Do we underate Micheal Spinks?

[rightsideup]

He was undefeated as a lhw.
Beat Larry Holmes although somewhat with some controversy
Your thoughts please

[bravestone]

Big time. a Top 50 ATG easily. Beat one of the greatest heavyweights ever. Shame he is only remembered for the Tyson loss.

I feel he is maybe the best head to head light heavyweight

[Ray Corso]

Terrific fighter, he & his brother Leon both were outstanding winning Gold Medals at their Olympics too. Michael was a LtHvy and only fought Hvywt to pick up some money his power at 175 did not translate to the heavier class.
The "wins" over Holmes were ridiculous, the second bout abit closer but he won neither of them. The "powers to be" didn't take kindly to Holmes remarks in regards to Marciano "not able to carry his (Holmes) jock" and there was some other comments said that didn't get reported too.
Holmes was always a nasty guy he developed this persona because being a good guy just didn't seem right after following in Ali's footsteps. Holmes wasn't given his dues as champ and weither it was fair or not thats what happened. He couldn't match Ali's personality and the people that covered boxing always threw that in his face unjustly.
Spinks is an outstanding 175 pounder who had an awkward look about him but was taught in the style that amatuers were taught back then. He had all the punches and could take a good shot also! He had some injuries to deal with throughout his career also that hampered him alot! Great LtHvy. Ray

[rayr0683]

Spinks Top 3 ATG Light Heavy!!

He was undefeated as a lhw.
Beat Larry Holmes although somewhat with some controversy
Your thoughts please

Great Post and Topic!!! I have always said that Michael Spinks is one of the Most Underrated "ATG Champions" in Boxing History!! Spinks as an Olympian and Amateur was Greatness as well as his Professional career. The funny thing is, after the Olympics when his brother Leon Spinks beat Ali, their Manager Butch Lewis forgot all about Michael.....and Michael was working a regular job, wasn't even a priority to Butch Lewis..That is how Michael ruined his knees, from working and kneeling , cleaning with chemicals etc...before he even started as a Pro his knees were shot.

Eventually after the Leon celebrations were coming to a halt, Butch Lewis gave Michael a call, and asked him to come back to Boxing and he did so in "Great Fashion"!! Michael faced every great Light Heavy that there was to fight, and beat em all. The Powerful and Mean Dwight Qwai included in the list of Michael's Victims....Michael was so great that he went on a fought Dwight Qwai upon receiving the news that his wife was killed in an auto accident, and his baby daughter was brought to his dressing room prior to the Qwai Fight, and Michael went on with the Fight, amazingly kept his focus, and disposed of the Mighty Qwai!! Just like Marciano, Spinks also was a True Undefeated World Champion, no Mickey Mouse Belt Champion.

When Michael moved up to Heavyweight to face Larry Holmes for the World Heavyweight Title, Battle of Undefeateds , I remember that Michael was Training with at the Time what was a skeptical Regimine of both his Physical and Nutrition Program. He instead of eating fatty foods to come up in weight, he used Complex Carbos, and Grains, Fresh and Dried Fruits, Nuts, Legumes, and Juicing which was very revolutionary at the time...WheatGrass Juice, and many others which are Miracle Cures Today for cancer and many other ailments....Michael was training with High Intensity Workouts, rather than the customary slow long jogs that Larry, and all other Fighters have done throughout history. Michael was using Wind Sprints, as well a Distance Running, but at way higher and faster rates than one would do for Boxing. Even his Gym training was High Intensity. I was running Marathons, and Triathalons at the time, and I was well aware of both the Nutrition and the Training, as I was doing the same. And I was already Juicing when I was in a Dr.'s office reading all about Spinks' new Techniques and the Personal Trainer and Personal Nutritionalist, that monitored all of this aside from His Boxing Trainers. Michael was in incredible shape, and all of this worked to his favor amazingly.

Nowdays when I speak with so many Boxing Friends, that I boxed with, and got to know through Boxing, and now on faceBook, have come to know so many more, it's amazing how those that really know Boxing, as Fighters, Trainers, Writers, Referees, Boxing Writers and Historians for many years that I have come to know, we all saw the same thing. I trained and knew Michael just prior to this sudden change in technique, as I too was from the Philly Boxing Gyms...I trained at Willie Reddish Gym with Curtis Parker throughout the 1980's, and went to so many other Philly and outside area Gyms...Steve Traitz Gym, where he trained Briscoe, Saad Muhammad, and so many other Greats, James Shuler, Willie Harris....

Michael Spinks was like "Lightningf" when he fought Holmes. Holmes had already gotten several "Gift" Decisions, like Norton Fight, and Witherspoon, Truth Williams....but not this Fight. as Ice John Scully and others I speak to say, Spinks fought a "Perfect Fight" in the Holmes Fight. Michael had a strategy that with his training and preparation worked perfectly for him. He would pound Holmes with combinations, then seem to disappear...Holmes could not hit him, or fins him, and Spinks was in such Great Shape that he was able to do that All Night Long!! He fought differently than usual, and it Paid Off Big Time....Larry couldn't hit him at all. That Fight wasn't even close, it was Perfectly Executed, and I knew it, I predicted Spinks would win before the Fight, but I didn't know that he would change his Style as he did, and "Bam Bam Bam" Hit with Fast Combinations, then get outta there, leaving Holmes perplexed and looking like an Amateur. All paid off, and now the Very Techniques that Spinks brought forth and all were skeptical of, are CommonPlace Today in Boxing Gyms, and Trainers all over the World!! Congratulations to True ATG Champion of History, along with Ezzard Charles, Michael Spinks!!!

[Bolo Punch]

If I'm honest, his resume is pretty thin, IMO. A guy who had bags of talent, though.

[JAB5239]

If I'm honest, his resume is pretty thin, IMO. A guy who had bags of talent, though.

I've always though his resume was good. He beat the best fighters in a very good light heavyweight era and beat the undefeated, lineal heavyweight champion and ATG.

[TBear]

I thought his resume at light heavyweight was pretty solid. Marvin Johnson, Dwight Qawi, Yaqui Lopez and Eddie Mustafa Muhammad etc.

And Ray, I thought his first fight with Holmes was closer, I thought Holmes definitely beat him in the rematch.

[Ray Corso]

yeah real thin;
Qawi
Sutherland
Eddie Mustafa Muhammed
Marvin Johnson
Yaqui Lopez
Larry Holmes
Jerry Conney
Mike Tyson
..............................................ther es a few HoFers in there and a few very dangerous opponents too! He only fought pro for 10 years and averaged 3 fights a year. When you consider the Gold Medal the Lightheavy crown and all though I think the wins over Holmes are a gift he still fought Holmes very well beat a hard punching Cooney and wasn't prepared for Tyson aty all his only hard blem on his record! Ray.

tbear I agree but I'm from the "old school" where you "take" the title. He played it safe for the most part and the second bout he was close to being ko'd a few times. Holmes had a big mouth and the tuffest people in boxing aren't in the ring!

[Scott9945]

If I'm honest, his resume is pretty thin, IMO. A guy who had bags of talent, though.

I'll have to disagree. Spinks' title reign at 175 may be the strongest in the last 50 years. The early 1980's is one of the best ever for that weight class.

[Bolo Punch]

I'll have to disagree. Spinks' title reign at 175 may be the strongest in the last 50 years. The early 1980's is one of the best ever for that weight class.

I think Roy Jones would have something to say about that!

Spinks' resume reminds me of Felix Trinidad's - Hall of Fame worthy, but not good enough to be ranked as one of the all-time greats of the sport.