I read in "One Punch From the Promised Land", that Leon Spinks lost his hunger for the sport after he won the HW title from Ali, and he went out partying and drinking instead of training. Well, what if Spinks trained hard after he won the title? Would things have been much different?
Possible ..he was pretty small and without a big punch. Maybe if he stuck with George Benton he could have been a bit better.
Possible ..he was pretty small and without a big punch. Maybe if he stuck with George Benton he could have been a bit better. Was the book any good?
I clicked onto Neon Leon when he beat Ali. I knew he had a good am/record, but I didn't expect him to win. His 1st round blowout after the Ali rematch against Gerrie Coetzee exposed him really, going down 3? times. I'm not sure any amount of training would have reversed any of his losses really.
You just mentioning Benton's name has reminded me of an article in The Ring magazine where George was in a "reflective" mood, describing how he thought Spinks would beat Foreman by "jumping all over him". I think it was just after Foreman's loss to Jimmy Young.
Due respect to Benton, but he should be smoked for thinking that Leon could defeat Foreman. Leon was just a flash in the pan. Defeating an aged, shot, washed up Ali is nothing to be impressed about. Proper training and focus can improve a fighter. But again, there are hopeless cases. And then, you have Leon Spinks
Spinks didn't have the Heart or the Chin for the sport, and he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed either, to say the least, he had 1 great night and that's it, a poor mans Buster Douglas..:verysad
Even with good training and more seasoning, Leon Spinks simply wasn't good enough cope with the best heavyweights in their prime years. It is very fortunate for Spinks that he was able to get into the ring with an over-the-hill and ill-prepared Muhammad Ali in their first bout. - Chuck Johnston
I've always stated my belief that the only reason Muhammad Ali beat Leon Spinks the second fight was because Spinks hadn't trained and was all messed up on drugs and booze. Spinks should have been getting better, not worse. People know all the excuses for Ali losing the first fight, but Spinks abused and neglected himself much worse and threw away the title just like Ali had.
And I've always suspected ( as have others ) that the only reason Ali fought Spinks to begin with was because he figured it would be an easy rematch
:goodYes, and Mike McCallum along with Meldrick Taylor too. There will be others of course, but those are the two that spring to mind.
It's not just a conditioning matter .. he was a novice .. he had to go back to basics and spend a few years rebuilding a career and he had no mind for that ..