This content is protected I just watched this for the first time. What a performance from Qawi! True, spinks was far to happy to sit on the ropes and not move his head but Qawi made him pay. I need to watch more of him, very exciting. I guess he really had to force the pace with the length difference he must have experienced often. Also. I've heard of his clowning in this fight(at around 12.30), but that was confidence! Thoughts on the fight, and these guys?
Dwight Qawi was a top class fighter. One of the best of his era in any weight class. Leon Spinks of 1978 to 1981 was much better than people give him credit for. For a fighter with so few professional fights he was very very good, a good 15-round fighter. But by the time he faced Qawi he was pretty much ruined by alcohol and drugs. Imagine how great Evander Holyfield must be to beat Qawi a few months after this over 15 rounds in his 12th pro fight.
I really need to see the Holyfield fight. I have heard from multiple people it was the best or one of the best fights of the decade. Besides the obvious Ali fight, what other great performances did Leon have?
The Ali fight was Leon's only really great performance. He looked pretty good knocking out big Colombian Bernardo Mercado (who had defeated Earnie Shavers) though. And his finish against Alfredo Evangelista was good. Also worth checking out is a 10-round draw with tough Eddie "Animal" Lopez. Leon was a good fighter for a few years.
Spinks was done as a legitimate contender after Carlos DeLeon punished him in a 6th round tko win in early '83. A few months before that he got what appeared to be a gift decision over the underrated Jesse Burnett. Spinks returned in '85 and put together a modest winning streak against weak opposition. He weighed around 205 lbs in these comeback fits. Spinks/Qawi was a mismatch and it was made worse by the fact Leon had to boil down to 190 lbs, as that was the Jr. Heavyweight (that's what the WBA called the Cruiserweights) limit, not 195 lbs as the WBC rules stated. Leon absorbed a frightful beating. His chin held up, probably because he was used to the punches of bigger guys than Dwight. The fight should have never taken place but Leon had the big name based on what he had done against Ali many years earlier.
I've heard that Leon's previous fight before Qawi was at heavyweight and he weighed 213, and yes Qawi gave him a bad beating, I think Dwight took this fight very personally because he lost to Michael in 83.
Yes, now that you mention it, I believe he did weigh 213 against one K.P. Porter in his fight before facing Qawi. That's a 23 lb. weight difference. He probably was weight drained against Dwight. He would have lost badly anyway though. He was pretty much shot.
Good post Leon and Davey Moore (the one from the '80s) were rushed. They got a title with <10 fights. Good in the short run, bad in the long run.
Leon was the type of guy that should have taken the money he got from the two Ali fights, retired, got himself a good Financial lawyer/advisor, and bought a car dealership there in St. Louis run by professionals....and lived off his Olympic & Hvyweight Champion name. Sadly, he is in bad physical shape today.
True, but St. Louis may have been the wrong area for him. Maybe Alaska, or Minnesota, somewhere like that.
