Video: Ak, Barak: Cory Spinks on late father Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks was the first world champion in his family but not the last. Spinks, who died at 67 on Friday, recorded one in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history by outpointed Muhammd Ali in his eighth professional fight to win two heavyweight …

Leon Spinks was the first world champion in his family but not the last.

Spinks, who died at 67 on Friday, recorded one in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history by outpointed Muhammd Ali in his eighth professional fight to win two heavyweight titles in 1978.

Brother Michael Spinks won a light heavyweight belt in 1981 and the heavyweight championship in 1985. And Cory Spinks, Leon’s son, was a two-division titleholder.

In this episode of The Ak & Barak Show, DAZN commentators Akin Reyes and Barak Bess interview Cory Spinks about his father and his boxing family.

Here’s what he had to say.

The Ak & Barak Show is available on DAZN and Sirius XM Fight Nation, Channel 156.

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Video: Ak, Barak: Cory Spinks on late father Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks was the first world champion in his family but not the last. Spinks, who died at 67 on Friday, recorded one in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history by outpointed Muhammd Ali in his eighth professional fight to win two heavyweight …

Leon Spinks was the first world champion in his family but not the last.

Spinks, who died at 67 on Friday, recorded one in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history by outpointed Muhammd Ali in his eighth professional fight to win two heavyweight titles in 1978.

Brother Michael Spinks won a light heavyweight belt in 1981 and the heavyweight championship in 1985. And Cory Spinks, Leon’s son, was a two-division titleholder.

In this episode of The Ak & Barak Show, DAZN commentators Akin Reyes and Barak Bess interview Cory Spinks about his father and his boxing family.

Here’s what he had to say.

The Ak & Barak Show is available on DAZN and Sirius XM Fight Nation, Channel 156.

[jwplayer sQclS66y]

Video: The passing of former heavyweight champ Leon Spinks

Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks died of cancer at 67 on Friday.

Editor’s note: This video was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

Leon Spinks, the 1976 Olympic champion who took Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight crown in his eighth pro fight, died Friday after a five-year battle with cancer, according to release from a public relations firm. He was 67.

The native of St. Louis shocked the world when he defeated a 36-year-old Ali to win the WBA and WBC titles on Feb. 15, 1978 at the Hilton in Las Vegas. Ali had begun to decline but Spinks earned the split-decision victory, fighting aggressively and outworking his legendary opponent.

Ali, fitter and more focused, won the rematch by a unanimous decision seven months later at the Superdome in New Orleans.

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Video: The passing of former heavyweight champ Leon Spinks

Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks died of cancer at 67 on Friday.

Editor’s note: This video was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

Leon Spinks, the 1976 Olympic champion who took Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight crown in his eighth pro fight, died Friday after a five-year battle with cancer, according to release from a public relations firm. He was 67.

The native of St. Louis shocked the world when he defeated a 36-year-old Ali to win the WBA and WBC titles on Feb. 15, 1978 at the Hilton in Las Vegas. Ali had begun to decline but Spinks earned the split-decision victory, fighting aggressively and outworking his legendary opponent.

Ali, fitter and more focused, won the rematch by a unanimous decision seven months later at the Superdome in New Orleans.

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Bob Arum on Leon Spinks’ upset of Muhammad Ali: ‘Everything clicked’

Bob Arum said “everything clicked” for Leon Spinks the night he upset of Muhammad Ali to become heavyweight champ.

No one expected much from Leon Spinks when then-heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali agreed to fight him on Feb. 15 1978 at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.

Spinks was a 1976 Olympic champion but had only seven pro bouts under his belt – he was 6-0-1 — when he stepped through the ropes to face The Greatest. The draw came against journeyman Scott LeDoux only two fights earlier.

Ali, 36 years old and coming off a taxing fight Earnie Shavers, chose to fight Spinks precisely because he thought he could cruise to victory. The experts agreed with him: Most sports books didn’t take bets on the fight because the spread would be too wide.

Surprise, surprise.

Spinks, inexperienced but fierce and determined, kept pressure on Ali from beginning to end to win a split decision over 15 stunning rounds and claim the WBA and WBC world heavyweight titles as millions watched on free television.

It was Ali’s first loss since Ken Norton outpointed him in their first fight in 1973. He had won 14 consecutive bouts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzu7mwyFu2E&t=3512s

Bob Arum promoted Ali at the time. He spoke with The Associated Press about Spinks and the fight.

“It was one of the most unbelievable things when Ali agreed to fight him because you look at the fights he had up to then and he was not only not a top contender but shouldn’t have been a contender at all,’’ Arum told the AP Saturday.

”He was just an opponent but somehow he found a way to win that fight.”

Arum went on: “In that fight everything clicked. He came in with a game plan and he beat Ali. It wasn’t that Ali wasn’t at his best, but Leon shocked everybody with how good Leon was.”

The promoter told AP that Ali instructed him to arrange a quick rematch, which he did. They were scheduled to fight a second time on Sept. 15, 1978 at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Arum believes Spinks lost focus between fights, perhaps celebrating too vigorously and for too long after becoming champion.

“Leon posed in a bathtub with a glass of champagne smoking a cigar. He suddenly had an entourage as big as one that Ali had,” Arum said. “We were all staying at the same hotel in New Orleans for the rematch and one morning I was coming down to breakfast and Leon got in the elevator and collapsed on the floor.

“Obviously he had been out drinking and I said, `Leon, are you crazy, you’re fighting in just a few days.’ He said `What do you mean? I’m just coming in from roadwork.’”

Ali didn’t take the second fight for granted. He put in the work beforehand and had a better idea of what he was up against, which gave the superior fighter the advantage in front of 63,000-plus inside the New Orleans Saints home stadium.

The result was predictable: Ali won a unanimous decision to reclaim one of his belts, the other of which was stripped from Spinks when he chose to fight Ali instead of Ken Norton.

The rematch was notable for both men. It was the last victory in Ali’s great career. And it marked the last time Spinks would hold a major title.

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Bob Arum on Leon Spinks’ upset of Muhammad Ali: ‘Everything clicked’

Bob Arum said “everything clicked” for Leon Spinks the night he upset of Muhammad Ali to become heavyweight champ.

No one expected much from Leon Spinks when then-heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali agreed to fight him on Feb. 15 1978 at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.

Spinks was a 1976 Olympic champion but had only seven pro bouts under his belt – he was 6-0-1 — when he stepped through the ropes to face The Greatest. The draw came against journeyman Scott LeDoux only two fights earlier.

Ali, 36 years old and coming off a taxing fight Earnie Shavers, chose to fight Spinks precisely because he thought he could cruise to victory. The experts agreed with him: Most sports books didn’t take bets on the fight because the spread would be too wide.

Surprise, surprise.

Spinks, inexperienced but fierce and determined, kept pressure on Ali from beginning to end to win a split decision over 15 stunning rounds and claim the WBA and WBC world heavyweight titles as millions watched on free television.

It was Ali’s first loss since Ken Norton outpointed him in their first fight in 1973. He had won 14 consecutive bouts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzu7mwyFu2E&t=3512s

Bob Arum promoted Ali at the time. He spoke with The Associated Press about Spinks and the fight.

“It was one of the most unbelievable things when Ali agreed to fight him because you look at the fights he had up to then and he was not only not a top contender but shouldn’t have been a contender at all,’’ Arum told the AP Saturday.

”He was just an opponent but somehow he found a way to win that fight.”

Arum went on: “In that fight everything clicked. He came in with a game plan and he beat Ali. It wasn’t that Ali wasn’t at his best, but Leon shocked everybody with how good Leon was.”

The promoter told AP that Ali instructed him to arrange a quick rematch, which he did. They were scheduled to fight a second time on Sept. 15, 1978 at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Arum believes Spinks lost focus between fights, perhaps celebrating too vigorously and for too long after becoming champion.

“Leon posed in a bathtub with a glass of champagne smoking a cigar. He suddenly had an entourage as big as one that Ali had,” Arum said. “We were all staying at the same hotel in New Orleans for the rematch and one morning I was coming down to breakfast and Leon got in the elevator and collapsed on the floor.

“Obviously he had been out drinking and I said, `Leon, are you crazy, you’re fighting in just a few days.’ He said `What do you mean? I’m just coming in from roadwork.’”

Ali didn’t take the second fight for granted. He put in the work beforehand and had a better idea of what he was up against, which gave the superior fighter the advantage in front of 63,000-plus inside the New Orleans Saints home stadium.

The result was predictable: Ali won a unanimous decision to reclaim one of his belts, the other of which was stripped from Spinks when he chose to fight Ali instead of Ken Norton.

The rematch was notable for both men. It was the last victory in Ali’s great career. And it marked the last time Spinks would hold a major title.

[lawrence-related id=17573]

Leon Spinks, conqueror of Muhammad Ali, dies at 67

Leon Spinks, best known for taking Muhammad Ali’s titles in his eighth fight, has died at 67.

Leon Spinks, the 1976 Olympic champion who took Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight crown in his eighth pro fight, died of multiple forms of cancer Friday night, according to release from a public relations firm. He was 67.

His wife, Brenda Glur Spinks, other family members and a few close friends were with him at the time of his death.

Spinks shocked the world when he defeated a 36-year-old Ali to win the WBA and WBC titles on Feb. 15, 1978 at the Hilton in Las Vegas. Ali had begun to decline but Spinks earned the split-decision victory, fighting aggressively and outworking his legendary opponent.

The new champion was stripped of the WBC belt for refusing to defend against Ken Norton, instead choosing to give Ali a rematch. Ali, fitter and more focused, won the second fight and the WBA title by a unanimous decision seven months later at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Leon Spinks celebrates after defeating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight championship in 1978. AP Photo

Spinks (26-17-3, 14 KOs) would fight until 1995 but would never again win a major belt. He was stopped in three rounds by Larry Holmes in 1981, his only other heavyweight title fight. And, after moving down to cruiserweight, he was stopped in six rounds by titleholder Dwight Muhammad Qawi in 1986.

Spinks and brother Michael Spinks won gold medals as part of the great 1976 U.S. boxing team, which won five golds in the Montreal Games. Leon Spinks fought as a light heavyweight, Michael Spinks as a middleweight.

Michael Spinks would go on to win professional titles at light heavyweight and heavyweight.

Leon Spinks last fought in December 1995, when he lost a unanimous eight-round decision to journeyman Fred Houpe. Spinks was 42.

Spinks had financial and a variety of medical problems later in life. He had surgery after damaging his intestinal tract by swallowing a chicken bone in 2014. And he had been treated for prostate cancer off and on for a number of years.