Nigel Spink
From ARFOPEDIA
Nigel Spinks is more correct. He is most famous for aiding and abetting reknowned skiver Jimmy Rimmer in his exploits in Europe.
[edit] See Also
[edit] Boxing Career
He won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, alongside brother Michael Spinks, who also won a gold medal in those games. Two years earlier, at the inaugural 1974 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Havana, Cuba, he captured the bronze medal.
Along with Michael, Sugar Ray Leonard, Leo Randolph and Howard Davis Jr., Spinks was a member of what many consider to be the finest United States national boxing team.
[edit] Professional career
He debuted professionally on January 15, 1977 in Las Vegas, beating Bob Smith by a knockout in five rounds. His next fight, his debut abroad, was in Liverpool, England where he beat Peter Freeman by a knockout in the first round. A couple of fights later, he saw a slight improvement in opposition quality, when he fought Pedro Agosto of Puerto Rico and knocked him out in the first. He then drew with Scott LeDoux and beat Italian champion Alfio Riguetti by a decision.
Spinks then ranked number one among the world's heavyweight challengers. He made history in only his eighth fight, on February 15, 1978, when he beat Muhammad Ali in a 15-round decision in Las Vegas. Spinks became the fastest man ever to win the world heavyweight title when he became champion in only his eighth fight. Ali expected this to be an easy fight, but he was out-hustled by Spinks who never seemed to tire in the bout. The victory over Ali was the peak of Spinks's career. After it, he never again was as efficient as he was against Ali in the first time they fought.
Spinks was known to be a party animal during his period as world heavyweight champion, always enjoying the night life and in the company of multiple women. He even hired a young Mr. T to be one of his bodyguards during that time.
Spinks was stripped of his world title by the WBC for refusing to defend his title against their #1 ranked contender, Ken Norton. Spinks instead agreed to fight a return bout against Ali for the WBA crown. The WBC subsequently named Norton its champion, marking the first time a boxer had been awarded the heavyweight title without winning it in the ring. Ali was the true champion. Nevertheless, because of the WBC's dirty action (ordered by Don King), Spinks was the last undisputed heavyweight champion until the emergence of Mike Tyson.
The second Ali fight was different from the first; Spinks lost the title to Ali in New Orleans at the Louisiana Superdome on September 15, 1978 by a unanimous 15-round decision. This time it was Spinks who did not train hard enough. Ali gave every ounce of himself in this fight and did everything he could to out-smart and out-box Spinks. By regaining the title, Ali became the first three-time heavyweight champion. Spinks continued to come into fights out of shape and was never as effective as he was in the first Ali fight.
In his next fight, his only bout of 1979, he went to Monte Carlo, where he was knocked out in the first round by future world heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee. In 1980, Spinks beat former world title challenger Alfredo Evangelista by a knockout in five, boxed to a draw in ten with Eddie The Animal Lopez, and beat the WBC's number one ranked challenger Bernardo Mercado by a knockout in nine. The Mercado fight took place on the night that Ali challenged Larry Holmes to try to become the first boxer to win the world heavyweight title four times.
After the win over Mercado, Spinks challenged for the world's heavyweight championship once again. In his only fight in 1981, he faced Holmes in Detroit on June 12. Spinks was knocked out in the third round. In 1982, Spinks decided to go down in weight and competed in the Cruiserweights. He beat fringe contender Ivy Brown by a decision in ten rounds, and former and future title challenger Jesse Burnett by decision in twelve rounds.
Spinks boxed on and off from 1981 to 1985, in both heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions. When his brother Michael beat Holmes on September 21, 1985, the Spinks became the first pair of brothers to be world Heavyweight champions. With this victory, Leon was vindicated by his younger brother Michael, as Michael beat Holmes and Leon had been defeated by Larry Holmes (by TKO in the third round).
Spinks performed in several boxer vs. wrestler matches in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1980s, including losing by submission to Antonio Inoki. In 1986 Spinks lost to the WBA's world cruiserweight champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi by a knockout in six rounds, his second attempt at being a two-time world champion.
Spinks boxed for eight more years, with mixed results. In 1994 he lost a bout by KO to John Carlo, noteworthy for being the first time a former heavyweight champion had ever lost to a boxer making his pro debut. This humiliation was increased by the fact that Spinks lost by KO and was unable to land a single punch. He retired after losing by decision in eight to Fred Houpe in 1995. He was 42 years old, ancient by the standards of boxing.
