how did leon spinks die

FILE - In this Feb. 15, 1978, file photo, Leon Spinks, right, connects with a right hook to Muhammad Ali, during the late rounds of their championship fight in Las Vegas. Can't get enough boxing and MMA? Very user friendly navigation and includes a search function and interactive quizzes. Leon Spinks -- former undisputed heavyweight boxing champ -- who defeated Muhammad Ali in 1978... has died after a 5 year battle with cancer. Spinks, who lived his later years in Las Vegas, died Friday night, according to a release from a public relations firm. Leon Spinks, who won Olympic gold and then shocked the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in only his eighth professional fight, has died aged 67 after a … "He was a great guy to be around. Leon Spinks (July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. © 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. REWIND: Spinks fought cancer like an opponent in the ring. He … The fight saw Spinks make history in just his eighth pro bout as the quickest boxer to win the heavyweight championship. FILE - In this Feb. 15, 1978, file photo, Leon Spinks celebrates as his entourage holds him aloft after his 15-round split decision victory over world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali in Las Vegas. Spinks, then 24, pulled the upset in a split decision to win the title. As an amateur he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was 67. LAS VEGAS (AP) — Leon Spinks, who won Olympic gold and then shocked the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in only his eighth pro fight, has died. A resident of Las Vegas, Spinks revealed in 2019 that he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. Michael Spinks (born July 13, 1956) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1988. Former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, best known for defeating Muhammad Ali in 1978, has died at the age 67, according to a statement from his publicist. Leon Spinks, who won Olympic gold and then shocked the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in only his eighth pro fight, has died. Leonard, who got to know Spinks when they were members of that 1976 U.S. Olympic team, recalled their time together fondly. Boxing legend Leon Spinks died at the age of 67 on Friday night in a Henderson, Nevada, hospital near his home after battling with prostate cancer for several years, according to family friend Joe Bernal. Spinks served in the Marine Corps before he rocketed to international fame in 1978 when he beat Muhammad Ali in a split decision to earn the undisputed world heavyweight title in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Spinks retired in 1995 with a record of 26-17-3. Leon Spinks bio. Spinks was later stripped of the WBC title for facing Ali in an unapproved rematch seven months later, which he lost by a unanimous decision. Leon Spinks, the gap-toothed fighter from the St. Louis slums who pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history in 1978 by defeating Muhammad Ali to take the undisputed world heavyweight title, has died at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer, a spokesman said on Saturday. Former undisputed heavyweight champion Leon Spinks died on Friday at 67 following a five-year battle with multiple cancers. The St. Louis native, a former Marine who won a gold medal as a light heavyweight at the 1976 Olympics, was just 13 months and eight fights into his pro boxing career when he stepped into a ring against Ali on Feb. 15, 1978, in Las Vegas. Born in St. Louis in 1953, Spinks served in the United States Marine Corps from 1973 until 1976, when he won Olympic gold as a light heavyweight in Montreal. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: boxing | pageType: stories | Funny and hard working. “Why in the world would they put (Spinks) in the ring with Muhammad Ali with such a short boxing career? The older brother of Michael Spinks, a two-division champion and fellow Olympic champion, Leon lost the rematch to Ali just seven months later in front of over 63,000 fans in New Orleans. A resident of Las Vegas, Spinks revealed in 2019 that he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. Although Spinks would continue fighting professionally for another 17 years, including unsuccessful attempts at heavyweight and cruiserweight titles, most of his career was marked by drug addiction and legal troubles. He had been battling prostate and other cancers. Leon Spinks, who won Olympic gold and then shocked the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in only his eighth pro fight, has died. He was 67. Leon Spinks — former undisputed heavyweight boxing champ who defeated Muhammad Ali in 1978 — has died after a lengthy battle with cancer. TMZ … Fresh off his Olympic success, Leon Spinks turned professional the following year. He had one more heavyweight title fight – in 1981 – but lost to Larry Holmes in a third-round TKO. The glory did not last. Boxing legend Leon Spinks died at the age of 67 on Friday night in a Henderson, Nevada, hospital near his home after battling with prostate cancer … Leon Spinks, the heavyweight boxer who became undisputed world champion by upsetting Muhammad Ali in 1978 before losing a rematch only months later, has died. Fighting alongside his brother Michael and a charismatic light welterweight by the name of Ray Leonard, they became most successful U.S. Olympic boxing team in history. Leon Spinks made a name for himself in the boxing ring after winning the gold medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics and defeating Muhammad Ali for the undisputed heavyweight title a couple of years later. Spinks retired in 1995 at the age of 42 after losing five of his final eight fights. 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 boxing history. His death, in a hospital, was announced by his wife, Brenda Glur Spinks, in a statement released by the family’s public relations representatives. In only his eighth professional bout, Spinks won the undisputed world heavyweight championship when he beat Muhammad Ali on February 15, 1978, in what was considered one of the … However, he lost a rematch with Ali seven months later by unanimous decision. His family announced in … Spinks died in Henderson, Nevada, with wife Brenda Glur Spinks by his side. He upset Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1978 after just seven professional bouts, but lost the rematch seven months later. Spinks… At the opening bell, Spinks rushed out and fought like it was do or die. Top Rank joins the boxing community in mourning the passing of Leon Spinks - A true legend, who pulled off one of the greatest Heavyweight upsets of all time in 1978. pic.twitter.com/i3xHjkKNti. Leon Spinks (born July 11, 1953) is an American former boxer, who had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and three draws as a professional, with 14 of those wins by knockout. Three years after Spinks lost to Ali, he brought a four-fight unbeaten streak into a 1981 heavyweight title bout against Larry Holmes which he lost via third-round TKO. Teammates Charles Mooney won silver and John Tate bronze. It earned Spinks $320,000 and the title of undisputed champ. He was a … Spinks died in Henderson, Nevada, with wife Brenda Glur Spinks by his side. Born on July 11, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri, boxer Leon Spinks won the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games. Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. He was 67. He was 67. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news. Spinks was previously in the US Marine Corps and won an Olympic gold medal in Montreal 1976 Spinks's brother, Michael, was also a heavyweight title winner His death on Saturday came after a long battle with cancer, a spokesman said. He was 67. He was all those things.’’. He was named to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017. In just his eighth pro bout, he squared off against the legendary Ali for the undisputed heavyweight title. “Personally speaking, he was one of the nicest guys,'' Leonard told USA TODAY Sports. 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