Shares

There’s more sad news as 2021 is barely underway after former World Heavyweight Championship Boxer Leon Spinks, who was known for his signature smile, died at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer.

The St. Louis native competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1978 after defeating Muhammad Ali in a split decision, in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

The aging Ali had expected an easy fight, but he was outboxed by Spinks, who did not tire throughout the bout. It was one of the few occasions when Ali left the ring with a bruised and puffy face.

The victory over Ali was the peak of Spinks’ career. He was the only man to take a title from Muhammad Ali in the ring, as Ali’s other losses were non-title contests or bouts where Ali was the challenger. Spinks’ gap-toothed grin (due to losing two and later all four of his front teeth) was featured on the cover of the February 19, 1978 issue of Sports Illustrated.

Spinks was later stripped of his world title by the WBC for refusing to defend it against Ken Norton, instead agreeing to a return bout against Ali to defend his WBA crown. The stripped title was then awarded to Norton.

His second match with Ali, at the Louisiana Superdome on September 15, 1978, went badly for Spinks. A now-in-shape Ali—with better, sharper tactics—rarely lost control, winning back his title by a unanimous fifteen-round decision. Ali regained the title, becoming the first three-time lineal heavyweight champion. Spinks was never given a rematch; Ali retired after the fight (although he came out of retirement a few years later to fight Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick).

As an amateur, Spinks won numerous medals in the light heavyweight division. The first was bronze at the inaugural 1974 World Championships, followed by silver at the 1975 Pan American Games, and gold at the 1976 Summer Olympics; the latter alongside his brother Michael Spinks, who won middleweight gold. Leon served in the United States Marine Corps from 1973 to 1976.

During the 1990s, Spinks worked for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, winning its world title in 1992, making him only the second man (after Primo Carnera) to hold titles in both boxing and wrestling. In the late 1990s, Spinks was a headliner on year-round, touring autograph shows.

In 2009 Spinks was featured as part of the 2009 documentary “Facing Ali,” in which notable former opponents of Ali speak about how fighting Ali changed their lives.

Spinks has slurred his words since his active boxing days, and was diagnosed in 2012 with shrinkage in his brain, which doctors said was likely caused by punches he took during his career. Spinks and his wife moved to Las Vegas in 2011. Spinks was hospitalized twice in 2014 in a Las Vegas hospital for surgery due to abdominal problems, from which he recovered.

In August 2017, Spinks was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame along with his brother, Michael Spinks, a former 2-weight class world champion, and Olympic gold medalist. Both brothers won gold in ’76.

His son, Cory Spinks, held the undisputed welterweight title, and was the IBF junior middleweight champion twice.

In 2019, it was revealed that Spinks was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.

He died on Feb. 5 with his wife, Brenda Glur Spinks, and a few close friends and family members by his side.

Related articles:

[Watch Video] Farewell to the Queen: Actress Cicely Tyson dead at 96

Broadcast icon Larry King dies at 87

Baseball legend Hank Aaron dead at 86

Author Eric Jerome Dickey dead at 59, fans celebrate his legacy

RIP Deebo: Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister dead at 62

‘B.A.P.S.’ star Natalie Desselle Reid dead at 53

Bobby Brown suffers another tragic loss as son found dead in LA

Rest In Power: Chadwick Boseman dead at 43

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s newborn son dies within moments of birth