Michael Spinks Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

 American boxer Michael Spinks was born on the 13 July 1956 in St Louis, Missouri. The family lived on  Pruitt-Igoe housing estate, which was demolished in 1976, was a tough place to grow up in. Springs subsequently experienced bullying as a child, and after his brother, Leon was attacked, he started boxing lessons at a local gym.

Rise To Fame

Michael Spinks immediately showed talent as a boxer and won the Golden Gloves Middleweight Championship in 1974 when he beat Wilber Cameron in Colorado. In 1975 he won silver in the National AAU 165 lb championship competition. Then in 1976, he beat Lamont Kirkland to win the National Golden Gloves Middleweight title.

Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics

After winning the U.S. Olympic Trials Middleweight Championship in Cincinnati, Ohio, Spinks went on to beat Rufat Riskiev of Russia at the 1976 Summer Olympics which were held in Montreal, Canada.

Michael Spinks finished with a 93-7 amateur record with 35 knockouts.[6

Professional Boxing Career

After an amateur boxing career which saw 35 knockouts and a 93-7 record. Michael Spinks turned professional in 1977. He won his first title fight in 1981 when he defeated Eddie Mustafa Muhammad and gained the World Boxing Association’s light heavyweight title. Then in September 1985, Spinks then made history by putting on an extra 25 pounds of weight and contesting the heavyweight title. He fought Larry Holmes in a 15-round bout for the International Boxing Federation title but was stripped of the title for not making a mandatory defense. He then fought Mike Tyson on the 27 June 1988 and was knocked out in 91 seconds. Shortly afterward, Spinks returned from professional boxing.

Major Works

Over the course of his professional boxing career (1977-1988) Spinks fought 33 fights and won 32. Twenty-one of these bouts were won by knockouts.

Awards  And Achievements

Along with his brother Leon Spinks, they became the first brothers to win Olympic gold medals at the Olympics in the same sport, the same year. The Spinks brothers were also the first brothers to win world titles as professional boxes.

In 1994, Spinks was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Personal Life 

Michael Spinks’s partner was Sandy Massey, and the couple had one child, a daughter  Michelle who was born on 3 December 1980. Then in 1983, Massey was killed in a motor accident.