Michael Spinks accomplishments

[Golden Boy #1]

I was looking at Michael Spinks accomplishments and was impressed. Unified 3 belts and the first light heavy to become linear heavyweight champ. I was curious in his place purely at 175 history. Its not a divison I am too historically knowladgeable about. What was his level of opposition like, any notable avoided opponents, how strong was the light heavyweight era then, how dominant was he and how does he rank with top light heavyweights of all time?

[Obama]

I was looking at Michael Spinks accomplishments and was impressed. Unified 3 belts and the first light heavy to become linear heavyweight champ. I was curious in his place purely at 175 history. Its not a divison I am too historically knowladgeable about. What was his level of opposition like, any notable avoided opponents, how strong was the light heavyweight era then, how dominant was he and how does he rank with top light heavyweights of all time?

Spinks was top dog in one of the best LHW periods ever:

Dwight Muhammad Qawi
Matthew Saad Muhammad
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
Marvin Johnson
Prince Charles Williams
Virgil "I ducked everyone that mattered till the 90s" Hill

I personally rate him #5 LHW behind:

Archie Moore
Ezzard Charles
Harold Johnson
Gene Tunney

[Thread Stealer]

Spinks is viewed as one of the great light-heavyweights in history.

One example is The Ring and their ranking of him. The Ring, as they often do, changed their ranking on him and ranked him much higher as time went on. An issue in 1994 had Spinks outside the top 5, but in 2001, they did a top 20 and had Spinks at 3. They had Marvin Johnson at 20 I think and Qawi in the mid teens, so Spinks has 2 wins over fellow top 20 guys per their rankings.

The division was real strong. Qawi was a terrific swarmer, built like a tank, tricky head movement could make him hard to tag (in his first fight with Holyfield he actually made Holyfield miss 12 times in a row). Eddie Muhammad was a real talented guy, but lacked discipline and consistency. He had come down for heavyweight for the Spinks fight, and was said to have weight problems. The rematch fell apart when Eddie failed to make weight and Spinks refused to fight on when Eddie didn't make weight. That may have been "the straw that broke the camel's back" in changing the weigh-in procedures to the day before the fight. Still, Eddie's beatdown of Marvin Johnson was beautiful to watch.

Spinks's KO of Marvin Johnson is one of the best uppercuts ever thrown in a prize ring IMO.

[Abstraction]

Arguebally the best LH ever.

ended Larry Holmes winning streak, beating him twice. Although close decisions, he got them in the end.

[Davros?]

He was underrated at Heavyweight as well. he beat Holmes (probably didnt deserve the 2nd one though) and i remember he looked very good against Cooney even taking into account Cooney's ring rust.

[Abstraction]

Yeah his bouts against Holmes were close, but it was one of those that could have gone either way really.

had Holmes won, Many would have said Spinks should have won it etc.

[Kid McCoy]

Spinks is viewed as one of the great light-heavyweights in history.

One example is The Ring and their ranking of him. The Ring, as they often do, changed their ranking on him and ranked him much higher as time went on. An issue in 1994 had Spinks outside the top 5, but in 2001, they did a top 20 and had Spinks at 3. They had Marvin Johnson at 20 I think and Qawi in the mid teens, so Spinks has 2 wins over fellow top 20 guys per their rankings.

The division was real strong. Qawi was a terrific swarmer, built like a tank, tricky head movement could make him hard to tag (in his first fight with Holyfield he actually made Holyfield miss 12 times in a row). Eddie Muhammad was a real talented guy, but lacked discipline and consistency. He had come down for heavyweight for the Spinks fight, and was said to have weight problems. The rematch fell apart when Eddie failed to make weight and Spinks refused to fight on when Eddie didn't make weight. That may have been "the straw that broke the camel's back" in changing the weigh-in procedures to the day before the fight. Still, Eddie's beatdown of Marvin Johnson was beautiful to watch.

Spinks's KO of Marvin Johnson is one of the best uppercuts ever thrown in a prize ring IMO.

A cynic might say that's the real reason they switched to day-before weigh-ins. A lot of noses were put out of join by the cancellation of a major fight at such a late stage.

That was a bizarre episode, though. If I remember rightly EMM failed to make weight and refused to even try, claiming the scales were inaccurate. So consequently, the fight was downgraded to a non-title affair and then on Eddie Futch's advice Spinks refused that idea, so it was called off altogether.

[CCobra]

He's among the greatest Light Heavyweights of all time and made a very successful step up to the Heavyweight division. He beat some good opposition, went undefeated up until 'that fight' and I think it's safe to say he's an all time great.

[mickey malone]

UD L/H Champ...
3rd best L/H AT
Failed H/W

HOFA Without a doubt.....

[Davros?]

UD L/H Champ...
3rd best L/H AT
Failed H/W

HOFA Without a doubt.....

how did he fail at heavyweight he did hold the title.