Editing Leon Spinks (section)

===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>