Wikipedia

Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks(July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021) was an Americanprofessional boxerwho competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won theundisputedheavyweightchampionship in 1978 after defeatingMuhammad Aliin asplit decision,in what is considered one of the biggest upsets in bo xing history. Spinks was later stripped of theWBCtitle for facing Ali in an unapproved rematch seven months later, which he lost by aunanimous decision.

Leon Spinks
Spinks vs. Ray Kipping, 1995
Born(1953-07-11)July 11, 1953
St. Louis,Missouri, U.S.
DiedFebruary 5, 2021(2021-02-05)(aged 67)
Henderson, Nevada,U.S.
Other namesNeon
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Reach76 in (193 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Bo xing record[1]
Total fights46
Wins26
Wins by KO14
Losses17
Draws3
Medal record
Men'samateur bo xing
RepresentingUnited States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1976 Montreal Light heavyweight
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 1975 Mexico City Light heavyweight
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1974 Havana Light heavyweight

Besides being heavyweight champion and his characteristic gap-toothed grin (due to losing two and later all four of his front teeth), Spinks gained notoriety for the disaster which befell his career following his loss to Ali.[2]However, he did challenge once more for the WBC heavyweight title in 1981 (losing toLarry Holmesby TKO in the third round), and theWBAcruiserweighttitle in 1986 (losing toDwight Muhammad Qawiby TKO in the sixth round).

As anamateur,Spinks won numerous medals in thelight heavyweightdivision. The first was bronze at the inaugural1974 World Championships,followed by silver at the1975 Pan American Games,and gold at the1976 Summer Olympics;the latter alongside his brotherMichael Spinks,who wonmiddleweightgold. Leon served in theUnited States Marine Corpsfrom 1973 to 1976, rising to the rank of corporal. He was stationed atMarine Corps Base Camp Lejeunein North Carolina and was on the Marine Corps Bo xing Team.[3]

Spinks also had a brief career as aprofessional wrestlerfrom 1986, 1990 to 1993. He mainly worked forFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling(FMW) and holding theFMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championshipin 1992.[4]

Amateur career

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Spinks won three consecutive nationalAAUlight heavyweight championships from 1974 to 1976, the first of which came against future championMichael Dokes.[5]He was serving in theMarine Corpsat the time.[3]

Olympic results

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Spinks won thelight heavyweightgold medal at the1976 Summer OlympicsinMontreal.[6][7]He defeatedAbdel Latif Fatihi,Anatoliy Klimanov,Ottomar Sachse,andJanusz Gortaten route to the final, where he defeatedSixto Soriato win the gold.[8]

Spinks finished his amateur career with a record of 178–7 with 133 knockouts.[9]

Professional career

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Spinks debuted professionally on January 15, 1977, inLas Vegas, Nevada,beating Bob Smith by knockout in five rounds.[10]His next fight was inLiverpool, England,where he beat Peter Freeman by a first-round knockout.[11]Later, he saw an improvement in opposition quality, when he fought Pedro Agosto ofPuerto Ricoand knocked him out in round one.[12]He then foughtScott LeDouxto a draw and defeated Italian champion Alfio Righetti in a decision.[13][14]

Spinks vs. Ali

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Main article:Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks

At the time a lower-ranked contender, he made history on February 15, 1978, by decisively beatingMuhammad Alion a 15-round split decision, that was in actuality fairly one-sided, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[15]Spinks won the world heavyweight title in his eighth professional fight, the shortest span in history.[16]The aging Ali had expected an easy fight, but he was out-boxed by Spinks, who did not tire throughout the bout and had Ali ready to fall in the last seconds of the fight.[15]It was one of the few occasions when Ali left the ring with a bruised and puffy face.

The victory over Ali was the peak of Spinks's career.[15]He was the only man to take a title from Muhammad Ali in the ring, as Ali's other losses were non-title contests or bouts where Ali was the challenger. Spinks's gap-toothed grin was featured on the cover of the February 19, 1978 issue ofSports Illustrated.[17]

However, Spinks was stripped of his world title by theWBCfor refusing to defend it againstKen Norton,instead agreeing to a return bout against Ali to defend hisWBAcrown.[15]The title, stripped from Spinks, was then awarded to Norton.[18]

Rematch

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Main article:Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II

His second match with Ali, at theLouisiana Superdomeon September 15, 1978, went badly for Spinks. A now-in-shape Ali—with better, sharper tactics—rarely lost control, winning back his title by a unanimous fifteen-round decision.[15]Ali regained the title, becoming the first three-timelineal heavyweight champion.[19]Spinks was never given a rematch; Ali retired after the fight (although he came out of retirement a few years later to fightLarry HolmesandTrevor Berbick).

Career development

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Main article:Larry Holmes vs. Leon Spinks
Spinks defeated Ray Kipping on June 19, 1995, inSt. Louis
Spinks during his final victory held at the "Little Bit of Texas" in St. Louis

Spinks's next fight, his only one in 1979, was atMonte Carlo,where he was knocked out in the first round by future WBA world heavyweight championGerrie Coetzee.[20]In the following fight, Spinks defeated former world title challenger and European title holderAlfredo Evangelistaby a knockout in round 5.[21]He then fought to a draw in with Eddie López,[22]scored a knockout over Kevin Isaac in May,[23]and, in October, beat the WBC's top-ranked challenger,Bernardo Mercado,by a knockout in round nine on the undercard ofMuhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes.[24]

His strong performance against Mercado earned Spinks a title match againstLarry Holmes.In Spinks's only fight in 1981, on June 12 and what would be his last opportunity to win the heavyweight title, he took multiple punches without responding in the third round and the referee stopped the fight.[25]

Move to cruiserweight

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It was Spinks's last heavyweight bout for years, as he began bo xing in thecruiserweightdivision. He beat contender Ivy Brown by a decision in ten rounds,[26]and gained a decision against former and future title challengerJesse Burnettin twelve rounds.[27]

Spinks was due to face the World Cruiserweight number oneDavid Pearce,but the fight was called off on 24 hours notice after the fighters had both weighed in, due to the BBBoC stance on Pearce fighting abroad in the newly formed Cruiserweight division.[28]

When his brother Michael Spinks defeated Larry Holmes in a controversial upset for the IBF heavyweight championship in 1985, they became the only brothers to have held world heavyweight championships. They kept the distinction until theKlitschko brothersbecame champions two decades later.[29]

In the 1980s Leon Spinks competed in several boxer vs. wrestler matches inNew Japan Pro-Wrestling(NJPW), including losing by submission toAntonio Inoki.[30]In 1986 Spinks earned his last championship opportunity, fightingDwight Muhammad Qawifor the WBA cruiserweight championship.[31]Qawi had been defeated by Michael Spinks three years earlier for his WBC light heavyweight championship. However, Leon lost by TKO in the sixth round.[31]

Spinks boxed for another eight years with mixed results. In 1994 he lost a bout by KO to John Carlo, the first time a former heavyweight champion had lost to a boxer making his pro debut (promoter Charles Farrell later admitted to falsifying Carlo's record in order to get the fight sanctioned by theDistrict of Columbia).[32]Spinks retired at age 42, after losing an 8-round decision to Fred Houpe in 1995, who was coming off a seventeen-year hiatus.[33]

Professional wrestling career

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On October 9, 1986, Spinks lost to Japanese legendAntonio Inokiin a mixed martial arts fight forNew Japan Pro Wrestling.[34]Spinks made an appearance for theUnited States Wrestling Associationon June 25, 1990, where he lost toJerry Lawlerby disqualification.

In 1991, Spinks made his debut in Japan forFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling(FMW) teaming with fellow boxer Rufus Blackborn. He later teamed withDr. Lutherin 1992. On March 25, 1992, he defeatedTarzan Gotofor theFMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship.[35]He would drop the title toAtsushi Onitaon May 24, 1992. In 1993, he feuded withTerry Funkand retired from wrestling later that year.[36]

Life after bo xing

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During the 1990s, Spinks worked forFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling,winning itsworld titlein 1992, making him only the second man (afterPrimo Carnera) to hold titles in both bo xing andwrestling.[4]In the late 1990s, Spinks was a headliner on year-round, touringautographshows. In 2005 Spinks was living inColumbus, Nebraska,working as a janitor at a YMCA and at a McDonald's.[37]

In 2009, Spinks was featured as part of the 2009 documentaryFacing Ali,in which notable former opponents of Ali speak about how fighting Ali changed their lives.[38]

Spinks lived later in his life inLas Vegas, Nevada.He told a reporter his life was "comfortable", and that he kept a low profile.[39]

In August 2017, Leon was inducted into theNevada Bo xing Hall of Famealong with his brother, Michael.[40]

Personal life and health

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Spinks was born and raised inSt. Louis.[41]

Leon's son,Cory Spinks,held the undisputedwelterweighttitle, and was theIBFjunior middleweightchampion twice.

In 1990, Leon's other son, Leon Calvin, was shot to death inEast St. Louisas he was driving home from his girlfriend's house.[42]Calvin was an aspiring light heavyweight pro boxer with a record of 2–0, with the two pro bouts occurring only a month before he died.[43]Leon's grandson and Calvin's son, Leon Spinks III, is an aspiring light heavyweight southpaw boxer with a pro record of 11–3–1 with seven knockouts, his last outing being a six-round draw with Robbie Cannon in October 2017.[44]

Spinks perceptibly slurred his words after his active bo xing days, and was diagnosed in 2012 with shrinkage in his brain, which doctors said was likely caused by the accumulated punches that he took during his career. In 2011, Spinks and his wife Brenda moved to Las Vegas. Spinks was hospitalized twice in 2014 in a Las Vegas hospital forsurgerydue to abdominal problems, from which he recovered.[45]

In 2019, it was revealed that Spinks was diagnosed withadvanced prostate cancer.[46]He died at a hospital inHenderson, Nevadaon February 5, 2021, at age 67.[47]

Professional bo xing record

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46 fights 26 wins 17 losses
By knockout 14 9
By decision 11 8
By disqualification 1 0
Draws 3
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
46 Loss 26–17–3 Fred Houpe UD 8 Dec 4, 1995 A Little Bit of Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
45 Win 26–16–3 Ray Kipping UD 8 Jun 19, 1995 A Little Bit of Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
44 Loss 25–16–3 John Carlo KO 1,1:09 Oct 22, 1994 Convention Center,Washington, D.C.,U.S.
43 Loss 25–15–3 Shane Sutcliffe UD 8 Oct 1, 1994 Civic Arena,Nanaimo,British Columbia, Canada
42 Win 25–14–3 Eddie Curry DQ 9 (10) Jun 22, 1994 Raleigh, North Carolina,U.S. Curry disqualified after refusing to answer the bell for round 9, believing the fight was scheduled for 8 rounds
41 Loss 24–14–3 James Wilder PTS 10 Feb 27, 1993 Davenport, Iowa,U.S.
40 Win 24–13–3 Kevin Poindexter KO 1 (10),2:37 Dec 11, 1992 Union Hall, Countryside, Illinois, U.S.
39 Loss 23–13–3 Kevin Porter PTS 10 Sep 26, 1992 Lansing, Michigan,U.S.
38 Win 23–12–3 Jack Jackson KO 3 (10),2:52 Jul 24, 1992 Union Hall, Countryside, Illinois, U.S.
37 Win 22–12–3 Rocky Bentley PTS 10 Jun 17, 1992 World Congress Center,Atlanta,Georgia, U.S.
36 Win 21–12–3 Rick Myers UD 10 Mar 20, 1992 Clarion Hotel Ballroom, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
35 Win 20–12–3 Andre Crowder SD 10 Feb 28, 1992 Union Hall,Countryside, Illinois,U.S.
34 Win 19–12–3 Lupe Guerra KO 3 (10),2:13 Nov 15, 1991 Genesis Convention Center,Gary, Indiana,U.S.
33 Loss 18–12–3 Tony Morrison TKO 1 (10),0:33 May 30, 1988 Marriott Hotel,Trumbull, Connecticut,U.S.
32 Loss 18–11–3 Randall Cobb MD 10 Mar 18, 1988 Municipal Auditorium,Nashville, Tennessee,U.S.
31 Loss 18–10–3 Ladislao Mijangos SD 10 Dec 20, 1987 Convention Center Arena,San Antonio,Texas, U.S.
30 Loss 18–9–3 Terry Mims SD 10 Oct 20, 1987 Swingos,Cleveland,Ohio, U.S.
29 Draw 18–8–3 Jim Ashard SD 10 Aug 29, 1987 Lane County Fairgrounds,Eugene, Oregon,U.S.
28 Loss 18–8–2 Angelo Musone KO 7 (10) May 22, 1987 Iesi,Italy
27 Win 18–7–2 Jeff Jordan SD 12 Apr 28, 1987 Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium,Nagoya,Japan Won vacant WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title
26 Loss 17–7–2 José Ribalta TKO 1 (10),2:10 Jan 17, 1987 Coconut Grove Convention Center,Miami,Florida, U.S.
25 Loss 17–6–2 Rocky Sekorski TKO 6 (10),1:43 Aug 2, 1986 Port Authority,Detroit Lakes, Minnesota,U.S.
24 Loss 17–5–2 Dwight Muhammad Qawi TKO 6 (15),2:56 Mar 22, 1986 Lawlor Events Center,Reno, Nevada,U.S. ForWBA cruiserweight title
23 Win 17–4–2 Kip Kane TKO 8 (12),1:37 Dec 13, 1985 Felt Forum,New York City,New York, U.S. Won vacant WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title
22 Win 16–4–2 Tom Franco Thomas UD 10 Jun 29, 1985 Sonoma County Fairgrounds,Santa Rosa, California,U.S.
21 Win 15–4–2 Tom Fischer UD 10 May 9, 1985 Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
20 Win 14–4–2 Rick Kellar TKO 2 (10),2:47 Apr 9, 1985 Blaisdell Center Arena,Honolulu,Hawaii, U.S.
19 Win 13–4–2 Lupe Guerra TKO 4 (10),0:43 Feb 21, 1985 Cobo Arena,Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
18 Loss 12–4–2 Carlos de León RTD 6 (10),3:00 Mar 6, 1983 Broadway by the Bay Theater,Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
17 Win 12–3–2 Jesse Burnett UD 12 Oct 31, 1982 Great Gorge Resort,McAfee, New Jersey,U.S. Won vacantNABF cruiserweight title
16 Win 11–3–2 Ivy Brown UD 10 Feb 24, 1982 Playboy Hotel and Casino,Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
15 Loss 10–3–2 Larry Holmes TKO 3 (15),2:34 Jun 12, 1981 Joe Louis Arena,Detroit,Michigan, U.S. For WBC andThe Ringheavyweight titles
14 Win 10–2–2 Bernardo Mercado TKO 9 (12),2:52 Oct 2, 1980 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
13 Win 9–2–2 Kevin Isaac TKO 8 (10),2:11 May 3, 1980 Circle Star Theater,San Carlos, California,U.S.
12 Draw 8–2–2 Eddie López SD 10 Mar 8, 1980 The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
11 Win 8–2–1 Alfredo Evangelista KO 5 (10),2:43 Jan 12, 1980 Resorts International Casino,Atlantic City, New Jersey,U.S.
10 Loss 7–2–1 Gerrie Coetzee TKO 1 (12),2:03 Jun 24, 1979 Le Chapiteau de l'Espace,Fontvieille,Monaco
9 Loss 7–1–1 Muhammad Ali UD 15 Sep 15, 1978 Superdome,New Orleans,Louisiana, U.S. Lost WBA andThe Ringheavyweight titles
8 Win 7–0–1 Muhammad Ali SD 15 Feb 15, 1978 Las Vegas Hilton,Winchester, Nevada,U.S. WonWBA,WBC,andThe Ringheavyweight titles
7 Win 6–0–1 Alfio Righetti UD 10 Nov 18, 1977 Caesars Palace,Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
6 Draw 5–0–1 Scott LeDoux SD 10 Oct 22, 1977 The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Bruce Scott KO 3 (8),3:02 Jun 1, 1977 Forum,Montreal,Quebec, Canada
4 Win 4–0 Pedro Agosto KO 1 (8),1:55 May 7, 1977 Kiel Auditorium,St. Louis,Missouri, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Jerry McIntyre KO 1 (6),0:35 Mar 20, 1977 Exposition Center,Louisville, Kentucky,U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Peter Freeman KO 1 (6),1:26 Mar 5, 1977 Liverpool Stadium,Liverpool,England
1 Win 1–0 Bob Smith TKO 5 (6),0:20 Jan 15, 1977 The Aladdin,Paradise, Nevada,U.S.

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Bo xing record for Leon Spinks".BoxRec.
  2. ^"Riches to rags"The Boston Globe,December 21, 2005
  3. ^abBarber, James."How the Marine Corps Gave Leon Spinks His Shot at Greatness",Military website,February 8, 2021. Accessed February 14, 2021.
  4. ^abPro Wrestling Illustrated,March 1993 issue, p. 27.
  5. ^Moriello, John (April 11, 2020)."Leon Spinks Is Facing a Sad Ending After a Wasted Bo xing Career".Sportscasting.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
  6. ^"Spinks welcomed home".The Gaffney Ledger.August 11, 1976. p. 10.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
  7. ^"Leon Spinks, 67-Years-Old, Passes Away After Long Battle With Cancer".Bo xing Scene.February 6, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
  8. ^"U.S. boxers haul gold".archive.nytimes.July 31, 1976.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
  9. ^Smith, Sam (March 31, 1985)."Leon Spinks finds his way".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
  10. ^"Leon Spinks Pro Debut Stops Bob Smith This Day January 15, 1977 – Bo xing Hall of Fame".Bo xing Hall of Fame.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
  11. ^"Ex-Bolton boxer Peter Freeman has no regrets about the day 'Neon' Leon Spinks put his lights out".The Bolton News.December 19, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
  12. ^"Leon Spinks KOs Pedro Agosto This Day May 7, 1977 – Bo xing Hall of Fame".Bo xing Hall of Fame.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.
  13. ^Goodpaster, Mike (April 12, 2020)."Scott LeDoux: The Fighting Frenchman and his shot at the title".The Grueling Truth.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  14. ^Amato, Jim (May 3, 2010)."Alfio Righetti".mybo xing fans.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  15. ^abcde"Leon Spinks, ex-champ who upset Ali, dies at 67".ESPN.February 6, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  16. ^Ruiz, Michael (February 6, 2021)."Bo xing legend Leon Spinks dies at 67".Fox News.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  17. ^Putnam, Pat."SI Vault: Ali takes sloppy win, title from Spinks".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  18. ^"Spinks Stripped of Crown; W.B.C. Recognizes Norton (Published 1978)".The New York Times.March 19, 1978.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  19. ^"Leon Spinks".Cyber Bo xing Zone.RetrievedNovember 20,2016.
  20. ^Brady, Dave (June 26, 1979)."Spinks Wasn't in Shape, Former Trainer Opines".Washington Post.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  21. ^Nack, William."Spinks was no sphinx".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  22. ^"Whicker: Remembering Eddie Lopez, the animal who laughed".Orange County Register.July 23, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  23. ^Katz, Michael (June 8, 1981)."Leon Spinks in search of himself and title".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  24. ^"'U.S. Title' Captured By Spinks ".Washington Post.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  25. ^"Larry Holmes knocks out Leon Spinks in third round for title".Dispatch Argus.June 11, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  26. ^Katz, Michael (February 24, 1982)."Leon Spinks starts out in a new class".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  27. ^Katz, Michael (November 1, 1982)."Leon Spinks returns with a victory".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  28. ^"David Pearce: Statue of 'Newport's Rocky' to inspire boxers".BBC News.June 9, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  29. ^Hummel, Rick (February 7, 2021)."St. Louisan and former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks dies at 67".STLtoday.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  30. ^"Bo xing Legend Leon Spinks, Who Once Had Match With Antonio Inoki, Dead At 67".411mania.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  31. ^ab"Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks dies at 67 after lengthy cancer battle".CBSSports.February 7, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  32. ^"The Fix Is In".Snap Judgment.NPR.June 13, 2014.RetrievedJuly 3,2015.
  33. ^Goldstein, Richard (February 7, 2021)."Leon Spinks, Boxer Who Took Ali's Crown and Lost It, Dies at 67".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  34. ^"Cagematch.net".
  35. ^Oliver, Greg (February 6, 2021)."Leon Spinks' many wrestling connections".Slam! Wrestling.Canadian Online Explorer.
  36. ^Pollock, John (February 8, 2021)."Leon Spinks' pro wrestling history".Pollock's News Update.POST Wrestling.
  37. ^Trott, Bill (February 6, 2021)."Leon Spinks, bo xing 's former heavyweight champion, dead at 67".
  38. ^Del Rosario, Alexandra (February 7, 2021)."Leon Spinks Jr. Dies: Ex-Heavyweight Bo xing Champ Who Defeated Muhammad Ali Was 67".Deadline.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  39. ^Steve Sipple, "Ex-champ Leon Spinks cleans up in Columbus".Lincoln Journal Star,April 4, 2005.
  40. ^"Leon Spinks, heavyweight champ who once beat Ali, dead at 67".NBC News.February 7, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 7,2021.
  41. ^"Leon Spinks | American boxer".Encyclopedia Britannica.May 24, 2023.
  42. ^"Leon Spinks's Son Is Fatally Shot".The New York Times.Associated Press.July 23, 1990.RetrievedAugust 21,2017.
  43. ^"Leon Calvin".BoxRec.RetrievedFebruary 8,2018.
  44. ^"Leon Spinks III".BoxRec.RetrievedFebruary 8,2018.
  45. ^"Former champion Leon Spinks hospitalized".USA Today.RetrievedFebruary 8,2018.
  46. ^"Bo xing Champ Leon Spinks' Prostate Cancer Has Spread – What Are the Treatment Options?".SurvivorNet.
  47. ^Goldstein, Richard (February 6, 2021)."Leon Spinks, Boxer Who Took Ali's Crown and Lost It, Dies at 67".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 6,2021.

Further reading

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  • Florio, John; Shapiro, Ouisie (2013).One Punch from the Promised Land: Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, and the Myth of the Heavyweight Title.Lyons Press. p. 279.ISBN978-0-7627-8300-7.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related toLeon Spinks.
Sporting positions
Amateur bo xing titles
Previous:
D.C. Barker 		U.S. light heavyweight champion
1974–1976 		Next:
Larry Strogen
Regional bo xing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
S. T. Gordon 		NABF cruiserweight champion
October 31, 1982 – May 1984
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Anthony Davis
Vacant
Title last held by
Michael Dokes 		WBCContinental Americas
heavyweightchampion
December 13, 1985 – March 1986
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Adílson Rodrigues
Vacant
Title last held by
Adílson Rodrigues 		WBC Continental Americas
heavyweight champion
April 28, 1987 – April 1988
Vacated 		Vacant
Title next held by
Michael Dokes
World bo xing titles
Preceded by WBA heavyweight champion
February 15, 1978–September 15, 1978 		Succeeded by
Muhammad Ali
WBC heavyweight champion
February 15, 1978 – March 18, 1978
Stripped 		Vacant
Title next held by
Ken Norton
The Ringheavyweight champion
February 15, 1978 – September 15, 1978 		Succeeded by
Muhammad Ali
Undisputed heavyweight champion
February 15, 1978 – March 18, 1978
Titles fragmented 		Vacant
Title next held by
Mike Tyson
Professional wrestling titles
Preceded by WWA World Martial Arts
heavyweight champion
March 25, 1992 – May 24, 1992 		Succeeded by
Awards
Previous:
Muhammad Ali
and
Joe Frazier 		BWAA Fighter of the Year
1976
With:Howard Davis Jr.,Sugar Ray Leonard,
Leo Randolph,andMichael Spinks 		Next:
Ken Norton
Previous:
George Foremanvs.
Jimmy Young 		The RingFight of the Year
vs. Muhammad Ali
1978 		Next:
Danny Lopezvs.
Mike Ayala
Previous:
Jorge Luján
KO10Alfonso Zamora 		The RingUpset of the Year
SD15 Muhammad Ali
1978 		Next:
Vito Antuofermo
SD15Marvin Hagler
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