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 |