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Michael Spinks is a former professional boxer and Olympic gold medalist. He was born on November 3, 1956, to Leon Spinks Jr. and Kay Francis Spinks in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the younger brother of Leon Spinks, the professional boxer best known for defeating Muhammad Ali for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship in 1978.
Spinks attended Vashon High School in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduating, he began his amateur boxing career in 1974, winning the 156-pound Light Middleweight Championship by defeating Wilber Cameron in Denver, Colorado. In 1975, he earned a silver medal at the National Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) 165-pound Championship, losing to Tom Sullivan in Shreveport, Louisiana. He rebounded the following year by defeating Lamont Kirkland in three rounds to win the National Golden Gloves Middleweight Championship in Miami, Florida. That same year, he also won the United States Olympic Trials Middleweight Championship by defeating Keith Broom in Cincinnati, Ohio.
These victories earned him a spot on the 1976 U.S. Olympic boxing team. At the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, Spinks won the gold medal in the middleweight division by defeating Rufat Riskiyev of the Soviet Union in the final. He finished his amateur career with a record of 93 wins and 7 losses.
After the Olympics, Spinks worked odd jobs, including at a chemical factory in St. Louis where he scrubbed floors and cleaned toilets. He also cared for his mother during this time. In 1977, boxing promoter and manager Ronald “Butch” Everett Lewis convinced Spinks to turn professional. He made his debut by knocking out Eddie Benson in the first round.
Spinks’ first major victory came in March 1981 when he knocked out Marvin Johnson in the fourth round. This win earned him a title shot for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Light Heavyweight Championship in July 1981. He successfully defended his title against several opponents, including Vonzell Johnson, Mustafa Wassaja, Murray Sutherland, Jerry Celestine, and Johnny Davis. These victories helped boost his profile, landing him on the covers of boxing magazines.
In January 1983, Spinks faced personal tragedy when his longtime partner Sandy Massey died in a car accident, leaving him a single father to their two-year-old daughter, Michelle. Despite the heartbreak, Spinks continued his boxing career. In March 1983, he fought Dwight Muhammad Qawi in a unification bout for the WBA and World Boxing Council (WBC) Light Heavyweight titles, winning by unanimous decision after 15 rounds. He later moved up to the heavyweight division and faced Larry Holmes, who was 48-0 at the time, in September 1985. Spinks defeated Holmes by unanimous decision after 15 rounds, winning the IBF and The Ring Heavyweight titles. In a 1986 rematch, Spinks again defeated Holmes by decision.
Spinks went on to defeat Steffen Tangstad and Gerry Cooney. However, in June 1988, he faced Mike Tyson and was knocked out in the first round. Following the loss, Spinks retired from boxing at the age of 32. In 1994, Michael Spinks was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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