Michael Spinks

Michael Spinks born on July 13rd, 1956, with St Louis, Missouri

Prize list

Olympic champion of the means in Montreal in 1976.

Professional path: from April 17th, 1977 to June 27th, 1988.

Trainer: Eddie Futch

World champion of cruiser-weight from July 18th, 1981 to June 6th, 1985; World champion of heavy from September 21st, 1985 to September 6th, 1986.

32 Combat - 31 Victories including 21 before the limit - 1 Defeat including 1 before the limit.

15 Combat in championship of the World - 14 Victories including 9 before the limit - 1 Defeat including 1 before the limit.

Spinks gained 93 of its 100 combat amateurs. It gained the gold medal with the Olympic Games of 1976 in Montreal. Spinks spent professional on April 17th, 1977 and gained its first 31 engagements.

Biography

It is into 1979 that the career of Spinks took another dimension, thanks to its victories over the former world champion of the super-means Murray Sutherland and over the former world champion of cruiser-weight the John Conteh.

July 18th, 1981, Spinks gained the championship of the World of the cruiser-weight WBA against Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, by KB with the 12th round.

After several victorious defenses, Spinks had become a superstar in the world of boxing. The specialists claimed a combat of unification against champion WBC Dwight Muhammad Qawi. But a tragedy struck its life, when in January 1983, his/her boyfriend died in an car accident, leaving it only with his/her three year old daughter.

Finally, on March 18th, 1983, two months after the death of his/her boyfriend, Spinks met Qawi. Spinks had one very hard moment when his/her daughter asked him in the cloakroom, before her combat, if his/her mother would come to see it. Spinks started to cry, but went up on the boxing ring, where Qawi awaited it to unify the crown. Spinks went to the carpet to the 8th round, but it was raised and gained the combat at the points. It defended the title once again before the end of the year, against Oscar Rivadeneira in Alaska, that it beaten by one ten round knock-outs.

Spinks fought only once in 1984, preserving its crown at the points against Eddie Davis. It was to meet Qawi again when this one was wounded during the drive.

In 1985, Spinks beats David Sears and Jim McDonald, both per KB, before facing Larry Holmes for title IBF. September 21st, 1985, Spinks gained the combat at the points and became thus the first world champion of cruiser-weight to gain the championship of the World of the heavy ones. After this combat, Michael and Leon Spinks became the first pair of brothers to becoming world champions.

April 19th, 1986, Spinks granted a revenge to Holmes for the same result. Then, it was relieved of its crown IBF, to have refused to fight against its challenger, Tony Tucker, and to have accepted a more important offer to face Gerry Cooney for a combat without title concerned. Spinks put Cooney KB in five rounds and, after Mike Tyson unified the title of the heavy trucks, the supporters claimed a super combat between them.

June 27th, 1988, this combat took place and Tyson inflicted its first defeat with Spinks, by putting it KB at the first round.

After this combat, Spinks took its retirement. It deals now with young boxers with his former manager, Butch Lewis.

Simple: Michael Spinks

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