Michael Spinks
| Michael Spinks | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Spinks in 1987 | ||||||||||||||
| Statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Real name | Michael Spinks | |||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Jinx | |||||||||||||
| Weight(s) |
| |||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 1⁄2 in (189 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1956-07-13) July 13, 1956[1] St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 32 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 31 | |||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 21 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | |||||||||||||
Medal record
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Michael Spinks (born July 13, 1956)[a] is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1988. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the undisputed light heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985, and the lineal heavyweight title from 1985 to 1988. As an amateur he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Nicknamed "Jinx", which spawned the nickname of his right hand, "The Spinks Jinx",[5][6] 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 such opponents as Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Marvin Johnson and Eddie Davis en route to becoming the undisputed light heavyweight champion. Following ten successful title defenses, Spinks moved up to heavyweight, and as an underdog defeated long-reigning IBF heavyweight champion Larry Holmes; 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 ten greatest light heavyweights of all time.[7][8]
Contents
1 Amateur career
1.1 Highlights
2 1976 Olympic results
3 Professional career
3.1 Early years
3.2 First world title
3.3 Spinks vs Qawi
3.4 Holmes vs Spinks
3.5 Spinks vs Tyson
4 Life after boxing
5 Professional boxing record
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links
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.[citation needed] 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. He went on to defeat the Soviet Union's Rufat Riskiev to win the Gold Medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Spinks finished with a 93-7 amateur record with 35 knockouts.[9]
With the Olympics behind him, Spinks returned to work at a chemical factory in St. Louis, "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.[6][10][11]
Highlights
- Compiled an amateur record of (93-7)[9]
- 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[citation needed]
- 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.
1976 Olympic results
Below are the results of Michael Spinks, a middleweight boxer from the United States who competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics:
- Round of 32: bye
- Round of 16: Defeated Jean-Marie Emebe (Cameroon) walkover
- Quarterfinal: Defeated Ryszard Pasiewicz (Poland) points
- Semifinal: Defeated Alec Năstac (Romania) walkover
- Final: Defeated Rufat Riskiyev (Soviet Union) TKO 3 (won gold medal)
From Mt Scott Community Center in Portland, Oregon.
Professional career
Early years
Spinks then turned professional with a win over Eddie Benson, knocked 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.[12] The fight was broadcast by HBO World Championship Boxing, and, according to the book The Ring: Boxing the 20th Century, 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 in Alaska, 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.[13] 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.
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 was the only fighter to floor Spinks. It would be Spinks's first defeat in the professional ring, as well as his last, as he retired following the fight.
Spinks had a record of 31 wins and 1 loss, with 21 wins by knockout as a professional.
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 was ever able to do: move up to win the world heavyweight championship, by decisioning IBF champion Larry Holmes in 1985.[14]
On The Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time, Spinks was ranked 42nd.[15]
On The Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, released in 2002, Spinks ranked 41st.[16]
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."[17]
Life after boxing
Spinks is the rare top fighter who left the sport with both money and his health and never returned to the ring. 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."[18]
The former champion lives privately in a seven-bedroom house, not including the guest house, on a five-acre spread outside Wilmington, 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."[19]
For years he remained close to his former promoter, Butch Lewis, training fighters and making rare public appearances at events promoted by Lewis.[20]
In 2011, however, after Lewis died from natural causes,[21] 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' 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.[22]
Professional boxing record
Professional record summary | ||
32 fights | 31 wins | 1 loss |
By knockout | 21 | 1 |
By decision | 10 | 0 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Loss | 31–1 |  Mike Tyson | KO | 1 (12), 1:31 | Jun 27, 1988 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Lost The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles; For WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles |
| 31 | Win | 31–0 | Gerry Cooney | TKO | 5 (15), 2:51 | Jun 15, 1987 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles |
| 30 | Win | 30–0 |  Steffen Tangstad | TKO | 4 (15), 0:58 | Sep 6, 1986 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Retained IBF, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles |
| 29 | Win | 29–0 | Larry Holmes | SD | 15 | Apr 19, 1986 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Retained IBF, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles |
| 28 | Win | 28–0 | Larry Holmes | UD | 15 | Sep 21, 1985 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Won IBF, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles |
| 27 | Win | 27–0 | Jim MacDonald | TKO | 8 (15), 1:30 | Jun 6, 1985 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring, and lineal light heavyweight titles |
| 26 | Win | 26–0 | David Sears | TKO | 3 (12), 1:02 | Feb 23, 1985 | Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring, and lineal light heavyweight titles |
| 25 | Win | 25–0 | Eddie Davis | UD | 12 | Feb 25, 1984 | Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal light heavyweight titles; Won vacant IBF light heavyweight title |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 |  Oscar Rivadeneyra | TKO | 10 (15), 1:42 | Nov 25, 1983 |  Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Retained WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal light heavyweight titles |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Dwight Muhammad Qawi | UD | 15 | Mar 18, 1983 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained WBA light heavyweight title; Won WBC, The Ring, and vacant lineal light heavyweight titles |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Johnny Davis | TKO | 9 (15), 2:27 | Sep 18, 1982 | Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained WBA light heavyweight title |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Jerry Celestine | TKO | 8 (15), 1:58 | Jun 12, 1982 | Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained WBA light heavyweight title |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 |  Murray Sutherland | TKO | 8 (15), 1:24 | Apr 11, 1982 | Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained WBA light heavyweight title |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 |  Mustafa Wassaja | TKO | 6 (15), 1:36 | Feb 13, 1982 | Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained WBA light heavyweight title |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Vonzell Johnson | TKO | 7 (15), 1:13 | Nov 7, 1981 | Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Retained WBA light heavyweight title |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Eddie Mustafa Muhammad | UD | 15 | Jul 18, 1981 | Imperial Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Won WBA light heavyweight title |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Marvin Johnson | KO | 4 (10), 1:22 | Mar 28, 1981 | Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Willie Taylor | TKO | 8 (10), 2:40 | Jan 24, 1981 | Martin Luther King Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 |  Yaqui Lopez | TKO | 7 (10), 0:46 | Oct 18, 1980 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | David Conteh | TKO | 9 (10), 2:35 | Aug 2, 1980 | Riverside Centroplex, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Murray Sutherland | UD | 10 | May 4, 1980 | Concord Resort Hotel, Thompson, New York, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Ramon Ranquello | TKO | 6 (10), 3:00 | Feb 24, 1980 | Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Johnny Wilburn | UD | 8 | Feb 1, 1980 | Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Marc Hans | TKO | 1 (8) | Nov 24, 1979 | Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Eddie Phillips | KO | 4 (8), 1:33 | Dec 15, 1978 | Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Tom Bethea | UD | 8 | Feb 15, 1978 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Gary Summerhays | UD | 8 | Oct 22, 1977 | The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Ray Elson | KO | 1 (8), 0:51 | Sep 13, 1977 | Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Jasper Brisbane | TKO | 1 (6), 2:56 | Aug 23, 1977 | Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Joe Borden | KO | 2 (6), 2:20 | Jun 1, 1977 | Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Luis Rodriguez | UD | 6 | May 7, 1977 | Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Eddie Benson | TKO | 1 (6), 2:55 | Apr 16, 1977 | The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Professional debut |
See also
 |
|
- List of lineal boxing world champions
- List of light heavyweight boxing champions
- List of heavyweight boxing champions
- List of WBA world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of IBF world champions
Notes
^ Encyclopædia Britannica gives Spinks birthdate as July 13th.[1]The New York Times gave his birtdate as July 13 in an article published in 1987[2] and World Boxing Association published an article on his 60th birthday on July 13 2016[3]. In 2010 Sports Illustrated included Spinks in a list of persons born on July 22nd.[4]
References
^ ab The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Michael Spinks AMERICAN BOXER". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 13 June 2018.Michael Spinks, (born July 13, 1956, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.), American boxer …
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^ Anderson, Dave (October 18, 1987). "Sports of The Times; Not Really the Undisputed Champion". The New York Times. p. 5005005. Retrieved 14 June 2018.In contrast, Spinks, depending on how often he fights until then, might be a little rusty. He will surely be a little older. He'll turn 32 on July 13.
^ Clarence George (13 July 2016). "Light Heavyweight Great Michael Spinks Turns 60". World Boxing Association. Retrieved 14 June 2018.Michael Spinks, generally considered among the greatest light heavyweights of all time, celebrates his 60th birthday today.
^ No author (July 22, 2010). "Back in Time: July 22". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 13 June 2018.BORN ON THIS DAY … Michael Spinks (1956) …
^ Lotierzo, Frank J., "Michael Spinks: A Real Champion" Viewing Boxing From Ringside, Tom Donelson, Editor (Writers Club Press, 2002), p. 112
^ ab Lotierzo, Frank J. "'Spinks Jinx' Charmed and Unparalleled at Light Heavyweight". East Side Boxing. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
^ "Light-heavyweight". IBRO. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
^ "World all light-heavyweight ratings". BoxRec. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
^ ab BoxRec, Michael Spinks
^ Oates, Joyce Carol, & John Ranard, On Boxing (HarperCollins Publishers, 1987, 1995, 2006), p. 34
^ Lotierzo, Frank J., "Michael Spinks: A Real Champion" Viewing Boxing From Ringside, Tom Donelson, Editor (Writers Club Press, 2002), pgs. 111-12
^ "The Lineal Light Heavyweight Champions". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia.
^ "The Lineal Heavyweight Champions". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2009-06-08.
^ BoxRec, Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time, As selected by The Ring magazine in various years, Lt Heavyweights, September 2002 Issue
^ "The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!". The Ring Yearbook: 2003 Edition: 96. October 2003.
^ The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, as selected by the Ring Magazine in the Annual 2002 Volume II Issue
^ Lotierzo, Franbk "Michael Spinks: An Appreciation"
^ Hissner, Ken, "Michael Spinks Interview - From Olympic Boxing Champ to Rocking the Pro Scene!", May 27, 2010 Doghouse Boxing.
^ O'Keefe, John, "Michael Spinks, Champion Boxer" Sports Illustrated Magazine, Volume 91, No. 5, August 9, 1999, p. 20.
^ Eisele, Andrew, "Michael Spinks from 1976 Summer Olympics" About.com Boxing
^ Goldstein, Richard, "Butch Lewis, Flashy Promoter for Boxing's Spinks Brothers, Dies at 65" New York Times, July 24, 2011
^ 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).
Further reading
Florio, John; Shapiro, Ouisie (2013). One Punch from the Promised Land: Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, and the Myth of the Heavyweight Title. Lyons Press. p. 279. ISBN 978-0-7627-8300-7.
External links
Professional boxing record for Michael Spinks from BoxRec
Michael Spinks profile at Cyber Boxing Zone
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amateur boxing titles | ||||
| Previous: Dale Grant | U.S. Golden Gloves light middleweight champion 1974 | Next: Ray Phillips | ||
| Previous: Tom Sullivan | U.S. Golden Gloves middleweight champion 1976 | Next: Keith Broom | ||
| World boxing titles | ||||
| Preceded by Eddie Mustafa Muhammad | WBA light heavyweight champion July 18, 1981 – September 21, 1985 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Marvin Johnson | ||
| Preceded by Dwight Muhammad Qawi | WBC light heavyweight champion March 18, 1983 – September 21, 1985 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by J. B. Williamson | ||
The Ring light heavyweight champion March 18, 1983 – September 21, 1985 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Roy Jones Jr. | |||
Vacant Title last held by Bob Foster | Undisputed light heavyweight champion March 18, 1983 – September 21, 1985 Vacated | |||
Lineal light heavyweight champion March 18, 1983 – September 21, 1985 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Virgil Hill | |||
Inaugural champion | IBF light heavyweight champion February 25, 1984 – September 21, 1985 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Slobodan Kačar | ||
| Preceded by Larry Holmes | IBF heavyweight champion September 21, 1985 – February 19, 1987 Stripped | Vacant Title next held by Tony Tucker | ||
The Ring heavyweight champion September 21, 1985 – June 27, 1988 | Succeeded by Mike Tyson | |||
Lineal heavyweight champion September 21, 1985 – June 27, 1988 | ||||
| Awards | ||||
| Previous: Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier | BWAA Fighter of the Year 1976 With: Howard Davis Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Leo Randolph, and Leon Spinks | Next: Ken Norton | ||
| Previous: Gene Hatcher TKO11 Johnny Bumphus | The Ring Upset of the Year UD15 Larry Holmes 1985 | Next: Lloyd Honeyghan RTD6 Donald Curry | ||
Olympic boxing champions – men's middleweight | |
|---|---|
1904: 145–158 lb (65.8–71.7 kg), 1908: 140–158 lb (63.5–71.7 kg), 1920–1936: 147–160 lb (66.7–72.6 kg), 1948: 67–73 kg 1952–2000: 71–75 kg, 2004–2012: 69–75 kg | |
|
Charles Mayer 
Johnny Douglas 
Piero Toscani 
Carmen Barth 
Jean Despeaux 
László Papp 
Gennadiy Shatkov 
Eddie Crook, Jr. 
Michael Spinks 
José Gómez 
Shin Joon-sup 
Henry Maske 
Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov 
Ryōta Murata 1976 USA Olympic Boxing Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Athletes |
|  |
| Coaches | — | |
