Michael Spinks facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Michael Spinks
Spinks in 1996
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Jinx
Rated at	Light heavyweight Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 2+1/2 in
Reach	76 in
Born	(1956-07-22) July 22, 1956 (age 70) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S
Boxing record
Total fights	32
Wins	31
Wins by KO	21
Losses	1

Michael Spinks, born on July 22, 1956, is a famous American former professional boxer. He competed from 1977 to 1988 and achieved great success. Michael held world championship titles in two different weight classes. He was the undisputed light heavyweight champion from 1983 to 1985. He also held the lineal heavyweight title from 1985 to 1988. Before turning professional, he won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Michael was known by the nickname "Jinx." His powerful right hand was even called "the Spinks Jinx." He is the brother of Leon Spinks, another former world heavyweight champion. His nephew, Cory Spinks, also became a champion in boxing.

Michael Spinks had an amazing professional career. He won his first 31 fights without a single loss! He defeated many top boxers like Dwight Muhammad Qawi and Larry Holmes. He made history by becoming the first light heavyweight champion to also win the heavyweight title. His only professional loss was to Mike Tyson in his final fight. Michael Spinks is now a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Many experts consider him one of the greatest light heavyweights ever.

Michael Spinks: A Boxing Legend
See also

Michael Spinks: A Boxing Legend

Early Life and Amateur Boxing Success

Michael Spinks had a very successful start in boxing as an amateur. In 1974, he won the 156-pound Golden Gloves Light Middleweight Championship. He then earned a silver medal in the National AAU Championship in 1975. The next year, 1976, was a big one for him. He won the National Golden Gloves Middleweight championship. He also won the United States Olympic Trials Middleweight Championship.

Winning Olympic Gold in Montreal

Michael's amateur career reached its peak at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He competed in the middleweight division. He had a good path to the finals, with some opponents not showing up to fight. In the final match, he faced Rufat Riskiyev from the Soviet Union. Michael won this fight, earning a gold medal for the United States! He finished his amateur career with an impressive record of 93 wins and only 7 losses.

Starting a Professional Boxing Journey

After his Olympic win, Michael took a short break from boxing. He worked at a chemical factory in St. Louis, Missouri. At this time, his brother Leon was becoming very famous in boxing. Leon was preparing to fight the legendary Muhammad Ali. Michael helped Leon train. In 1977, a promoter named Butch Lewis convinced Michael to become a professional boxer.

Michael's first professional fight was on April 17, 1977, in Las Vegas. He won by knocking out Eddie Benson in the first round. This victory started an incredible winning streak. Michael won his first 31 professional fights! He slowly faced tougher opponents. In 1978, he won two fights. One of these was on the same night his brother Leon defeated Muhammad Ali to become the world Heavyweight champion.

In 1979, Michael had only one fight, winning by knockout. But in 1980, he really stepped up his game. He beat several strong boxers, including Murray Sutherland and David Conteh. Many of his wins that year came by knockout.

Becoming the Light Heavyweight Champion

By 1981, Michael Spinks was a top contender in the light heavyweight division. He defeated former champion Marvin Johnson with a knockout in four rounds. This made him the number one challenger for the WBA title. On July 18, 1981, in Las Vegas, he fought WBA light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Michael won the fight after 15 rounds, becoming the new WBA light heavyweight champion! He successfully defended his title later that year.

Unifying All Light Heavyweight Titles

Michael continued to win in 1982. He became a big star in the boxing world. Fans wanted to see him fight Dwight Muhammad Qawi, who held the WBC title. This fight would decide the undisputed light heavyweight champion.

Poster of Spinks on KO Magazine July 1982 issue

In early 1983, Michael faced a personal challenge when he became a single parent to his young daughter, Michelle, after a sad event. Despite this, he prepared for the big fight. On March 18, 1983, Michael Spinks and Dwight Muhammad Qawi met in the ring. It was a tough fight, but Michael used his skills to control it. He won by a unanimous decision, becoming the undisputed world Light Heavyweight champion! He defended this title later that year and again in 1984. In 1984, he also became recognized as the IBF Light Heavyweight champion.

Moving Up to the Heavyweight Division

After dominating the light heavyweight division, Michael Spinks decided to move up to the heavyweight class. This was a huge challenge.

Making History Against Champion Larry Holmes

In 1985, Michael challenged Larry Holmes for the IBF and lineal heavyweight championship. Larry Holmes was a legendary champion who was trying to match Rocky Marciano's perfect record of 49 wins and no losses. But Michael Spinks made history that night! He won a close 15-round decision. This made him the first-ever reigning light heavyweight world champion to also win the world heavyweight title. His victory over Holmes was a huge upset and was named Ring Magazine Upset of the Year. With this win, Michael and his brother Leon became the first pair of brothers to both be world heavyweight champions.

Defending the Heavyweight Title Successfully

In 1986, Michael Spinks and Larry Holmes had a rematch. Michael won again, this time by a split decision after 15 rounds. He then defended his heavyweight title against Steffen Tangstad, winning by knockout. Later, he lost his IBF title because he chose to fight Gerry Cooney instead of another challenger. Michael still defeated Cooney by knockout in five rounds. Many fans still considered Michael the true lineal heavyweight champion.

The Final Fight and Retirement from Boxing

The boxing world eagerly awaited a fight between Michael Spinks and the new unified heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson. This highly anticipated match took place in June 1988. Mike Tyson knocked Michael Spinks down twice in the first round, winning by knockout in just 91 seconds. This was Michael's first and only professional defeat. After this fight, Michael Spinks decided to retire from boxing.

Before this fight, Michael had an incredible record of 31 wins and 0 losses, with 21 knockouts. He was still recognized as The Ring magazine heavyweight champion. He only lost these recognitions when he lost to Tyson. Michael Spinks is considered one of the greatest light heavyweight champions of all time. He was the only light heavyweight champion to remain undefeated in that division's history for a long time. He was also the only reigning light heavyweight champion to move up and win the heavyweight title.

The Ring Magazine ranked Michael Spinks as the third greatest light heavyweight ever in 2002. They also ranked him 42nd on their list of 100 greatest punchers. East Side Boxing called him "the most accomplished light heavyweight champion in history."

Life After His Boxing Career

After retiring from boxing, Michael Spinks largely stayed out of the public eye. He has been known to visit schools, bringing his gold medal and championship belts. He shares his story with kids and encourages them to follow their dreams. He says that even if kids don't know who he is, they listen when they see all the gold!

Michael Spinks lived on a five-acre property in Greenville, Delaware. He remained close to his former promoter, Butch Lewis, for many years.

On January 6, 2026, Michael Spinks married Flo Anthony in New York City. They had been together since 1987. Sadly, Flo Anthony passed away exactly seven months after they were married.

Professional record summary
32 fights	31 wins	1 loss
By knockout	21	1
By decision	10	0

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
32	Loss	31–1	Mike Tyson	KO	1 (12), 1:31	Jun 27, 1988	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Lost The Ring heavyweight title; For WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles
31	Win	31–0	Gerry Cooney	TKO	5 (15), 2:51	Jun 15, 1987	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained The Ring heavyweight title
30	Win	30–0	Steffen Tangstad	TKO	4 (15), 0:58	Sep 6, 1986	Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.	Retained IBF and The Ring heavyweight titles
29	Win	29–0	Larry Holmes	SD	15	Apr 19, 1986	Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.	Retained IBF and The Ring heavyweight titles
28	Win	28–0	Larry Holmes	UD	15	Sep 21, 1985	Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.	Won IBF and The Ring heavyweight titles
27	Win	27–0	Jim MacDonald	TKO	8 (15), 1:30	Jun 6, 1985	Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.	Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
26	Win	26–0	David Sears	TKO	3 (12), 1:02	Feb 23, 1985	Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
25	Win	25–0	Eddie Davis	UD	12	Feb 25, 1984	Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles; Won inaugural IBF light heavyweight title
24	Win	24–0	Oscar Rivadeneyra	TKO	10 (15), 1:42	Nov 25, 1983	Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada	Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring light heavyweight titles
23	Win	23–0	Dwight Muhammad Qawi	UD	15	Mar 18, 1983	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBA light heavyweight title; Won WBC and The Ring light heavyweight titles
22	Win	22–0	Johnny Davis	TKO	9 (15), 2:27	Sep 18, 1982	Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBA light heavyweight title
21	Win	21–0	Jerry Celestine	TKO	8 (15), 1:58	Jun 12, 1982	Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBA light heavyweight title
20	Win	20–0	Murray Sutherland	TKO	8 (15), 1:24	Apr 11, 1982	Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBA light heavyweight title
19	Win	19–0	Mustafa Wassaja	TKO	6 (15), 1:36	Feb 13, 1982	Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBA light heavyweight title
18	Win	18–0	Vonzell Johnson	TKO	7 (15), 1:13	Nov 7, 1981	Template:Small Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Retained WBA light heavyweight title
17	Win	17–0	Eddie Mustafa Muhammad	UD	15	Jul 18, 1981	Imperial Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.	Won WBA light heavyweight title
16	Win	16–0	Marvin Johnson	KO	4 (10), 1:22	Mar 28, 1981	Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
15	Win	15–0	Willie Taylor	TKO	8 (10), 2:40	Jan 24, 1981	Martin Luther King Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
14	Win	14–0	Yaqui Lopez	TKO	7 (10), 0:46	Oct 18, 1980	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
13	Win	13–0	David Conteh	TKO	9 (10), 2:35	Aug 2, 1980	Riverside Centroplex, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
12	Win	12–0	Murray Sutherland	UD	10	May 4, 1980	Concord Resort Hotel, Thompson, New York, U.S.
11	Win	11–0	Ramon Ranquello	TKO	6 (10), 3:00	Feb 24, 1980	Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
10	Win	10–0	Johnny Wilburn	UD	8	Feb 1, 1980	Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
9	Win	9–0	Marc Hans	TKO	1 (8)	Nov 24, 1979	Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S.
8	Win	8–0	Eddie Phillips	KO	4 (8), 1:33	Dec 15, 1978	Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
7	Win	7–0	Tom Bethea	UD	8	Feb 15, 1978	Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
6	Win	6–0	Gary Summerhays	UD	8	Oct 22, 1977	The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
5	Win	5–0	Ray Elson	KO	1 (8), 0:51	Sep 13, 1977	Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
4	Win	4–0	Jasper Brisbane	TKO	2 (6), 2:56	Aug 23, 1977	Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
3	Win	3–0	Joe Borden	KO	2 (6), 2:20	Jun 1, 1977	Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2	Win	2–0	Luis Rodriguez	UD	6	May 7, 1977	Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Eddie Benson	TKO	1 (6), 2:55	Apr 16, 1977	The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.