View source for Michael Spinks

{{short description|American boxer (born 1956)}}
{{Infobox boxer
| name = Michael Spinks
| image = Michael Spinks 1987.JPG
| caption = Spinks in 1987
| realname = Michael Spinks
| nickname = Jinx
| weight = {{plainlist|
*[[Light heavyweight]]
*[[Heavyweight]]
}}
| height = 6 ft 2+1/2 in<ref name=tysonspinks>''[[HBO Sports]]'' tale of the tape prior to the [[Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks|Mike Tyson fight]].</ref>
| reach = 76 in<ref name=tysonspinks />
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|07|22}}<ref name="BritannicaSpinks"/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/spinks.html | title=Michael Spinks }}</ref>
| birth_place = [[St. Louis, Missouri]], U.S
| style = [[Orthodox stance|Orthodox]]
| total = 32
| wins = 31
| KO = 21
| losses = 1
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport | Men's [[amateur boxing]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalOlympics}}
{{MedalGold | [[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Montreal]] | [[Boxing at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Middleweight|Middleweight]]}}
}}

'''Michael Spinks''' (born July 22, 1956){{efn|[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] gives Spinks birthdate as July 13th.<ref name="BritannicaSpinks">{{cite encyclopedia |author1=The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica |title=Michael Spinks AMERICAN BOXER |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Spinks |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica |access-date=13 June 2018 |quote=Michael Spinks, (born July 22, 1956, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.), American boxer …}}</ref> [[The New York Times]] gave his birthdate as July 13 in an article published in 1987<ref name="NYT19871018">{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Dave |title=Sports of The Times; Not Really the Undisputed Champion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/18/sports/sports-of-the-times-not-really-the-undisputed-champion.html |access-date=14 June 2018 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 18, 1987 |page=5005005 |language=en |quote=In contrast, Spinks, depending on how often he fights until then, might be a little rusty. He will surely be a little older. He'll turn 32 on July 13.}}</ref> and [[World Boxing Association]] published an article on his 60th birthday on July 22, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Clarence George |title=Light Heavyweight Great Michael Spinks Turns 60 |url=http://www.wbaboxing.com/boxing-news/light-heavyweight-great-michael-spinks-turns-60#.WyK6XS_mbLF |publisher=World Boxing Association |access-date=14 June 2018 |language=en |date=13 July 2016 |quote=Michael Spinks, generally considered among the greatest light heavyweights of all time, celebrates his 60th birthday today.}}</ref> In 2010 [[Sports Illustrated]] included Spinks in a list of persons born on July 22nd.<ref name="SportsIll20110722">{{cite magazine |author1=No author |title=Back in Time: July 22 |url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/photos/2010/07/22back-in-time-july-22#6 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=13 June 2018 |date=July 22, 2010 |quote=BORN ON THIS DAY … Michael Spinks (1956) …}}</ref>}} is an American former [[professional boxer]] who competed from 1977 to 1988. He held world championships in two [[weight class (boxing)|weight classes]], including the [[Undisputed championship (boxing)|undisputed]] [[light heavyweight]] title from 1983 to 1985, and the [[lineal championship|lineal]] [[heavyweight]] title from 1985 to 1988. As an [[amateur boxing|amateur]] he won a gold medal in the [[middleweight]] division at the [[1976 Summer Olympics]].

Nicknamed "Jinx", which spawned the nickname of his [[straight right hand]], "the Spinks Jinx",<ref>Lotierzo, Frank J., "Michael Spinks: A Real Champion" ''Viewing Boxing From Ringside'', Tom Donelson, Editor (Writers Club Press, 2002), p. 112</ref><ref name="Spinks Jinx">{{cite web |last=Lotierzo |first=Frank J. |title='Spinks Jinx' Charmed and Unparalleled at Light Heavyweight |website=East Side Boxing |url=http://www.eastsideboxing.com/boxing-news/lotierzo2402.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418171514/http://www.eastsideboxing.com/boxing-news/lotierzo2402.php |archive-date=April 18, 2012 |access-date=February 2, 2015}}</ref> Spinks is the brother of former world heavyweight champion [[Leon Spinks]], and uncle of [[Cory Spinks]], a former [[welterweight]] and [[light middleweight]] champion.

After a successful amateur career, which culminated in his Olympic gold medal win, Spinks went undefeated in his first 31 professional fights, beating [[Dwight Muhammad Qawi]], [[Eddie Mustafa Muhammad]], [[Marvin Johnson (boxer)|Marvin Johnson]] and [[Eddie Davis (boxer)|Eddie Davis]] en route to becoming the undisputed light heavyweight champion. After defending the title against 10 different fighters, Spinks moved up to heavyweight, and as an underdog defeated long-reigning [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] heavyweight champion [[Larry Holmes]] (whose own 48–0 record up to that point was one victory short of tying [[Rocky Marciano]]'s 49–0 unblemished record); in doing so, Spinks became the first reigning light heavyweight world champion to win the heavyweight title. In his final fight, Spinks was [[Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks|knocked out]] by [[Mike Tyson]] in 91 seconds, the only defeat of his professional career.

Spinks has been inducted into the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. The International Boxing Research Organization and [[BoxRec]] rank Spinks among the 10 greatest light heavyweights of all time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibroresearch.com/?p=56 |title=Light-heavyweight |publisher=IBRO |access-date=2011-06-13 |archive-date=2014-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109161059/http://www.ibroresearch.com/?p=56 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://boxrec.com/ratings.php?country=&sex=m&division=Light+Heavyweight&status=E&SUBMIT=Go |title=World all light-heavyweight ratings |publisher=BoxRec |access-date=2011-06-13}}</ref>

==Amateur career==
Spinks won the 1974 156-pound [[Golden Gloves]] Light Middleweight Championship by defeating Wilber Cameron in [[Denver, Colorado]], and then took the silver medal in the [[National AAU]] 165-pound Championship Competition in 1975, losing in three rounds to Tom Sullivan in [[Shreveport, Louisiana]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2013}} He rebounded to take the 1976 [[National Golden Gloves]] Middleweight championship with a three-round victory over Lamont Kirkland in [[Miami, Florida]], and that same year captured the United States Olympic Trials Middleweight Championship by defeating Keith Broom in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Spinks benefited from a favorable draw. Due to a bye and two wins by walkover, he was only required to box two opponents to win the gold medal in the middleweight division. He went on to defeat the [[Soviet Union]]'s [[Rufat Riskiyev]] in the final.<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-aug-01-1976-p-17/ U.S. boxers reap five Olympic gold medals] (AP), ''Walla Walla Union Bulletin'', August 1, 1976, p. 17.</ref>

===Highlights===
*Compiled an amateur record of (93-7)<ref name=BoxRec/>
*Won the 1974 Light Middleweight (156&nbsp;lb.) National Golden Gloves Championship.
*Made it to the finals of the 1975 National AAU, losing to [[Tommy Brooks]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=TOMMY BROOKS – New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame|url=http://www.njboxinghof.org/tommy-brooks/|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-23}}</ref>
*Won the 1976 Middleweight (165&nbsp;lb.) National Golden Gloves Championship in Miami, Florida.
*Won the Middleweight Gold Medal for the United States at the 1976 [[Olympic Games]] in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

===Olympic results===
{{gold medal}} at the XXI Summer Olympics (165 lbs), [[Montreal, Canada]], July 1976:
* Round of 32: bye
* Round of 16: Defeated Jean-Marie Emebe (Cameroon) by walkover
* Quarterfinal: Defeated [[Ryszard Pasiewicz]] (Poland) by unanimous decision, 5–0
* Semifinal: Defeated [[Alec Năstac]] (Romania) by walkover
* Final: Defeated [[Rufat Riskiyev]] (Soviet Union) RSC 3 {{small|(Riskiyev knocked down in the 1st rd, referee stopped the fight at 1:54)}}

Spinks finished his amateur career with a record of 93 wins (35 knockouts,) 7 losses.<ref name=BoxRec>BoxRec, [http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Michael_Spinks Michael Spinks]</ref>

==Hiatus==
With the Olympics behind him, Spinks returned to work at a chemical factory in [[St. Louis]], [[Missouri]], "scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets," as one source tells it. He had no big contracts awaiting him and, while Michael appeared to experts to be the more promising of the two brothers, Leon was at that time the big shooting star, a television staple of [[ABC Sports]], on his way to a shot at heavyweight champion [[Muhammad Ali]]. Michael had their mother to care for, and he was intent on helping Leon prepare for Ali. All of this pushed Michael's career to the back burner. It was [[Butch Lewis]] in 1977 who convinced Michael to turn professional.<ref name="Spinks Jinx"/><ref>Oates, Joyce Carol, & [[John Ranard]], ''On Boxing'' (HarperCollins Publishers, 1987, 1995, 2006), p. 34</ref><ref>Lotierzo, Frank J., "Michael Spinks: A Real Champion" ''Viewing Boxing From Ringside'', Tom Donelson, Editor (Writers Club Press, 2002), pgs. 111-12</ref>

==Professional career==
===Early years===
Spinks then turned professional with a win over Eddie Benson, knocking him out in one round on April 17, 1977, in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]]. With that, Spinks began a 31 fight winning streak that would almost extend to the end of his career. After four more wins, Spinks finished '77 with the first fight that began a gradual ascent in opposition quality: an eight-round decision over Gary Summerhays, a popular young boxer of the time.

In 1978, Spinks won two fights, including an eight-round decision over former world Middleweight title challenger Tom Bethea, in the same undercard where his brother Leon dethroned Ali as world Heavyweight champion in Las Vegas.

1979 saw Spinks get less than three minutes of boxing action inside a ring, with his only fight ending in a first round [[knockout]] of Marc Hans, but in 1980, Spinks took his ascent towards the top to another level, when he beat future IBF super-middleweight champion Murray Sutherland, David Conteh, and fringe contenders Ramon Ronquillo and Alvaro Yaqui Lopez (who challenged for a world title four times). Of his five wins that year, three came by knockout, Sutherland and Johnny Wilburn being the only ones who lasted the distance.

===First world title===
By 1981, Spinks was already a top ranked contender, and after beating former and future world light-heavyweight champion [[Marvin Johnson (boxer)|Marvin Johnson]] by a knockout in four rounds, the [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] made Spinks their number one challenger, and so, on July 18 of that year, he met WBA light-heavyweight champion [[Eddie Mustafa Muhammad]], once again in Las Vegas. Spinks dropped Mustafa Muhammad in round 12 and went on to become the WBA light heavyweight champion with a 15-round decision win. He defended the title once in '81, beating Vonzell Johnson by a knockout in seven.

1982 began with a knockout victory over Mustafa Wassaja. Spinks had become a superstar, at least in the boxing world. He began appearing on the covers of boxing magazines and boxing fans started clamoring for a unification fight with [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] champion [[Dwight Muhammad Qawi]]. Tragedy struck his life, however, when in January 1983, his 24-year-old wife, Sandy Massey, died in a car crash, leaving Spinks the single parent of his two-year-old daughter, Michelle.

===Spinks vs Qawi===
{{Main|Michael Spinks vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi}}
Meanwhile, the fight all the fans wanted was being asked for by boxing critics and magazine editors, too. On March 18, two months after his wife's death, Spinks and Qawi met in a boxing ring for the undisputed light heavyweight championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/lheavy.htm|title=The Lineal Light Heavyweight Champions|publisher=The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia}}</ref> The fight was broadcast by [[HBO World Championship Boxing]], and, according to the book ''[[The Ring: Boxing the 20th Century]]'', Spinks had a very tough moment to overcome before it even started: His daughter asked him, while he was in his dressing room, if her mother would come to watch the fight. After breaking into tears he composed himself and dominated the fight with his jab and plenty of strategic hooks and crosses. He repeatedly stopped Qawi in his tracks over the first 11 rounds but cautiously waited for Qawi to come out of his crouched defense to resume his assault. Qawi scored a knockdown in round eight. The official scores were 144–140, 144–141, and 144–141, all for Spinks, who was now the undisputed world Light Heavyweight champion. He defended the title one more time before the end of the year, against [[Oscar Rivadeneira]], whom he beat by a ten-round knockout.

Spinks fought only once in 1984, retaining his crown with a twelve-round majority decision over [[Eddie Davis (boxer)|Eddie Davis]]. He and Qawi were only a couple of weeks away from fighting a rematch in September of that year, but that fight got called off when Qawi was injured during training. Spinks also was recognized as IBF Light heavyweight champion in 1984.

===Holmes vs Spinks===
{{Main|Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks }}
In 1985, Spinks beat David Sears and Jim McDonald, both by knockout, in title defenses, before challenging [[Larry Holmes]] for the [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] and lineal heavyweight championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/achamp.htm |title=The Lineal Heavyweight Champions |publisher=The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603092447/http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/achamp.htm |archive-date=2009-06-03 }}</ref> Holmes was trying to tie [[Rocky Marciano]]'s record of 49–0 as the heavyweight champion, but it was Spinks who made history that night, winning a controversial and narrow fifteen-round unanimous decision and becoming the first ever world light-heavyweight champion to win the world heavyweight title.  His controversial victory over Holmes was named [[Ring Magazine upsets of the year#1980s|''Ring Magazine'' Upset of the Year]]. With this, Michael and Leon had also become the first pair of brothers ever to be world heavyweight champions, followed two decades later by Wladimir and [[Vitali Klitschko]].

===Heavyweight champion===
{{main|Michael Spinks vs. Larry Holmes II|Michael Spinks vs. Steffen Tangstad|Michael Spinks vs. Gerry Cooney}}
In 1986, Spinks and Holmes fought a rematch as part of the [[heavyweight unification series]], and had nearly the same result, this time Spinks winning by a 15-round split decision. After that, he retained the world heavyweight championship once again, by a knockout in four against [[Steffen Tangstad]]. In 1987 he was stripped of the crown by the IBF for refusing to fight their [[mandatory challenger]], [[Tony Tucker]], and accepting a higher offer to fight [[Gerry Cooney]] instead. Spinks knocked out Cooney in five rounds, and after [[Mike Tyson]] had unified the heavyweight belts, fans started clamoring for a fight between them as many still recognized Spinks as the legitimate lineal champion.

===Spinks vs Tyson===
{{Main|Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks}}
The fight between Spinks and Mike Tyson took place in June 1988, with Tyson knocking Spinks down twice on his way to a first-round knockout. Tyson and [[Dwight Muhammad Qawi]] were the only fighters to officially floor Spinks. It was Spinks's first defeat in the professional ring, and his last, as he retired following the fight. In this fight he was badly affected by fear.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Norris|first=Luke|date=2020-04-01|title=Why Michael Spinks Didn't Want to Leave His Dressing Room to Fight Mike Tyson|url=https://www.sportscasting.com/why-michael-spinks-didnt-want-to-leave-his-dressing-room-to-fight-mike-tyson/|access-date=2020-11-05|website=Sportscasting {{!}} Pure Sports|language=en-US}}</ref>

Spinks had a record of 31 wins and 0 losses, prior to the fight, with 21 wins by knockout as a professional, and still held [[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]] magazine heavyweight title, and had a legitimate claim to the [[Lineal championship|Lineal heavyweight championship]], for he never had been beaten for his title before them being stripped from him. And he only lost recognition for both when he lost to Tyson.

In addition to his success as a heavyweight, Spinks is generally considered one of the greatest light-heavyweight champions and fighters of all time. He was the only light-heavyweight champion to remain undefeated in the entire history of the division since its inception in 1903 (until [[Joe Calzaghe]]), as well as the only reigning light-heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight title.

''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]]'' Magazine in 2002 ranked Spinks as the third greatest light-heavyweight of all time, behind [[Ezzard Charles]] and [[Archie Moore]], but ahead of [[Tommy Loughran]], [[Bob Foster (boxer)|Bob Foster]], [[Harold Johnson (boxer)|Harold Johnson]], [[Maxie Rosenbloom]] and [[Billy Conn]]. Furthermore, Spinks did what no other light-heavyweight champion had ever done up to that point: move up to win the world heavyweight championship, by decisioning IBF champion [[Larry Holmes]] in 1985.<ref>BoxRec, [http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Division-By-Division_-_The_Greatest_Fighters_of_All-Time Division-By-Division - The Greatest Fighters of All-Time, As selected by The Ring magazine in various years, Lt Heavyweights], September 2002 Issue</ref>

On ''The Ring'' Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time, Spinks was ranked 42nd.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time! |journal=The Ring Yearbook: 2003 Edition |date=October 2003 |page=96 |url=http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_100_Greatest_Punchers_of_All-Time!}}</ref>

On ''The Ring'' Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, released in 2002, Spinks ranked 41st.<ref>[http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_80_Best_Fighters_of_the_Last_80_Years The 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years, as selected by the ''Ring'' Magazine in the Annual 2002 Volume II Issue]</ref>

East Side Boxing said in its tribute to Spinks, "Michael Spinks went undefeated fighting during the deepest era in Light Heavyweight history. And he beat the real heavyweight champion to win the title, who was also undefeated. Michael Spinks is the most accomplished light heavyweight champion in history."<ref>Lotierzo, Franbk [http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=1985&more=1? "Michael Spinks: An Appreciation"]</ref>

==Retirement and later years==
[[File:Michael Spinks 1996.jpeg|thumb|Spinks in 1996]]
Spinks was once believed to be one of the few top fighters who left the sport of boxing with both a decent amount of money and being seemingly unharmed, free of permanent injuries.  However he has shown signs of slurred speech since the 2020s, and he has been in litigation over the loss of his $24 million fortune. Aside from a rare event honoring him and occasionally attending fights, Spinks has largely remained off the boxing scene and out of the public eye.
Ken Hissner reported that, "In October 2007 he was introduced into the ring at the Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. He seemed quite at home in the ring waving and talking to the fans."<ref>Hissner, Ken, [http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Ken/Hissner052710.htm "Michael Spinks Interview - From Olympic Boxing Champ to Rocking the Pro Scene!"], May 27, 2010 Doghouse Boxing.</ref>

Spinks lives on a five-acre spread in [[Greenville, Delaware]]. However, he has been known for visiting schools—carrying his gold medal and four title belts—where he tells kids to pursue their dreams. "Most of the kids don't have a clue who I am," he says, "but they listen when they see all the gold."<ref>O'Keefe, John, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120604060924/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1016520/index.htm "Michael Spinks, Champion Boxer"] ''Sports Illustrated'' Magazine, Volume 91, No. 5, August 9, 1999, p. 20.</ref>

For years he remained close to his former promoter, [[Butch Lewis]], training fighters and making rare public appearances at events promoted by Lewis.<ref>Eisele, Andrew, [http://boxing.about.com/od/history/a/michaelspinks.htm "Michael Spinks from 1976 Summer Olympics"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930132634/http://boxing.about.com/od/history/a/michaelspinks.htm |date=2009-09-30 }} ''About.com Boxing''</ref>

In 2011, however, after Lewis died from natural causes,<ref>Goldstein, Richard, [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/25/sports/butch-lewis-flashy-promoter-for-boxings-spinks-brothers-dies-at-65.html "Butch Lewis, Flashy Promoter for Boxing's Spinks Brothers, Dies at 65"] ''New York Times'', July 24, 2011</ref> it was reported that Spinks had sued Lewis's estate in a Delaware Chancery Court, alleging that the promoter had failed to properly manage more than $24 million Spinks had earned in the ring and had violated their agreements that Lewis would continue to manage Spinks's money and pay his living expenses for the rest of the boxer's life.  The lawsuit alleged that he commingled his personal funds with Spinks's and used Spinks's money to pay his and his children's own personal and business expenses.  Also named as a defendant was [[Robert L. Johnson]], founder of Black Entertainment Television, head of the real estate firm of RLJ Development LLC, in Bethesda, Maryland, and one of the executors of Lewis's $8.5 million estate.

According to Spinks's lawyers, following Lewis's death Johnson and attorney Leonard Williams stopped the payments without telling him, which in turn caused Spinks's health insurance to lapse and bills totaling up to $50,000 a month to go unpaid. "Spinks had to invade his pension and retirement funds and incur significant taxes and penalties in order to meet these obligations," the boxer's lawyers added in the filings.

Spinks asked that the court bar Johnson and Williams from transferring any further assets from Lewis's estate until there can be a full accounting and payments to Spinks are resumed.<ref>Feeley, Jef, & and Phil Milford, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120524063708/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-14/boxing-champion-michael-spinks-sues-former-promoter-s-estate.html "Boxing Champion Michael Spinks Sues Former Promoter's Estate"] ''Bloomberg Business Week'', October 14, 2011; the case is Michael Spinks v. the Estate of Ronald E. "Butch" Lewis, 6931, Delaware Chancery Court (Wilmington).</ref>

==Professional boxing record==
{{BoxingRecordSummary
|ko-wins=21
|ko-losses=1
|dec-wins=10
}}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!{{abbr|No.|Number}}
!Result
!Record
!Opponent
!Type
!Round, time
!Date
!Location
!Notes
|-
|32
|{{no2}}Loss
|31–1
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Mike Tyson]]
|KO
|1 (12), {{small|1:31}}
|[[Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks|Jun 27, 1988]]
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Lost ''The Ring'' heavyweight title;<br>For [[list of WBA world champions#Heavyweight|WBA]], [[list of WBC world champions#Heavyweight|WBC]], and IBF heavyweight titles}}
|-
|31
|{{yes2}}Win
|31–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Gerry Cooney]]
|TKO
|5 (15), {{small|2:51}}
|[[Michael Spinks vs. Gerry Cooney|Jun 15, 1987]]
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained ''The Ring'' heavyweight title}}
|-
|30
|{{yes2}}Win
|30–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Steffen Tangstad]]
|TKO
|4 (15), {{small|0:58}}
|[[Michael Spinks vs. Steffen Tangstad|Sep 6, 1986]]
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained IBF and ''The Ring'' heavyweight titles}}
|-
|29
|{{yes2}}Win
|29–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Larry Holmes]]
|{{abbr|SD|Split decision}}
|15
|[[Michael Spinks vs. Larry Holmes II|Apr 19, 1986]]
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained IBF and ''The Ring'' heavyweight titles}}
|-
|28
|{{yes2}}Win
|28–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Larry Holmes]]
|UD
|15
|[[Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks|Sep 21, 1985]]
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Won [[list of IBF world champions#Heavyweight|IBF]] and [[list of The Ring world champions#Heavyweight|''The Ring'' heavyweight titles]]}}
|-
|27
|{{yes2}}Win
|27–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Jim MacDonald
|TKO
|8 (15), {{small|1:30}}
|Jun 6, 1985
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Riviera (hotel and casino)|Riviera]], Winchester, Nevada, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and ''The Ring'' light heavyweight titles}}
|-
|26
|{{yes2}}Win
|26–0
|style="text-align:left;"| David Sears
|TKO
|3 (12), {{small|1:02}}
|Feb 23, 1985
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, and ''The Ring'' light heavyweight titles}}
|-
|25
|{{yes2}}Win
|25–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Eddie Davis (boxer)|Eddie Davis]]
|UD
|12
|Feb 25, 1984
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA, WBC, and ''The Ring'' light heavyweight titles;<br>Won inaugural [[list of IBF world champions#Light heavyweight|IBF light heavyweight title]]}}
|-
|24
|{{yes2}}Win
|24–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Oscar Rivadeneyra
|TKO
|10 (15), {{small|1:42}}
|Nov 25, 1983
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Pacific Coliseum]], [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], Canada}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA, WBC, and ''The Ring'' light heavyweight titles}}
|-
|23
|{{yes2}}Win
|23–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Dwight Muhammad Qawi]]
|UD
|15
|[[Michael Spinks vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi|Mar 18, 1983]]
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA light heavyweight title;<br>Won [[list of WBC world champions#Light heavyweight|WBC]] and [[list of The Ring world champions#Light heavyweight|''The Ring'' light heavyweight titles]]}}
|-
|22
|{{yes2}}Win
|22–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Johnny Davis
|TKO
|9 (15), {{small|2:27}}
|Sep 18, 1982
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Sands Atlantic City|Sands]], Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA light heavyweight title}}
|-
|21
|{{yes2}}Win
|21–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Jerry Celestine
|TKO
|8 (15), {{small|1:58}}
|Jun 12, 1982
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA light heavyweight title}}
|-
|20
|{{yes2}}Win
|20–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Murray Sutherland]]
|TKO
|8 (15), {{small|1:24}}
|Apr 11, 1982
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA light heavyweight title}}
|-
|19
|{{yes2}}Win
|19–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Mustafa Wassaja
|TKO
|6 (15), {{small|1:36}}
|Feb 13, 1982
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA light heavyweight title}}
|-
|18
|{{yes2}}Win
|18–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Vonzell Johnson
|TKO
|7 (15), {{small|1:13}}
|Nov 7, 1981
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Playboy Hotel and Casino]], Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Retained WBA light heavyweight title}}
|-
|17
|{{yes2}}Win
|17–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Eddie Mustafa Muhammad]]
|UD
|15
|Jul 18, 1981
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Imperial Palace (Las Vegas)|Imperial Palace]], Paradise, Nevada, U.S.}}
|style="text-align:left;"|{{small|Won [[list of WBA world champions#Light heavyweight|WBA light heavyweight title]]}}
|-
|16
|{{yes2}}Win
|16–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Marvin Johnson (boxer)|Marvin Johnson]]
|KO
|4 (10), {{small|1:22}}
|Mar 28, 1981
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|
|-
|15
|{{yes2}}Win
|15–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Willie Taylor
|TKO
|8 (10), {{small|2:40}}
|Jan 24, 1981
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Martin Luther King Arena (Philadelphia)|Martin Luther King Arena]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|14
|{{yes2}}Win
|14–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Yaqui Lopez]]
|TKO
|7 (10), {{small|0:46}}
|Oct 18, 1980
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Boardwalk Hall|Convention Hall]], Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.}}
|
|-
|13
|{{yes2}}Win
|13–0
|style="text-align:left;"| David Conteh
|TKO
|9 (10), {{small|2:35}}
|Aug 2, 1980
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Riverside Centroplex]], [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|12
|{{yes2}}Win
|12–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Murray Sutherland]]
|UD
|10
|May 4, 1980
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Concord Resort Hotel]], [[Thompson, New York]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|11
|{{yes2}}Win
|11–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Ramon Ranquello
|TKO
|6 (10), {{small|3:00}}
|Feb 24, 1980
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Steel Pier]], [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|10
|{{yes2}}Win
|10–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Johnny Wilburn
|UD
|8
|Feb 1, 1980
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Louisville Gardens]], [[Louisville, Kentucky]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|9
|{{yes2}}Win
|9–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Marc Hans
|TKO
|1 (8)
|Nov 24, 1979
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Metropolitan Sports Center]], [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|8
|{{yes2}}Win
|8–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Eddie Phillips
|KO
|4 (8), {{small|1:33}}
|Dec 15, 1978
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Westchester County Center]], [[White Plains, New York]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|7
|{{yes2}}Win
|7–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Tom Bethea
|UD
|8
|[[Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks|Feb 15, 1978]]
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Las Vegas Hilton]], [[Winchester, Nevada]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|6
|{{yes2}}Win
|6–0
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Gary Summerhays]]
|UD
|8
|Oct 22, 1977
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|The Aladdin, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.}}
|
|-
|5
|{{yes2}}Win
|5–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Ray Elson
|KO
|1 (8), {{small|0:51}}
|Sep 13, 1977
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Grand Olympic Auditorium]], [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|4
|{{yes2}}Win
|4–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Jasper Brisbane
|TKO
|2 (6), {{small|2:56}}
|Aug 23, 1977
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Spectrum (arena)|Spectrum]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|3
|{{yes2}}Win
|3–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Joe Borden
|{{abbr|KO|Knockout}}
|2 (6), {{small|2:20}}
|Jun 1, 1977
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Montreal Forum|Forum]], [[Montreal, Quebec]], Canada}}
|
|-
|2
|{{yes2}}Win
|2–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Luis Rodriguez
|{{abbr|UD|Unanimous decision}}
|6
|May 7, 1977
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[Kiel Auditorium]], [[St. Louis, Missouri]], U.S.}}
|
|-
|1
|{{yes2}}Win
|1–0
|style="text-align:left;"| Eddie Benson
|{{abbr|TKO|Technical knockout}}
|1 (6), {{small|2:55}}
|Apr 16, 1977
|style="text-align:left;"| {{small|[[The Aladdin]], [[Paradise, Nevada]], U.S.}}
|
|}

==Titles in boxing==
===Major world titles===
* [[list of WBA world champions#Light heavyweight|WBA light heavyweight champion]] (175&nbsp;lbs)
* [[list of WBC world champions#Light heavyweight|WBC light heavyweight champion]] (175&nbsp;lbs)
* [[list of IBF world champions#Light heavyweight|IBF light heavyweight champion]]{{Efn|Awarded inaugural title after defeating [[Eddie Davis (boxer)|Eddie Davis]] on February 25, 1984.|name=b}} (175&nbsp;lbs)
* [[list of IBF world champions#Heavyweight|IBF heavyweight champion]] (200+&nbsp;lbs)

===''The Ring'' magazine titles===
* [[list of The Ring world champions#Light heavyweight|''The Ring'' light heavyweight champion]] (175&nbsp;lbs)
* [[list of The Ring world champions#Heavyweight|''The Ring'' heavyweight champion]] (200+&nbsp;lbs)

===Undisputed titles===
* [[list of undisputed world boxing champions#Light heavyweight|Undisputed light heavyweight champion]]

==See also==
*[[List of heavyweight boxing champions]]
*[[List of light heavyweight boxing champions]]
*[[List of WBA world champions]]
*[[List of WBC world champions]]
*[[List of IBF world champions]]
*[[List of The Ring world champions|List of ''The Ring'' world champions]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist|30em}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last1=Florio|first1=John|last2=Shapiro|first2=Ouisie|title= One Punch from the Promised Land: Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, and the Myth of the Heavyweight Title |year=2013 |publisher=Lyons Press |isbn=978-0-7627-8300-7|pages=279}}

==External links==
*{{Boxrec|id=001286}}
*[http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/mspinks.htm Michael Spinks profile] at Cyber Boxing Zone
*[http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/modern/spinks.html Boxing Hall of Fame]

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|years=1974}}
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{{s-break}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of The Ring world champions#Light heavyweight|''The Ring'' light heavyweight champion]]
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{{s-break}}
{{s-vac|last=[[Bob Foster (boxer)|Bob Foster]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of undisputed boxing champions#Light heavyweight|Undisputed light heavyweight champion]]
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{{s-break}}
{{s-non|reason=Inaugural champion}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of IBF world champions#Light heavyweight|IBF light heavyweight champion]]
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{{s-vac|next=[[Slobodan Kačar]]}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of IBF world champions#Heavyweight|IBF heavyweight champion]]
|years=[[Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks|September 21, 1985]] – February 19, 1987<br />Stripped}}
{{s-vac|next=[[Tony Tucker]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of The Ring world champions#Heavyweight|''The Ring'' heavyweight champion]]
|years=[[Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks|September 21, 1985]] – [[Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks|June 27, 1988]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mike Tyson]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{s-before|before=[[Muhammad Ali]]<br>{{small|and}}<br>[[Joe Frazier]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Sugar Ray Robinson Award#1970s|BWAA Fighter of the Year]]
|years=1976|with=[[Howard Davis Jr.]], [[Leon Spinks]],<br>[[Leo Randolph]], and [[Sugar Ray Leonard]]}}
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{{s-before|before=[[Gene Hatcher]]<br>{{small|TKO11 [[Johnny Bumphus]]}} }}
{{s-ttl|title=[[The Ring magazine Upset of the Year#1980s|''The Ring'' Upset of the Year]]<br>{{small|UD15 Larry Holmes}}
|years=1985}}
{{s-after|after=[[Lloyd Honeyghan]]<br>{{small|RTD6 [[Donald Curry]]}} }}
{{s-end}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Boxing Middleweight}}
{{Footer USA Boxing 1976 Summer Olympics}}
{{Sugar Ray Robinson Award}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spinks, Michael}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American boxers]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Boxers from St. Louis]]
[[Category:International Boxing Federation champions]]
[[Category:International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Olympic boxers for the United States]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in boxing]]
[[Category:World Boxing Association champions]]
[[Category:World Boxing Council champions]]
[[Category:World heavyweight boxing champions]]
[[Category:World light-heavyweight boxing champions]]
[[Category:American male boxers]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:The Ring (magazine) champions]]
[[Category:Middleweight boxers]]
[[Category:National Golden Gloves champions]]
[[Category:Light-middleweight boxers]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Vashon High School alumni]]