Leon made it when he was older, so there’s no question he could make it in his prime. Who wins this matchup?
Realistically, Beterbiev wins this, probably by stoppage. Leon Spinks had great heart, good hand speed, and some awkward movement, but he was also very raw technically even in his prime. He got by on athleticism, aggression, and workrate, especially in the Ali win, but defensively he was wide open, and his fundamentals were shaky under pressure. Beterbiev at 190+ is a different beast. He’s technically sound, brutally efficient, and every single shot he throws has serious weight on it. More importantly, he’s disciplined, he doesn’t rush in wild, he breaks guys down methodically with short, compact shots. Leon’s style, jumping in, dropping his hands, getting reckless in exchanges, would play right into Beterbiev’s strengths. Physically too, it’s a mismatch. Beterbiev is naturally thicker, stronger, and carries his power late into fights. Leon at heavyweight was maybe 195-200 but a lot looser physically, not as dense, not as explosive in the clinch or inside. Beterbiev's short, heavy shots would rip him apart if Leon couldn’t keep distance, and realistically Spinks didn’t have the kind of jab or consistent defence to hold a guy like Artur off for long. Maybe Spinks has a couple fast rounds early, moving, flurrying, but Beterbiev’s pressure would walk him down, slow him up, and start battering the body and arms until openings upstairs show up. Over 10 or 12 rounds, Spinks would be taking too much clean punishment. I see Beterbiev stopping him somewhere mid-to-late. Probably around rounds 7–9 after wearing him down systematically.
