SPORT & NOTE
Leon SPINKS

Male

"Neon Leon"
Heavyweight, USA, Saint Louis, Missouri
Born: July 11, 1953, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
Died: February 5, 2021, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
(some sources report: Henderson, Nevada, USA)
(He had been admitted to a Las Vegas hospital in December 2020,
when he had been battling to prostate and other cancers)
Height: 6ft 1in, mt 1,85
Weight: 196-202-216-221 lbs

(brother of Michael Spinbks; father of Cory Spinks and Darrell Spinks)

as an amateur:
1974 National AAU 81 kg champion
1974 Havana, Cuba, World Championships 81 kg bronze medal
1975 National AAU 81 kg champion
1975 Mexico City, Mexico, Pan American Games 81 kg silver medal
1976 National AAU 81 kg champion
1976 Montreal, Canada, Olympic Games 81 kg gold medal

Leon Spinks was the second Olympic Gold Medallist at light-heavyweight
to win a professional heavyweight world title


Amateur results

DateOpponentPlaceResult
1974
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States National Championships winner, 81 kg
+ June 14Eddie DavisKnoxville, Tennessee WTKO 2
+ June 15Mike DokesKnoxville, Tennessee WPTS
Havana, Cuba, World Championships bronze medal, 81 kg
+ Aug. 25Jacob OdongaHavana, Cuba WKO 1
- Aug. 28Oleg KorotayevHavana, Cuba LTKO 3
Warsaw, Katowice and Gdańsk, Poland, Dual Match Poland vs USA, 81 kg
- Oct. 13Janusz GortatWarsaw, Poland LPTS
+ Oct. 20Grzegorz PigonKatowice, Poland WPTS
+ Oct. 24Wieslaw AdamskiGdańsk, Poland WDQ 3
1975
Saint Louis, Missouri, Dual Match USA vs Soviet Union, 81 kg
+ Jan. 25Oleg KorotayevSaint Louis, Missouri WPTS
Shreveport, Louisiana, United States National Championships winner, 81 kg
+ June 20Thomas JohnsonShreveport, Louisiana WPTS
Mannheim, West Germany, Dual Match FRG-West Germany vs USA, 81 kg
+ July 5Guenther PetersMannheim, West Germany WTKO
Madison, Wisconsin, US Panamerican Games Trials winner, 81 kg
+ Sept. 5Paul RamosMadison, Wisconsin WPTS
+ Sept. 6Tom JohnsonMadison, Wisconsin WPTS
Mexico City, Mexico, Panamerican Games silver medal, 81 kg
+ Oct. 19Terrence BristolMexico City, Mexico WKO 2
+ Oct. 22Joao BatistaMexico City, Mexico WPTS
- Oct. 25Orestes PedrosoMexico City, Mexico LPTS
1976
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States National Championships winner, 81 kg
+ May 15Milford KempLas Vegas, Nevada WPTS
Cincinnati, Ohio, US Olympic Trials winner, 81 kg
+ June 3Reginald PhillipsCincinnati, Ohio WWO
+ June 4Charles SmithCincinnati, Ohio WTKO 2
+ June 5John DavisCincinnati, Ohio WPTS
Burlington, Vermont, US Olympic Box-Offs winner, 81 kg
+ June 26John DavisBurlington, Vermont WPTS
Montreal, Canada, Olympic Games gold medal, 81 kg
+ July 22Abellatif FatihiMontreal, Canada WKO 1
+ July 24Anatoliy KlimanovMontreal, Canada WPTS 5:0
+ July 26Ottomar SachseMontreal, Canada WPTS 5:0
+ July 28Janusz GortatMontreal, Canada WPTS 5:0
+ July 30Sixto SoriaMontreal, Canada WRSC 3

Professional record

DateOpponentPlaceResult
1977
+ Jan. 15Bob SmithLas Vegas, USATKO 5
+ Mar. 5Peter FreemanLiverpool, Great BritainKO 1
+ Mar. 20Jerry McIntyreLouisville, USAKO 1
+ May 7Pedro AgostoSaint Louis, USAKO 1
+ June 1Bruce ScottMontreal, CanadaKO 3
= Oct. 22Scott LeDouxLas Vegas, USADraw 10
+ Nov. 18Alfio RighettiLas Vegas, USAW 10
1978
+ Feb. 15 Muhammad AliLas Vegas, USAW 15
(Won World Heavyweight Title)
^ Apr. 25Leroy DiggsSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic Exh 4
^ June 30George MostardiniChicago, USA Exh 4
- Sept. 15 Muhammad AliNew Orleans, USAL 15
(Lost World Heavyweight Title)
1979
- June 24Gerrie CoetzeeMonte Carlo, MonacoTKO by 1
1980
+ Jan. 12Alfredo EvangelistaAtlantic City, USAKO 5
= Mar. 8Eddie LopezLas Vegas, USADraw 10
+ May 3Kevin IsaacRedwood City, USATKO 8
+ Oct. 2Bernardo MercadoLas Vegas, USATKO 9
1981
- June 12Larry HolmesDetroit, USATKO by 3
(For WBC Heavyweight Title)
1982
+ Feb. 24Ivy BrownAtlantic City, USAW 10
+ Oct. 31Jesse BurnettMcAfee, USAW 12
(Won vacant NABF Cruiserweight Title)
1983
- Mar. 6Carlos De LeonAtlantic City, USATKO by 6
1984
Inactive
1985
+ Feb. 21Lupe GuerraDetroit, USATKO 4
+ Apr. 9Rick KellarHonolulu, USATKO 3
+ May 9Tom FischerDetroit, USAW 10
+ June 29Tommy Franco ThomasSanta Rosa, USAW 10
+ Dec. 13Kip KaneNew York, USATKO 8
(Won vacant WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title)
1986
- Mar. 22Dwight Muhammad QawiReno, USATKO by 6
(For WBA Cruiserweight Title)
- Aug. 2Rocky SekorskiDetroit Lakes, USATKO by 6
1987
- Jan. 17Jose RibaltaCoconut Grove, USATKO by 1
+ Apr. 28Jeff JordanNagoya, JapanW 12
(Retained WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Title)
- May 22Angelo MusoneJesi, ItalyKO by 7
= Aug. 29Jim AshardEugene, USADraw 10
- Oct. 20Terry MimsCleveland, USAL 10
- Dec. 20Ladislao MijangosSan Antonio, USAL 10
1988
- Mar. 18Randall CobbNashville, USAL 10
- May 30Tony MorrisonTrumbull, USATKO by 1
1989-1990
Inactive
1991
+ Nov. 15Lupe GuerraGary, USAKO 3
1992
+ Feb. 28Andre CrowderCountryside, USAW 10
+ Mar. 20Rick MyersSaint Louis, USAW 10
+ June 17Rocky BentleyAtlanta, USAW 10
+ July 24Jack JacksonCountryside, USAKO 3
- Sept. 26 Kevin P PorterLansing, USAL 10
+ Dec. 11Kevin PoindexterCountryside, USAKO 1
1993
- Feb. 27James WilderDavenport, USAL 10
1994
+ June 22Eddie CurryRaleigh, USAWDQ 9
- Oct. 1Shane SutcliffeNanaimo, CanadaL 8
- Oct. 22John CarloWashington, USAKO by 1
1995
+ June 19Ray KippingSaint Louis, USAW 8
- Dec. 4Fred HoupeSaint Louis, USAL 8

 

Summary

Total bouts: 46, Won: 26 (14 inside the limit), Lost: 17 (9 inside the limit), Draw: 3, NC: 0