Micheal Spinks/Tunney: Heavyweight accolades

[JAB5239]

Why does Micheal Spinks not get the same mention amongst heavyweight greats as Gene Tunney? Both beat great champions past their beat. Both are highly ranked all time great lightheavyweights. But I never see Spinks mentioned the same way I do Tunney.

Personally I don't think either deserve to be mentioned anywhere near say the top 20 ATG heavyweights, but for some reason you see Tunney's name on some lists because of his wins over Dempsey. Spinks in my opinion has at least as an impressive win with his win over Holmes who had/has the second longest consecutive title defenses of the heavyweight championship.

So why doesn't Spinks rank the same as Tunney in many cases?

[Willow The Wisp]

It's a good question, further abided by Spink's KO of alcohol dependent era Cooney, still a formidable obstacle.

I think that the conclusive nature of his title loss to Mike Tyson has a boatload to do with it.
Tunney was arguably the best fighter of the 1920s, arguably the pinnacle of the sport, and nobody ever blasted him out like that.

[Willie Pep 229]

Here on this board, the infamous list makers (and boy there are a bunch of them) pretty much recognize . . .

Tunney
Charles
Moore
Spinks

. . . as the best LHWs. That seems praise enough for Spinks.

I personally think that the four names above, matched, would ALL be pick 'um fights.

That's a great list to be on. Spinks doesn't need to get kudos for beating a couple of past it HWs.

To address your question directly: the answer is Spinks got blown out by Tyson. It was a HW 'wet blanket' that dampened his career, public mind wise.

[Ivich]

Why does Micheal Spinks not get the same mention amongst heavyweight greats as Gene Tunney? Both beat great champions past their beat. Both are highly ranked all time great lightheavyweights. But I never see Spinks mentioned the same way I do Tunney.

Personally I don't think either deserve to be mentioned anywhere near say the top 20 ATG heavyweights, but for some reason you see Tunney's name on some lists because of his wins over Dempsey. Spinks in my opinion has at least as an impressive win with his win over Holmes who had/has the second longest consecutive title defenses of the heavyweight championship.

So why doesn't Spinks rank the same as Tunney in many cases?

Because Tunney retired as Champ and Spinks was dismantled by Tyson ,and all his fine earlier work got pushed aside.

[GhostofDempsey]

Honestly I think it's because of how poorly he faired against Tyson. Over the years Tyson's stock has dropped among many fans and writers, compared to when he was in his prime. Spinks was defeated before he got into the ring. Unfortunately too many boxing fans put more stock into losses versus the qualify of a fighter's wins. Spinks and Tunney were both greater at LHW than HW, but they got more press and recognition as HWs. Spinks also retired after his loss rather than try to redeem himself. He retired with only 32 fights which also may have hurt his legacy a little.

[billeau2]

Why does Micheal Spinks not get the same mention amongst heavyweight greats as Gene Tunney? Both beat great champions past their beat. Both are highly ranked all time great lightheavyweights. But I never see Spinks mentioned the same way I do Tunney.

Personally I don't think either deserve to be mentioned anywhere near say the top 20 ATG heavyweights, but for some reason you see Tunney's name on some lists because of his wins over Dempsey. Spinks in my opinion has at least as an impressive win with his win over Holmes who had/has the second longest consecutive title defenses of the heavyweight championship.

So why doesn't Spinks rank the same as Tunney in many cases?

I believe that neither man should be considered as great at heavyweight because they were so much better at their natural weights. They were great in a way that the best light heavies are... when any low hanging fruit is present they pick it. Of course Spinks was tainted by the Tyson affair... And to be fair to Gene, Dempsey was a similar force of nature lol. But alas, I agree with you that this should not be absolute as an indication that Spinks was lacking compared to Tunney. I also think Tunney was one of the best. Just had incredible skills, but so did the Jinx!

[JAB5239]

Good answers from all the above. So here is another question.......if Spinks had retired after the Cooney win, would his status be elevated? I believe he was the best lightheavy of his era as was Tunney, and both beat men who are regarded very highly on most ATG heavyweight lists. I also believe arguments can be made both fought in the greatest era of lightheavyweights.

[Willie Pep 229]

Everybody today would be arguing that Spinks had the chin to stay with Tyson. Pointing to only one previoys KD (Qawi back in '83) and out punching Cooney, as proof.

Way up the ATG list he goes. These list don't mean much of anything.

[Anthony342]

Good answers from all the above. So here is another question.......if Spinks had retired after the Cooney win, would his status be elevated? I believe he was the best lightheavy of his era as was Tunney, and both beat men who are regarded very highly on most ATG heavyweight lists. I also believe arguments can be made both fought in the greatest era of lightheavyweights.

Also because a lot of people thought he either should've lost both decisions to Holmes or at least the rematch and was given a gift by the judges because of how hated Larry was by the public at the time.

[joseph5620]

It's a good question, further abided by Spink's KO of alcohol dependent era Cooney, still a formidable obstacle.

I think that the conclusive nature of his title loss to Mike Tyson has a boatload to do with it.
Tunney was arguably the best fighter of the 1920s, arguably the pinnacle of the sport, and nobody ever blasted him out like that.

He would have been if he faced Tyson. Tunney never had to face a fighter like that or one that even looked like that lol. He avoided the best black fighters so it will never be known if he was truly the best of his era.


If you penalize Spinks for Tyson the same needs to be done to Tunney for the color line. He seems to get a pass for that. Spinks fought all fighters.