Who would Champ Leon Spinks be favored over, besides Ali?

Thinking about the top contenders in early 1978,I can't think of any that would n't have started favourite over Spinks.

 

"besides Ali"? What are you doing Duce's job with the lighter touch of calling him Ali now?

 

Back in June 1978,,,,,,,,,,,

Muhammad Ali was dropped to #5 in the WBC ratings.

Leon, clearly would have been an underdog to;
#1 Ken Norton
#2 Larry Holmes
#3 Earnie Shavers
#4 Jimmy Young
#5 Muhammad Ali (Leon favored over)
#6 Ron Lyle
#7 Alfredo Evangilista (Leon would have been favored)
#8 Duane Bobick
#9 Stan Ward
#10 Domingo D'Elia

 

Longhorn,,,,,,,

I think after Muhammad Ali lost to Leon Spinks, he was called 'A Loser'.

 

Zefram-Bob Huck. It was his KKK name.

 

He would be favored over everyone..he's a black fighter from the 80s who lost to either Holmes or Tyson..or both. If that is not all-time great status than surely enough to be a top 3 today.

 

You're still bitter that Marvis Frazier would do well in the current division. :yep

 

I can't be bitter over a theorteical concept that I agreed with to an extent.

 

If I recall, the Leon Spinks that went 30-Rounds with Muhammad Ali,
was flattened in about 1:30 versus Gerrie Coetzee.

Thank God we didn't get Muhammad Ali vs Mike Rossman in Argentina, in 1979.

 

I can't imagine Leon Spinks being favored against any "serious" champion who actually showed up in good form to defend his title. Ali was shot at the age of 36, and treated his match with Spinks as a comical affair. He actually took a few hours to train for the rematch, and got his title back with little trouble. Not long after, we saw the TRUE potential of Leon Spinks as he was KO'd in one round by Gerrie Coetzee. There was never a more perfect moment for an underdog to challenge an aging or unmotivated great, than when Leon Spinks fought Muhammad Ali in 1978.. Just about anyone in the top 10 at the time would have pulled off the same upset on that particular evening.

 

Good stuff, and correct.

In the Summer of 1978, WBC fighters;
Leon would have been KO'd by #1 Norton, #2 Holmes, and #3 Shavers
and decisioned by #4 Jimmy Young.
Maybe he gets by #6 Ron Lyle (The guy was an antique)
He would win over #7 Alfredo Evangilista
#8 Duane Bobick, may have just done in Leon.
#9 Stan Ward, might have been too big.
#10 Domingo D'Elia, slick enough to give Leon trouble.

 

There was an article in World Boxing, summer of '78, that picked Spinks to beat Lyle, Shavers, Mercado, and a few others. Leon was not widely frowned upon at this point...he was considered an energetic upstart with decent potential, an opportuninist who made the most of his chance. It wasn't until the losses to Ali and Coetzee that the world truly knew that he was in over his head in the heavy division, without having had the requisite building process for becoming a solid fighter.

 

But that Ledoux fight sure did back off a lot of that following and admiration. To me, it was similar to the love Tyrell Biggs received. And then he fought Bey and lots of folks jumped off the bandwagon real quick. Just like with Leon--Ledoux.

Spinks was also the betting favorite in that Coetzee bout and went in as the favorite. When he started crying in the ring after that devastating loss it was if he knew the ballgame was all over for him.