3 min read Former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks has died, aged 67. His son, Cory Spinks, won world titles as a welterweight and junior middleweight before retiring in 2013. In only his eighth professional bout, Spinks won the undisputed world heavyweight championship when he beat Muhammad Ali on February 15, 1978, in what was considered one of the … However, he lost a rematch with Ali seven months later by unanimous decision. Leon Spinks, who won Olympic gold and then shocked the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in only his eighth pro fight, has died. "He was a great guy to be around. Leonard, who got to know Spinks when they were members of that 1976 U.S. Olympic team, recalled their time together fondly. All Rights Reserved. He was named to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017. Born in St. Louis in 1953, Spinks served in the United States Marine Corps from 1973 until 1976, when he won Olympic gold as a light heavyweight in Montreal. Fresh off his Olympic success, Leon Spinks turned professional the following year. Leon Spinks, who surprised the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1978, died Friday night at age 67, according to … Top Rank joins the boxing community in mourning the passing of Leon Spinks - A true legend, who pulled off one of the greatest Heavyweight upsets of all time in 1978. pic.twitter.com/i3xHjkKNti. LAS VEGAS (AP) — Leon Spinks, who won Olympic gold and then shocked the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in only his eighth pro fight, has died. Born on July 11, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, boxer Leon Spinks won the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games. REWIND: Spinks fought cancer like an opponent in the ring. … Use this page to find out if Leon Spinks is dead or alive. Fighting alongside his brother Michael and a charismatic light welterweight by the name of Ray Leonard, they became most successful U.S. Olympic boxing team in history. “He beat the devil out of Muhammad, from pillar to post, even Muhammad was surprised. Former undisputed heavyweight champion Leon Spinks died on Friday at 67 following a five-year battle with multiple cancers. He … Spinks retired in 1995 at the age of 42 after losing five of his final eight fights. Resident Evil 8 actress Jeanette Maus also died from cancer at 39. Spinks retired in 1995 with a record of 26-17-3. Leon Spinks — former undisputed heavyweight boxing champ who defeated Muhammad Ali in 1978 — has died after a lengthy battle with cancer. Spinks' gap-toothed smile became his trademark as he burst on the scene as an amateur. Leon Spinks, who won Olympic gold and then shocked the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in only his eighth pro fight, has died. Leon Spinks, who shocked the boxing world with his 1978 defeat of Muhammad Ali to claim the heavyweight championship, died Friday in Henderson, Nev. … FILE - In this Feb. 15, 1978, file photo, Leon Spinks celebrates as his entourage holds him aloft after his 15-round split decision victory over world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali in Las Vegas. Spinks, who lived his later years in Las Vegas, died Friday night, according to a release from a public relations firm. Former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, best known for defeating Muhammad Ali in 1978, has died at the age 67, according to a statement from his publicist. According … Funny and hard working. © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Spinks, then 24, pulled the upset in a split decision to win the title. He was 67. He was 67. He was a … Spinks passed away with only a few close friends and family present due to COVID-19 restrictions. The fight saw Spinks make history in just his eighth pro bout as the quickest boxer to win the heavyweight championship. Leon Spinks, the heavyweight boxer who became undisputed world champion by upsetting Muhammad Ali in 1978 before losing a rematch only months later, has died. Can't get enough boxing and MMA? Leon Spinks bio. Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. “Personally speaking, he was one of the nicest guys,'' Leonard told USA TODAY Sports. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He upset Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1978 after just seven professional bouts, but lost the rematch seven months later. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news. Spinks, who had been suffering from prostate and other cancers for five years, died with his wife, Brenda Glur Spinks, by his side, the firm said. Leon Spinks - Biography. He was 67. The older brother of Michael Spinks, a two-division champion and fellow Olympic champion, Leon lost the rematch to Ali just seven months later in front of over 63,000 fans in New Orleans. Boxing legend Leon Spinks died at the age of 67 on Friday night in a Henderson, Nevada, hospital near his home after battling with prostate cancer … Although Spinks would continue fighting professionally for another 17 years, including unsuccessful attempts at heavyweight and cruiserweight titles, most of his career was marked by drug addiction and legal troubles. The St. Louis native, a former Marine who won a gold medal as a light heavyweight at the 1976 Olympics, was just 13 months and eight fights into his pro boxing career when he stepped into a ring against Ali on Feb. 15, 1978, in Las Vegas. He was 67. Leon Spinks was born in St. Louis Missouri, in July 1953. 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. Leon Spinks (July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. Spinks was later stripped of the WBC title for facing Ali in an unapproved rematch seven months later, which he lost by a unanimous decision. Before Buster Douglas stunned Mike Tyson, Leon Spinks’ victory over Muhammad Ali by split decision on Feb. 15, 1978, was considered the biggest surprise ever in a heavyweight championship bout. All three fighters won gold at the 1976 Summer Games, as did countrymen Howard Davis and Leo Randolph. TMZ … © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. In just his eighth pro bout, he squared off against the legendary Ali for the undisputed heavyweight title. 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