Michael Spinks

[blv30]

Being that Michael Spinks had a lot of inactivity in the last two years of the '70's due to concern over Leon and his knee injury, if he had stayed on course, being active, could he have been: a) at the least, a top ten contender, or b) a serious title threat to Galindez or Saad Muhammad, by the end of the decade, like Ray Leonard?

[GorDoom]

Absolutely.

GorDoom

[GorDoom]

Michael Spinks
"Spinks Jinx"

Born: July 13, 1956 St. Louis, MO
Amateur Record: 93-7 (35 kayos)
Manager: Butch Lewis

Professional Record: 31-1 (21 kayos)



Spinks currently co-manages fighters with his former manager and
promoter Butch Lewis.

Amateur Highlights


1975
--- Tom Brooks Shreveport, LA L 3
(Silver Medal, National AAU Championships, 165 lbs.)

1976
--- Lamont Kirkland Miami W DQ 3
(Wins National Golden Glove Championships, 165 lbs.)
--- Keith Broom Cincinnati W 3
(Wins U.S. Olympic Trials, 165 lbs.)

Olympic Gold Medalist Middleweight, Montreal
--- Jean-Marie Emebe Cameroon Forfeit
--- Ryszard Pasiewicz Poland W Dec
--- Alec Nastac Romania Forfeit
--- Rufat Riskiev Soviet Union TKO 3
(Gold Medal Match)

Professional Record

1977
Apr 17 Eddie Benson Las Vegas KO 1
May 9 Luis Rodriguez St. Louis W 6
Jun 1 Joe Borden Montreal KO 2
Aug 23 Jasper Brisbane Philadelphia TKO 2
Sep 13 Ray Elson Los Angeles KO 1
Oct 21 Gary Summerhays Las Vegas W 8

1975
Feb 15 Tom "The Bomb" Bethea Las Vegas W 8
Dec 15 Eddie Phillips White Plains, NY TKO 4

1979
Nov 24 Marc Hans Bloomington, MN TKO 1

1980
Feb 1 Johnny Wilburn Louisville W 8
Feb 4 Ramon Ronquillo Atlantic City TKO 6
May 4 Murray Sutherland Kiamesha Lake, MI W 10
Aug 2 David Conteh Baton Rouge, LA TKO 9
Oct 18 Yaqui Lopez Atlantic City TKO 7

1981
Jan 24 Willie Taylor Philadelphia TKO 8
Mar 28 Marvin Johnson Atlantic City KO 4
Jul 18 Eddie Mustafa Muhammad Las Vegas W 15
(Wins WBA Light Heavyweight Title)
Nov 7 Vonzell Johnson Atlantic City TKO 7
(Retains WBA Light Heavyweight Title)

1982
Feb 13 Mustapha Wasajja Atlantic City KO 6
(Retains WBA Light Heavyweight Title)
Apr 11 Murray Sutherland Atlantic City KO 8
(Retains WBA Light Heavyweight Title)
Jun 12 Jerry Celestine Atlantic City TKO 8
(Retains WBA Light Heavyweight Title)
Sep 18 Johnny Davis Atlantic City TKO 9
(Retains WBA Light Heavyweight Title)

1983
Mar 18 Dwight Braxton Atlantic City W 15
(Unifies World Light Heavyweight Title)
Nov 25 Oscar Rivadeneyra Vancouver, BC TKO 10
(Retains World Light Heavyweight Title)

1984
Feb 25 Eddie Davis Atlantic City W 12
(Retains World Light Heavyweight Title)

1985
Feb 23 David Sears Atlantic City TKO 3
(Retains World Light Heavyweight Title)
Jun 6 Jim MacDonald Las Vegas TKO 8
(Retains World Light Heavyweight Title)
Sep 21 Larry Holmes Las Vegas W 15
(Wins Lineal (IBF) Heavyweight Title)
Sep 22 Spinks abandons his Light Heavyweight Title

1986
Apr 19 Larry Holmes Las Vegas W 15
(Retains Lineal (IBF) Heavyweight Title)
Sep 6 Steffan Tangstad Las Vegas TKO 4
(Retains Lineal (IBF) Heavyweight Title)

1987
Apr Spinks is stripped of the IBF Title after he opts to fight
Gerry Cooney, instead of going along with the HBO and Don
King backed Heavyweight unification tournament.

Jun 15 Gerry Cooney Atlantic City TKO 5
(Retains Lineal Heavyweight Title)

1988
Jun 27 Mike Tyson Atlantic City KO by 1
(Loses Lineal, For Tyson's Alphabet Heavyweight Title)

Jul Announces Retirement

[HE Grant]

Spinks would have beaten either of them. They were all warriros but Saad and Galendez both got hit too much. No one at light heavy could survive too many shots from Spinks. He hit too hard and was too skilled.

[thumper3852]

I think a lot would depend on the quality of whatever opposition he would have faced had he not been held out. He did develop rapidly as a pro and obviously had the tools but prior to 1980 he only had 9 fights under his belt....testing him against a Galindez or a Saad Muhamad at that point might not have been good career moves. Had he fought 6-8 more fights against some good opposition, I'd say he definitely could have held his own with any light heavy, including Galindez and Saad Muhammad....either fight would have seen a ton of leather getting thrown. Even then, if I was managing him, I think I would opt for more seasoning, although after Galindez was kayoed by Marvin Johnson, he might have been perfect for Michael, all softened up.

Eddie Mustafa Muhammad was the fighter that possibly could have derailed Spinks' climb, if only he would have trained. It was painful to watch him lose his title to Michael in just his 17th pro fight. The guy had everything in his arsenal, speed, power, good moves...but the worst attitude of any fighter I've seen at that point in his career...what a waste of talent.

[kenmore]

If Spinks had remained active throughout 1978 and 1979, it is entirely conceivable that he could have won either the WBA or the WBC titles before 1980.

It is interesting however to speculate as to what would have happened had an active, experienced, seasoned Mike Spinks met Saad Muhammad late in '79 or in '80 for the WBC belt. That's because Saad was at his peak during that period.

Mike certainly moved fast after returning to the ring in the winter of '79-'80 after a nearly two year layoff. In his third fight back he destroyed tough, hard hitting clubfighter Ramon Ronquillo. By the end of 1980 he had a kayo win over top contender Yaqui Lopez, and early in 1981 he scored his dramatic, one punch kayo over former champion Marvin Johnson.