Michael Spinks: An under-appreciated ATG

Exactly, which is strange not only because it's two brutal KO losses compared to one, but Spinks was a blown up Lightheavyweight while Patterson was a Heavyweight :huh

 

Patterson fought much lighter than Spink's as well.

He had to come up farther.

 

What do you mean? I'm well aware of his resume and his merits in a P4P rating, I just have difficutly placing him at a single weight. He may deserve a rating however, considering LHW was his best weight from what I understand.

 

I'll be back for a chop at this tonight after golf. Huge Spinks fan here. Automatic top 5 175.

 

I've never considered the Tyson loss a massive "blemish" on Spinks legacy. The fact that it was Spinks last fight and a mega-multi-million super fight at HEAVYweight actually makes it look like an OK way to go out. If you're gonna LOSE one fight in a pro career, I think having it at the end, in a huge fight, at a weight you're not even supposed to be at SOFTENS the impact if anything.
It was one hell of a payday, and the opponent was a fittingly "insurmountable challenge", someone worthy to lose to.
Also, if you're gonna get blown away in the first round, Mike Tyson is quite an excusable person to have do it to you.

I think people always say the Tyson fight has "blemished" Spinks, but then seem to say it shouldn't. But we're the people who decide whether it has or has not. I say it has not.

Michael Spinks is one of the greatest light-heavyweights of all-time. It's a particular rich division historically, IMO, so I wont say "top 5 for sure", but I think top 10 is right.

Michael Spinks was arguably the fighter of the 1980s.

 

............Spinks was just enigmatic enough to ensure himself a life of relative obscurity, at least when it comes to ranking the greats.

Never truly set to one fighting style, never one to seek the limelight, always "the brother of the guy that beat Ali," Spinks defies classification in many ways, so a lot of fans don't know what box to put him in.

Whenever I think of Spinks, the first thing that comes to mind is an article I read many years ago on one of the magazines that described the scene in Spinks' locker room just before going out to face Qawi in their title unification match.

Spinks had just lost his common-law wife Sandra a scant few weeks before in an auto accident, and he had bottled it up and concentrated as best he could on his training. They'd had a daughter together, and she was all of perhaps three. Just barely out of infancy. One of his relatives brought the little girl into the locker room to give her daddy a good luck kiss before the fight, and he gave her a hug.

His daughter then innocently asked, "where's mommy?"

..........Spinks, having done so well in masking the pain in order to get on with preparation for the biggest fight of his life, broke down, sobbing bitterly. This was literally a half hour before he had to do his ring walk.

We all saw the effort he put on that night. He was magnificent; completely focused and resolved and disciplined, he totally defused the raging animal that was Qawi.

That one sticks with me.

 

Yes, there were many. But if I had to pick just one it MIGHT WELL be Spinks.

 

I like Spinks a lot and watched his whole career ... that being said to rank him top five is a joke ...

Clearly Foster, Moore, Charles, Tunney are almost universially agreed here ..

I'd add Harry Greb, Jack Dillon, Tommy Loughran, not to mention Sam Langford in a heart beat ...

Spinks had good size and skills, very good power and a soild chin but let's look at his career ...

He was in the fight of his life against Yaqui Lopez before stopping him ..

He ran for his life against Qwai in Qwai's most disappointing performance. It was a borefest ...

He barely squeezed past Eddie Davis ..

There are likely many others I'd rate on his level ... I like Mike but to say he was one of the greatest is a joke.

 

Selfkill, just seen this thread now. For me, Spinks is number 3 at 175 all-time, and that may only be because i rate Tunney somewhat high at the weight. He was so great at light-heavy, him against Charles is the absolute cream of the crop for fantasy matches at the weight for me. His boxing style was very awkward, but it was effective as he was very good at letting his hands go just when he was in range, he was very good at determining when that was also. But his right hand may be his most impressive weapon, what power!

Also, his first fight with Holmes will make you a Spinks fan for liife, but you have to watch it all. I cant remember when it is but i think it's slightly after the midway point (at which point its clear that Spinks' punches are not having any hurtful effect on the bigger champ), Holmes starts to land some really big haymaker type shots to Mike's mid-section, and it's like, Spinks aint gunna make it, they've took it outta him. But he comes back fighting, taking it to Larry, who is angry, bigger, and mean. Spinks showed real hart in that one, he knew what his advantages were, especially in the later rounds, he used his speed to let lengthy combos go, and then got out in time. For the record, i think the rematch is so much closer than the robbery that most people thought it was, maybe either way for me.

 

Oh bull****.

He fought the seasoned 61 fight veteran that was Lopez in his 14th fight and it was a big step up for him. The tough Lopez gave him plenty for quite some rounds but Spinks was never in any great drama in a superb and forgotten action fight. This was actually a superb performance from Spinks and he proved he could mix it in the trenches with the top level and not only survive, but thrive.

Vs Qawi he carried out a brilliant Eddie Futch gameplan to 100% perfection. Who would have dreamed he would shelf his vaunted right hand and win almost exclusively with movement, jabs and numerous other left hands. He took a brilliant red hot fighter and stifled him right out of the boxing match. A bit boring for sure - but for lovers of the fine technical chessmatch well....also bear in mind what he went thru right before this fight...

The Davis match was indeed an ordinary showing for him, but so what?!?!?! Who hasn't had one? Spinks was looking ahead to the Qawi rematch (which was postponed afterward) and Eddie, a good fighter, came to fight. Holmes looked ahead to Cooney and Snipes sat him flat. I could pick out plenty of singular performances by your lauded Archie Moore and criticise, along with most every fighter in history.

Your wording and tone show an obvious disregard for Spinks.