My Take
Leon Spinks will forever be one of boxing's great what-just-happened moments — a kid from St. Louis who stepped into the ring for only his eighth professional fight and somehow walked out the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after beating Muhammad Ali in 1978. That result still feels surreal decades later. He was raw, hungry, gap-toothed, and absolutely fearless, and on that one electrifying night in Las Vegas he outworked the greatest of all time. His career never quite reached those heights again, and life after boxing had its rough patches, but none of that dims what he pulled off. He passed away in February 2021, but that one impossible win guaranteed him a permanent place in the sport's mythology.
Overview
Leon Spinks (July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1978 after defeating Muhammad Ali in a split decision, in what is considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Leon Spinks
- Name (Japanese)
- レオン・スピンクス
- Reading
- れおん・すぴんくす
- Born
- July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Snake
- Origin
- St. Louis, Missouri, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 185 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- boxer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Vashon High School
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- WBC World Heavyweight Champion
- WBA World Heavyweight Champion
- The Ring World Heavyweight Champion
- 1976 Sugar Ray Robinson Award
- 1978 The Ring magazine Progress of the Year
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.