Wiki: Michael Spinks - upcScavenger

Michael Spinks (born July 22, 1956) 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 boxing 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",Lotierzo, Frank J., "Michael Spinks: A Real Champion" Viewing Boxing From Ringside, Tom Donelson, Editor (Writers Club Press, 2002), p. 112 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. Michael Spinks married Florence Anthony on January 6, 2026 in New York City. The couple dated since 1987.

Amateur career

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. 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. U.S. boxers reap five Olympic gold medals (AP), Walla Walla Union Bulletin, August 1, 1976, p. 17.

Highlights

Compiled an amateur record of (93-7)
Won the 1974 Light Middleweight (156 lb.) National Golden Gloves Championship.
Made it to the finals of the 1975 National AAU, losing to Tommy Brooks
Won the 1976 Middleweight (165 lb.) National Golden Gloves Championship in Miami, Florida.
Won the Middleweight Gold Medal for the United States at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Olympic results

at the XXI Summer Olympics (165 lbs), Montreal, Canada, July 1976:

Round of 32: bye
Round of 16: Defeated Jean-Marie Emebe (Cameroon) by walkover
Quarterfinal: Defeated Ryszard Pasiewicz (Poland) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Semifinal: Defeated Alec Năstac (Romania) by walkover
Final: Defeated Rufat Riskiyev (Soviet Union) RSC 3

Spinks finished his amateur career with a record of 93 wins (35 knockouts,) 7 losses.BoxRec, Michael Spinks

Hiatus

With the Olympics behind him, Spinks returned to work at a chemical factory in St. Louis, Missouri, "scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets," as one source tells it. He had no big contracts awaiting him and, while Michael appeared to experts to be the more promising of the two brothers, Leon was at that time the big shooting star, a television staple of ABC Sports, on his way to a shot at heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Michael had their mother to care for, and he was intent on helping Leon prepare for Ali. All of this pushed Michael's career to the back burner. It was Butch Lewis in 1977 who convinced Michael to turn professional.Oates, Joyce Carol, & John Ranard, On Boxing (HarperCollins Publishers, 1987, 1995, 2006), p. 34Lotierzo, Frank J., "Michael Spinks: A Real Champion" Viewing Boxing From Ringside, Tom Donelson, Editor (Writers Club Press, 2002), pgs. 111-12

Professional career

Early years

Spinks then turned professional with a win over Eddie Benson, knocking him out in one round on April 17, 1977, in Las Vegas. With that, Spinks began a 31 fight winning streak that would almost extend to the end of his career. After four more wins, Spinks finished '77 with the first fight that began a gradual ascent in opposition quality: an eight-round decision over Gary Summerhays, a popular young boxer of the time.

In 1978, Spinks won two fights, including an eight-round decision over former world Middleweight title challenger Tom Bethea, in the same undercard where his brother Leon dethroned Ali as world Heavyweight champion in Las Vegas.

1979 saw Spinks get less than three minutes of boxing action inside a ring, with his only fight ending in a first round knockout of Marc Hans, but in 1980, Spinks took his ascent towards the top to another level, when he beat future IBF super-middleweight champion Murray Sutherland, David Conteh, and fringe contenders Ramon Ronquillo and Alvaro Yaqui Lopez (who challenged for a world title four times). Of his five wins that year, three came by knockout, Sutherland and Johnny Wilburn being the only ones who lasted the distance.

First world title

By 1981, Spinks was already a top ranked contender, and after beating former and future world light-heavyweight champion Marvin Johnson by a knockout in four rounds, the WBA made Spinks their number one challenger, and so, on July 18 of that year, he met WBA light-heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, once again in Las Vegas. Spinks dropped Mustafa Muhammad in round 12 and went on to become the WBA light heavyweight champion with a 15-round decision win. He defended the title once in '81, beating Vonzell Johnson by a knockout in seven.

1982 began with a knockout victory over Mustafa Wassaja. Spinks had become a superstar, at least in the boxing world. He began appearing on the covers of boxing magazines and boxing fans started clamoring for a unification fight with WBC champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Tragedy struck his life, however, when in January 1983, his 24-year-old wife, Sandy Massey, died in a car crash, leaving Spinks the single parent of his two-year-old daughter, Michelle.

Spinks vs Qawi

Meanwhile, the fight all the fans wanted was being asked for by boxing critics and magazine editors, too. On March 18, two months after his wife's death, Spinks and Qawi met in a boxing ring for the undisputed light heavyweight championship. The fight was broadcast by HBO World Championship Boxing, and, according to the book , Spinks had a very tough moment to overcome before it even started: His daughter asked him, while he was in his dressing room, if her mother would come to watch the fight. After breaking into tears he composed himself and dominated the fight with his jab and plenty of strategic hooks and crosses. He repeatedly stopped Qawi in his tracks over the first 11 rounds but cautiously waited for Qawi to come out of his crouched defense to resume his assault. Qawi scored a knockdown in round eight. The official scores were 144–140, 144–141, and 144–141, all for Spinks, who was now the undisputed world Light Heavyweight champion. He defended the title one more time before the end of the year, against Oscar Rivadeneira, whom he beat by a ten-round knockout.

Spinks fought only once in 1984, retaining his crown with a twelve-round majority decision over Eddie Davis. He and Qawi were only a couple of weeks away from fighting a rematch in September of that year, but that fight got called off when Qawi was injured during training. Spinks also was recognized as IBF Light heavyweight champion in 1984.

Holmes vs Spinks

In 1985, Spinks beat David Sears and Jim McDonald, both by knockout, in title defenses, before challenging Larry Holmes for the IBF and lineal heavyweight championship. Holmes was trying to tie Rocky Marciano's record of 49–0 as the heavyweight champion, but it was Spinks who made history that night, winning a controversial and narrow fifteen-round unanimous decision and becoming the first ever world light-heavyweight champion to win the world heavyweight title. His controversial victory over Holmes was named Ring Magazine Upset of the Year. With this, Michael and Leon had also become the first pair of brothers ever to be world heavyweight champions, followed two decades later by Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko.

Heavyweight champion

In 1986, Spinks and Holmes fought a rematch as part of the heavyweight unification series, and had nearly the same result, this time Spinks winning by a 15-round split decision. After that, he retained the world heavyweight championship once again, by a knockout in four against Steffen Tangstad. In 1987 he was stripped of the crown by the IBF for refusing to fight their mandatory challenger, Tony Tucker, and accepting a higher offer to fight Gerry Cooney instead. Spinks knocked out Cooney in five rounds, and after Mike Tyson had unified the heavyweight belts, fans started clamoring for a fight between them as many still recognized Spinks as the legitimate lineal champion.

Spinks vs Tyson

The fight between Spinks and Mike Tyson took place in June 1988, with Tyson knocking Spinks down twice on his way to a first-round knockout. Tyson and Dwight Muhammad Qawi were the only fighters to officially floor Spinks. It was Spinks's first defeat in the professional ring, and his last, as he retired following the fight. In this fight he was badly affected by fear.

Spinks had a record of 31 wins and 0 losses, prior to the fight, with 21 wins by knockout as a professional, and still held The Ring magazine heavyweight title, and had a legitimate claim to the Lineal heavyweight championship, for he never had been beaten for his title before them being stripped from him. And he only lost recognition for both when he lost to Tyson.

In addition to his success as a heavyweight, Spinks is generally considered one of the greatest light-heavyweight champions and fighters of all time. He was the only light-heavyweight champion to remain undefeated in the entire history of the division since its inception in 1903 (until Joe Calzaghe), as well as the only reigning light-heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight title.

The Ring Magazine in 2002 ranked Spinks as the third greatest light-heavyweight of all time, behind Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore, but ahead of Tommy Loughran, Bob Foster, Harold Johnson, Maxie Rosenbloom and Billy Conn. Furthermore, Spinks did what no other light-heavyweight champion had ever done up to that point: move up to win the world heavyweight championship, by decisioning IBF champion Larry Holmes in 1985.BoxRec, Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time, As selected by The Ring magazine in various years, Lt Heavyweights, September 2002 Issue

On The Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time, Spinks was ranked 42nd.

On The Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, released in 2002, Spinks ranked 41st. The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, as selected by the Ring Magazine in the Annual 2002 Volume II Issue

East Side Boxing said in its tribute to Spinks, "Michael Spinks went undefeated fighting during the deepest era in Light Heavyweight history. And he beat the real heavyweight champion to win the title, who was also undefeated. Michael Spinks is the most accomplished light heavyweight champion in history."Lotierzo, Franbk "Michael Spinks: An Appreciation"

Retirement and later years

Spinks was once believed to be one of the few top fighters who left the sport of boxing with both a decent amount of money and being seemingly unharmed, free of permanent injuries. However he has shown signs of slurred speech since the 2020s, and he has been in litigation over the loss of his $24 million fortune. Aside from a rare event honoring him and occasionally attending fights, Spinks has largely remained off the boxing scene and out of the public eye. Ken Hissner reported that, "In October 2007 he was introduced into the ring at the Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. He seemed quite at home in the ring waving and talking to the fans."Hissner, Ken, "Michael Spinks Interview - From Olympic Boxing Champ to Rocking the Pro Scene!", May 27, 2010 Doghouse Boxing.

Spinks lives on a five-acre spread in Greenville, Delaware. However, he has been known for visiting schools—carrying his gold medal and four title belts—where he tells kids to pursue their dreams. "Most of the kids don't have a clue who I am," he says, "but they listen when they see all the gold."O'Keefe, John, "Michael Spinks, Champion Boxer" Sports Illustrated Magazine, Volume 91, No. 5, August 9, 1999, p. 20.

For years he remained close to his former promoter, Butch Lewis, training fighters and making rare public appearances at events promoted by Lewis.Eisele, Andrew, "Michael Spinks from 1976 Summer Olympics" About.com Boxing

In 2011, however, after Lewis died from natural causes,Goldstein, Richard, "Butch Lewis, Flashy Promoter for Boxing's Spinks Brothers, Dies at 65" New York Times, July 24, 2011 it was reported that Spinks had sued Lewis's estate in a Delaware Chancery Court, alleging that the promoter had failed to properly manage more than $24 million Spinks had earned in the ring and had violated their agreements that Lewis would continue to manage Spinks's money and pay his living expenses for the rest of the boxer's life. The lawsuit alleged that he commingled his personal funds with Spinks's and used Spinks's money to pay his and his children's own personal and business expenses. Also named as a defendant was Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, head of the real estate firm of RLJ Development LLC, in Bethesda, Maryland, and one of the executors of Lewis's $8.5 million estate.

According to Spinks's lawyers, following Lewis's death Johnson and attorney Leonard Williams stopped the payments without telling him, which in turn caused Spinks's health insurance to lapse and bills totaling up to $50,000 a month to go unpaid. "Spinks had to invade his pension and retirement funds and incur significant taxes and penalties in order to meet these obligations," the boxer's lawyers added in the filings.

Spinks asked that the court bar Johnson and Williams from transferring any further assets from Lewis's estate until there can be a full accounting and payments to Spinks are resumed.Feeley, Jef, & and Phil Milford, "Boxing Champion Michael Spinks Sues Former Promoter's Estate" Bloomberg Business Week, October 14, 2011; the case is Michael Spinks v. the Estate of Ronald E. "Butch" Lewis, 6931, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington).

Professional boxing record

32	Loss	31–1	Mike Tyson	KO	1 (12),	Jun 27, 1988
31	Win	31–0	Gerry Cooney	TKO	5 (15),	Jun 15, 1987
30	Win	30–0	Steffen Tangstad	TKO	4 (15),	Sep 6, 1986
29	Win	29–0	Larry Holmes		15	Apr 19, 1986
28	Win	28–0	Larry Holmes	UD	15	Sep 21, 1985
27	Win	27–0	Jim MacDonald	TKO	8 (15),	Jun 6, 1985
26	Win	26–0	David Sears	TKO	3 (12),	Feb 23, 1985
25	Win	25–0	Eddie Davis	UD	12	Feb 25, 1984
24	Win	24–0	Oscar Rivadeneyra	TKO	10 (15),	Nov 25, 1983
23	Win	23–0	Dwight Muhammad Qawi	UD	15	Mar 18, 1983
22	Win	22–0	Johnny Davis	TKO	9 (15),	Sep 18, 1982
21	Win	21–0	Jerry Celestine	TKO	8 (15),	Jun 12, 1982
20	Win	20–0	Murray Sutherland	TKO	8 (15),	Apr 11, 1982
19	Win	19–0	Mustafa Wassaja	TKO	6 (15),	Feb 13, 1982
18	Win	18–0	Vonzell Johnson	TKO	7 (15),	Nov 7, 1981
17	Win	17–0	Eddie Mustafa Muhammad	UD	15	Jul 18, 1981
16	Win	16–0	Marvin Johnson	KO	4 (10),	Mar 28, 1981
15	Win	15–0	Willie Taylor	TKO	8 (10),	Jan 24, 1981
14	Win	14–0	Yaqui Lopez	TKO	7 (10),	Oct 18, 1980
13	Win	13–0	David Conteh	TKO	9 (10),	Aug 2, 1980
12	Win	12–0	Murray Sutherland	UD	10	May 4, 1980
11	Win	11–0	Ramon Ranquello	TKO	6 (10),	Feb 24, 1980
10	Win	10–0	Johnny Wilburn	UD	8	Feb 1, 1980
9	Win	9–0	Marc Hans	TKO	1 (8)	Nov 24, 1979
8	Win	8–0	Eddie Phillips	KO	4 (8),	Dec 15, 1978
7	Win	7–0	Tom Bethea	UD	8	Feb 15, 1978
6	Win	6–0	Gary Summerhays	UD	8	Oct 22, 1977
5	Win	5–0	Ray Elson	KO	1 (8),	Sep 13, 1977
4	Win	4–0	Jasper Brisbane	TKO	2 (6),	Aug 23, 1977
3	Win	3–0	Joe Borden		2 (6),	Jun 1, 1977
2	Win	2–0	Luis Rodriguez		6	May 7, 1977
1	Win	1–0	Eddie Benson		1 (6),	Apr 16, 1977