Appreciating Leon Spinks!

[SABBATH]

I honestly dont think leon spinks is that bad, sure his record reads 26-17-3. However thats cuz he was completely done from 86-95. His career from 1977-1985, does involve wins over ranked opponents and i thought the guy kinda had some potential. He blew it away with his drug addictions though. Either way, he was still a good amatuer though.

Leon had an outstanding amateur career but never had much of an 'early' pro career where he built his record up. He fought Pedro Agosta in his 4th fight, who had just fought George Foreman in his last fight. He was fighting ranked guys in his 7th fight (Alfio Righetti) and won the title in his 8th fight. His fight with a prime Larry Holmes was only his 15th.

If Spinks had a normal career of starting out facing stiffs and confidence builders as most guys do, attach at least another 20 wins on his record.

Spinks did drop down to cruiserweight winning a controversial decision over Jesse Burnett then being stopped by former champ Carlos Deleon.

Leon went back up to heavy then dropped down again for a cruiserweight title fight against Dwight Qawi.

An interesting sidenote about the Agosta fight. Leon stopped Agosta in one round after it took Foreman 4 rounds. Agosta would say after the Spinks fight that Leon hit harder than Foreman!

[brownpimp88]

Leon had an outstanding amateur career but never had much of an 'early' pro career where he built his record up. He fought Pedro Agosta in his 4th fight, who had just fought George Foreman in his last fight. He was fighting ranked guys in his 7th fight (Alfio Righetti) and won the title in his 8th fight. His fight with a prime Larry Holmes was only his 15th.

If Spinks had a normal career of starting out facing stiffs and confidence builders as most guys do, attach at least another 20 wins on his record.

Spinks did drop down to cruiserweight winning a controversial decision over Jesse Burnett then being stopped by former champ Carlos Deleon.

Leon went back up to heavy then dropped down again for a cruiserweight title fight against Dwight Qawi.

An interesting sidenote about the Agosta fight. Leon stopped Agosta in one round after it took Foreman 4 rounds. Agosta would say after the Spinks fight that Leon hit harder than Foreman!

Who would u pick in a fantasy matchup, braddock or prime leon.

[SABBATH]

Who would u pick in a fantasy matchup, braddock or prime leon.

This fight isn't exactly a fantasy and not one I've ever given any thought to. Uhhhhhhhh....let me see.

Braddock is a counterpuncher with the better chin and better one shot power with the right hand. Leon is a swarmer who is busier, more aggressive and faster.

Leon at his best in my mind was against Bernardo Mercado and I'll use Braddock over Baer. It's probably a pick-em fight. I could see Spinks outhustling Braddock to a decision or Braddock boxing smartly, countering and outpointing Leon.

I don't really have a strong opinion either way. Different eras with both guys fighting under different circumstances so I don't know if we really saw what each guy was capable of.

[K-DOGG]

I know this guy turned into a one hit wonder but what he accomplished that Febuary night against Muhammad Ali was history. Spinks, an Olimpic medalist, entered the ring 6 - 0 -1.
Ali was 55 - 2. Why this fight was sanctioned in the first place escapes me but sure enough Neon Leon jumped on Ali and won a deserved SD win.
The reason i bring this up is consider fighters with inexperienced records such as Spinks in todays age. If given a shot against, never an Ali, but a Ruiz or a Brewster, wouldn`t you think someone out there would win having only a few fights?
Should these upstarts be given shots sometimes just as Leon Spinks was?

Well, Ali practicallyl gave the title away by not training for the fight and not launching any assault until he'd lost like 10 rounds; but I see your point. Also, the fact that one of the judges actually gave the figth to Muhammad is ludicrous; but I suppose that was just the effect of the myth of the man.

Should inexperienced fighters be given a shot at the belt? Personally, I don't think so; but Larry Holmes practically made a career out of it.

[QueensburyRules]

I know this guy turned into a one hit wonder but what he accomplished that Febuary night against Muhammad Ali was history. Spinks, an Olimpic medalist, entered the ring 6 - 0 -1.
Ali was 55 - 2. Why this fight was sanctioned in the first place escapes me but sure enough Neon Leon jumped on Ali and won a deserved SD win.
The reason i bring this up is consider fighters with inexperienced records such as Spinks in todays age. If given a shot against, never an Ali, but a Ruiz or a Brewster, wouldn`t you think someone out there would win having only a few fights?
Should these upstarts be given shots sometimes just as Leon Spinks was?

- -Poor Leon could never get away from his lack of coherence and discipline, yet one of boxings all time characters that sadly guys like DKing exploited.

And sadly Ali running on fumes in his wizened, sick elder years was overripe at that point.

After the Wepner fight where he came across an overmatched school boy is when he should've taken leave of boxing.

Instead he'd become an industry to keep propped up in a cynical cash out.

[HOUDINI563]

I lived through the era. Leon caused a sensation winning the gold medal with his aggressive two fisted punching style. Because of this performance their was public interest in getting him in the ring vs Ali. Ali of course came into the ring less than fully prepared believing he could rope a dope, exhaust his opponent and then overwhelm Spinks later in the bout. Leon however was trained to fight 15 rounds and as such Ali’s strategy backfired. In the rematch, Ali a shell of himself, moved and clinched for 15 rounds to regain the title.