Michael Spinks vs Marvin Johnson

[MegaDarryl1960]

Spinks vs Foster!..shit, what a great fucken fight that would be!

[joephil6]

Michael Spinks is a great fighter who is very very under rated in my view. Definetly the greatest light heavyweight champion of all time. He achieved so much in his very short career but that was probably that best way to leave boxing. With a lot of money, Making your mark in the sport and most importantly with his good health intact because he can now at least enjoy the rest of his life to the full. He new enough to know when to leave the sport and not leave everything in the ring.

[joephil6]

Not many heavyweight boxers went into the ring with Mike Tyson in his prime. Michael Spinks fought a prime Mike Tyson which is something Lennox lewis didn't do. He waited until Mike Tyson was way past his prime then challenged and beat him. Don't forget that Michael Spinks was really a light heavyweight who gained weight to campaign as a heavyweight boxer and challenge Larry Holmes for the world heavyweight title because he new that the big money was earned fighting in the heavyweight division.

[joephil6]

Michael Spinks is the greatest light heavyweight of all time Followed closely by Archie More and Bob Foster. He's the first light heavyweight boxer to win the heavyweight championship from a great reigning heavyweight champion called Larry Holmes. Michael Spinks then went on to become a very good heavyweight champion. Never losing either his light heavyweight or heavyweight championships in the ring. Only losing to Mike Tyson in his prime, making him a great heavyweight too.

[knuklo]

RIP Butch Lewis.

[TheSmithDorian]

Leaving aside the heavyweight stuff, Spinks was the 2nd best light heavy of all time. Only Ezzard Charles was better.

That's the reason why Hagler kept crying and pleading for Sugar Ray Leonard to come up from welter to fight him (until he actually did) instead of being a true 'great' and moving up himself to fight Spinks. A fight with Spinks at 175lbs would have been Hagler's worst nightmare.

[jurdoc11]

Wow, what an incredible shot by Michael. He was a much more talented fighter than his brother.

[arkansoul]

Check out Spinks' mane!!!

[Robstailey]

wicked uppercut.

[TheGatorfan93]

Spinks looked terrified in his two fights with holmes,didn't stop him from winning both fights,and forcing holmes to wear sunglasses at night.He was a slow starter,and he was also against holmes...really slow in the second fight.But that wasn't going to work with a prime tyson,highly motivated.Spinks is one of my favorites,look at who he beat at LHW.Johnson,lopez,qawi,E.muham­mad.Then at HW,first ever fight there,beats holmes,beats him again(in a very underrated fight)ko's cooney?Great fighter

[celphtitled79]

@TheGatorfan93 yeah Spinks always had that distressed look about him.and both Holmes fights were very underrated,while not viewed as classics they were highly skilled fights.the second fight was more exciting,and probably not quite as controversial a decisioin as it seemed to many,a bit like Morales-Barrera 1.But Spinks' achievements as a heavy are impressive when one thinks about it.And as a lightheavy he would have dismantled Saad

[TheGatorfan93]

@celphtitled79 Well said,i wish most would give up the ridiculous notion holmes was ''robbed'' in the rematch.It's one of boxing's biggest myths,that truly irks me.Why can't most look at an exciting and close fight,and give it the credit it deserves?I have no problem with anyone saying holmes won the rematch.But, a fight that close,no one can be ''robbed''.It's time to give holmes/spinks ll the recognition it deserves.I still think it was the best heavyweight title fight in the 80's.

[dreman1970]

@TheGatorfan93 Well he WAS robbed....Holmes should have knocked him out in the 14th but....Even the announcers thought Holmes won....It wasn't lopsided by no stretch of the imagination but Holmes CLEARLY won the rematch...He lost because he ran his mouth about the judges before the fight....

[hearns00001]

There like two Ali impersonators at the end! How pathetic

[celphtitled79]

@hearns00001 i think that was the general idea! dont forget Ali was still a hugely influential figure at that time

[LA8PVCallingTheWorld]

I think that Marvin's haircut and beard made him look mean.

[bluemoonomen]

I grew up watching these guys fight.  I was a big fan of Saad Muhammad but I got to give Spinks his due. The Spinx jinx was awesome!

[capablemachine]

That's some afro.

[cstrait]

bob foster and ezzard charles might have been better, but spinks was definitely one of the top 5 light heavyweights of all time.

[fitnessfreak90201]

@cstrait  Don't forget Archie Moore.

[munchkiecocoa]

@cstrait I fully agree that Michael has a secure place in the top five all-time best light heavyweights. He had vicious power in both hands, was elusive, and could take a good punch. As a heavyweight, he did a hell of a lot better than any other light heavyweight, but he just froze against Mike Tyson. Then again, I think Christ would have frozen in front of the Tyson of that day.

[celphtitled79]

he was the best lightheavy ever and adarn good heavyweight as well.shame he ended his career the way he did against Iron Mike.he deserved better than that

[tw69hands2]

@celphtitled79:

The Tyson fight has always mystified me because Michael didn't even try to fight that night. No movement, no punches. He just came in, got hit, and retired. I heard that his left knee had been injured while he'd been training for that fight, but...I don't know.

[capablemachine]

@tw69hands2 I think he was just like a cat in the headlights when he saw Mike Barrelling in at him. He probably found it awkward straight away fighting a man that size.

[tw69hands2]

@capablemachine:

I read that when Spinks was training for Tyson that he aggravated an old knee injury. That probably made it easier for Tyson to catch him. When Spinks' legs were fit, he could keep circling away from any powerpunchers fists and land his own shots. I figured that if Tillis could take Tyson 10 rounds that Spinks could easily take him 12 because Spinks had those types of skills, but you can't move and box on injured knees.

[capablemachine]

@tw69hands2 I don't know if that made a difference. Spinks was a slow starter a lot of the time anyway. 90 seconds isn't a long time.

[BruceinFalkirk]

@tw69hands2

Spinks had also not warmed up properly for the fight and was, in effect, beaten before he got in the ring.

[tw69hands2]

@BruceinFalkirk:

Well, you can warm up and still be short two good legs. You can't box and move without good legs. Mike's legs, particularly his knees were in no condition to box against Tyson. Tillis didn't have any of Spinks' equipment and took him 10 close rounds.

[BruceinFalkirk]

@tw69hands2

Tillis had a better chin and was sufficiently crafty to evade a younger Tyson.

Best comment before the fight? James Bonecrusher Smith got asked what Spinks would need to beat Tyson and Smith said 'Me in there with him.'

Spinks was a great fighter at LH but had no shot against Tyson.

[jesusneverexisted300]

My man Michael Spinks!

[starfly7]

From 1977-1984 was the golden era for the lightheavyweights, Spinks, Conteh, Marvin Johnson, Vonzell Johnson, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Dwight Braxton, Yaqui Lopez, James Scott.........

[cuntyballs07]

@starfly7  Dont forget Galindez too

[yashumbala]

someone say Michael didn't have a left ?

WHOOPS - THERE IT IS!!!

YOWSAH,YOWSAH,YOWSAH!

[Mowglieboy69]

@yashumbala Who the hell said he didn't have a left. His left was a more consistent weapon than his right.