Editing Leon Spinks (section)

==Professional career==
Spinks debuted professionally on January 15, 1977, in [[Las Vegas|Las Vegas, Nevada]], beating Bob Smith by knockout in five rounds.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leon Spinks Pro Debut Stops Bob Smith This Day January 15, 1977 – Boxing Hall of Fame |url=https://boxinghalloffame.com/leon-spinks-pro-debut-stops-bob-smith-this-day-january-15-1977/ |website=Boxing Hall of Fame |access-date=February 6, 2021}}</ref> His next fight was in [[Liverpool|Liverpool, England]], where he beat Peter Freeman by a first-round knockout.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ex-Bolton boxer Peter Freeman has no regrets about the day 'Neon' Leon Spinks put his lights out |url=https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/other_sport/15779660.ex-bolton-boxer-peter-freeman-has-no-regrets-about-the-day-neon-leon-spinks-put-his-lights-out/ |website=The Bolton News |date=December 19, 2017 |access-date=February 6, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Later, he saw an improvement in opposition quality, when he fought Pedro Agosto of [[Puerto Rico]] and knocked him out in round one.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leon Spinks KOs Pedro Agosto This Day May 7, 1977 – Boxing Hall of Fame |url=https://boxinghalloffame.com/leon-spinks-kos-agosto-may-7-1977/ |website=Boxing Hall of Fame |access-date=February 6, 2021}}</ref> He then fought [[Scott LeDoux]] to a draw and defeated Italian champion Alfio Righetti in a decision.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goodpaster |first1=Mike |title=Scott LeDoux: The Fighting Frenchman and his shot at the title |url=https://thegruelingtruth.com/boxing/scott-ledoux-the-fighting-frenchman-and-his-shot-at-the-title/ |website=The Grueling Truth |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=April 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Amato |first1=Jim |title=Alfio Righetti |url=http://www.myboxingfans.com/2010/05/alfio-righetti/ |website=www.myboxingfans.com |date=May 3, 2010 |access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref>

===Spinks vs. Ali===
{{Main|Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks}}
At the time a lower-ranked contender, he made history on February 15, 1978, by decisively beating [[Muhammad Ali]] on a 15-round split decision, that was in actuality fairly one-sided, in Las Vegas, Nevada.<ref name="espn">{{cite web |title=Leon Spinks, ex-champ who upset Ali, dies at 67 |url=https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/30848782/leon-spinks-ex-heavyweight-champ-upset-muhammad-ali-dies-67 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=February 7, 2021 |language=en |date=February 6, 2021}}</ref> Spinks won the world heavyweight title in his eighth professional fight, the shortest span in history.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ruiz |first1=Michael |title=Boxing legend Leon Spinks dies at 67 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/sports/boxing-legend-leon-spinks-dies-at-67 |website=Fox News |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=February 6, 2021}}</ref> The aging Ali had expected an easy fight, but he was out-boxed by Spinks, who did not tire throughout the bout and had Ali ready to fall in the last seconds of the fight.<ref name="espn" /> 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's career.<ref name="espn" /> 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's gap-toothed grin was featured on the cover of the February 19, 1978 issue of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Putnam |first1=Pat |title=SI Vault: Ali takes sloppy win, title from Spinks |url=https://www.si.com/boxing/2015/09/24/muhammad-ali-leon-spinks-heavyweight-championship-vault |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=February 7, 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref>

However, Spinks was stripped of his world title by the [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] for refusing to defend it against [[Ken Norton]], instead agreeing to a return bout against Ali to defend his [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] crown.<ref name="espn" /> The title, stripped from Spinks, was then awarded to Norton.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spinks Stripped of Crown; W.B.C. Recognizes Norton (Published 1978) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/19/archives/spinks-stripped-of-crown-wbc-recognizes-norton-suit-seems-likely.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=March 19, 1978}}</ref>

===Rematch===
{{Main|Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II}}
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.<ref name="espn" /> Ali regained the title, becoming the first three-time [[Lineal championship|lineal heavyweight champion]].<ref name=CBZ>{{cite web |title=Leon Spinks |url=http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/leon.htm |website=Cyber Boxing Zone|access-date=November 20, 2016}}</ref> 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]]).

===Career development===
{{main|Larry Holmes vs. Leon Spinks}}
[[File:Leon Spinks 2.jpg|thumb|250px|upright=3.|Spinks defeated Ray Kipping on June 19, 1995, in [[St. Louis]]]]
[[File:Leon Spinks 3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|upright=3.|Spinks during his final victory held at the "Little Bit of Texas" in St. Louis]]

Spinks's next fight, his only one in 1979, was at [[Monte Carlo]], where he was knocked out in the first round by future WBA world heavyweight champion [[Gerrie Coetzee]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brady |first1=Dave |title=Spinks Wasn't in Shape, Former Trainer Opines |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1979/06/26/spinks-wasnt-in-shape-former-trainer-opines/5886a451-b2ed-4ca2-a501-a24eccf11c48/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=June 26, 1979}}</ref> In the following fight, Spinks defeated former world title challenger and European title holder [[Alfredo Evangelista]] by a knockout in round 5.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Nack |first1=William |title=Spinks was no sphinx |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1980/01/21/spinks-was-no-sphinx-inscrutable-leon-got-his-act-together-for-now-and-kod-alfredo-evangelista |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=February 7, 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref> He then fought to a draw in with Eddie López,<ref>{{cite web |title=Whicker: Remembering Eddie Lopez, the animal who laughed |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/22/remembering-eddie-lopez-the-animal-who-laughed/ |website=Orange County Register |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=July 23, 2017}}</ref> scored a knockout over Kevin Isaac in May,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Katz |first1=Michael |title=Leon Spinks in search of himself and title |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/08/sports/leon-spinks-in-search-of-himself-and-title.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=June 8, 1981}}</ref> and, in October, beat the WBC's top-ranked challenger, [[Bernardo Mercado]], by a knockout in round nine on the undercard of [[Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes]].<ref>{{cite news |title='U.S. Title' Captured By Spinks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1980/10/03/us-title-captured-by-spinks/102bed64-72fb-4fc3-86a3-fd25fb5a79b5/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref>

His strong performance against Mercado earned Spinks a title match against [[Larry Holmes]]. In Spinks's only fight in 1981, on June 12 and what would be his last opportunity to win the heavyweight title, he took multiple punches without responding in the third round and the referee stopped the  fight.<ref>{{cite web |title=Larry Holmes knocks out Leon Spinks in third round for title |url=https://qconline.com/news/archives/1981-larry-holmes-knocks-out-leon-spinks-in-third-round-for-title/image_07c4cc28-7be9-54c4-9953-66616f273065.html |website=Dispatch Argus |date=June 11, 2020 |access-date=February 7, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

===Move to cruiserweight===
It was Spinks's last heavyweight bout for years, as he began boxing in the [[Cruiserweight (boxing)|cruiserweight]] division. He beat contender Ivy Brown by a decision in ten rounds,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Katz |first1=Michael |title=Leon Spinks starts out in a new class |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/24/sports/leon-spinks-starts-out-in-a-new-class.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=February 24, 1982}}</ref> and gained a decision against former and future title challenger [[Jesse Burnett]] in twelve rounds.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Katz |first1=Michael |title=Leon Spinks returns with a victory |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/01/sports/leon-spinks-returns-with-a-victory.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=November 1, 1982}}</ref>

Spinks was due to face the World Cruiserweight number one [[David Pearce (boxer)|David Pearce]], but the fight was called off on 24 hours notice after the fighters had both weighed in, due to the BBBoC stance on Pearce fighting abroad in the newly formed Cruiserweight division.<ref>{{cite web |title=David Pearce: Statue of 'Newport's Rocky' to inspire boxers |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-44403543?intlink_from_url=&link_location=live-reporting-story |website=BBC News |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=June 9, 2018}}</ref>

When his brother Michael Spinks defeated Larry Holmes in a controversial upset for the IBF heavyweight championship in 1985, they became the only brothers to have held world heavyweight championships. They kept the distinction until the [[Klitschko brothers]] became champions two decades later.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hummel |first1=Rick |title=St. Louisan and former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks dies at 67 |url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/st-louisan-and-former-heavyweight-champion-leon-spinks-jr-dies-at-67/article_2c41c5dc-0719-5f1e-a74e-6368605513cf.html |website=STLtoday.com |date=February 7, 2021 |access-date=February 7, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

In the 1980s Leon Spinks competed in several boxer vs. wrestler matches in [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]] (NJPW), including losing by submission to [[Antonio Inoki]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Boxing Legend Leon Spinks, Who Once Had Match With Antonio Inoki, Dead At 67 |url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/boxing-legend-leon-spinks-who-once-had-match-with-antonio-inoki-dead-at-67/ |website=411mania.com |access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref> In 1986 Spinks earned his last championship opportunity, fighting [[Dwight Muhammad Qawi]] for the WBA cruiserweight championship.<ref name="cbs">{{cite web |title=Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks dies at 67 after lengthy cancer battle |url=https://www.cbssports.com/boxing/news/former-heavyweight-champion-leon-spinks-dies-at-67-after-lengthy-cancer-battle/ |website=CBSSports.com |date=February 7, 2021 |access-date=February 7, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Qawi had been defeated by Michael Spinks three years earlier for his WBC light heavyweight championship. However, Leon lost by TKO in the sixth round.<ref name="cbs"/>

Spinks boxed for another eight years with mixed results. In 1994 he lost a bout by KO to John Carlo, the first time a former heavyweight champion had lost to a boxer making his pro debut (promoter Charles Farrell later admitted to falsifying Carlo's record in order to get the fight sanctioned by the [[District of Columbia]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2014/06/13/321664970/the-fix-is-in |title=The Fix Is In |work=[[Snap Judgment (radio show)|Snap Judgment]] |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=June 13, 2014 |access-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> Spinks retired at age 42, after losing an 8-round decision to Fred Houpe in 1995, who was coming off a seventeen-year hiatus.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goldstein |first1=Richard |title=Leon Spinks, Boxer Who Took Ali's Crown and Lost It, Dies at 67 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/06/sports/leon-spinks-dead.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=February 7, 2021}}</ref>