playboy Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1982-02-13 Mustafa Wasajja WWWWWW Playboy Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1981-11-07 Vonzell Johnson WWWWWL Playboy Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1981-07-18 Eddie Mustafa Muhammad WWWWWL Imperial Palace Hotel, Las Vegas WIN
Unanimous decision
1981-03-28 Marvin Johnson WWLWWW Resorts International, Atlantic City WIN
KO
1981-01-24 Willie Taylor LLLLWL Martin Luther King Arena, Philadelphia WIN
Technical knockout
1980-10-18 Yaqui Lopez WWLWWL Convention Center, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1980-08-02 David Conteh WWLLWL Centroplex, Baton Rouge WIN
Technical knockout
1980-05-04 Murray Sutherland WWWWWW Kiamesha Lake WIN
Unanimous decision
1980-02-24 Ramon Ranquello WWLWWW Resorts International, Atlantic City WIN
Technical knockout
1980-02-01 Johnny Wilburn LLWLWL Louisville Gardens, Louisville WIN
Unanimous decision
1979-11-24 Marc Hans LWLWWL Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington WIN
Technical knockout
1978-12-15 Eddie Phillips LWLWLL Westchester County Center, White Plains WIN
KO
1978-02-15 Tom Bethea DWLLLL Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas WIN
Unanimous decision
1977-10-22 Gary Summerhays WWLLLL Aladdin Theater, Las Vegas WIN
Unanimous decision
1977-09-13 Ray Elson WWLWWW Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles WIN
KO
1977-08-23 Jasper Brisbane DWWWWW Spectrum, Philadelphia WIN
Technical knockout
1977-06-01 Joe Borden WWWWW Forum, Montreal WIN
KO
1977-05-07 Luis Rodriguez WWWLLW Kiel Auditorium, Saint Louis WIN
Unanimous decision
1977-04-16 Eddie Benson LWLLLW The Aladdin, Las Vegas WIN
Technical knockout