No way Weaver was a better fighter than Spinks. Michael Spinks was a tremendous fighter. He dominated all of those great Cuban and Russian fighter's as an amateur, dominated one of the best if not the best era's at 175 and then he beat one of the best heavyweights of all time in Larry Holmes.
Weaver seems like a guy Spinks could frustrate all night long. But Weaver had a very hard jab if I remember correctly and power in both hands. He gave Holmes a hell of a fight, And Larry is one of if not the best heavyweight ever. If I had to pick one, I'd say Mike would win. LOL By KO
Michael was a better fighter...not at heavyweight though (at least, nowhere near the puncher). Michael keeps away for a round, maybe three. Weaver hits him with the right hand that demoed Coetzee and Michael goes night-nights.
Spinks had the skills to outbox weaver and perhaps even stop him... my only hold up is that we never really got an accurate gauge of how durable Spinks’ chin was at heavyweight. He went a combined 30 rounds with an aging Holmes. He fought in close terms with a hard puncher in Cooney but when Gerry was out of shape. Tangstad needs no mention.. and finally he met one of the greatest punchers of all time and flopped in 91 seconds... of course I’ve long speculated that Michael dropped that fight in the tank..
Possible, especially considering the money. But it looks to me like he took a horrible beating for it (not to mention public shame/humiliation). I mean geez, did he do better than...Marvis Frazier? WOW.
No.. he didn’t take ANY beating and that’s the point. I think he went early to avoid a long range beat down
A tired Holmes hurt Spinks multiple times. The thing is tho Weaver could be pretty lax and uninspiring and i reckon Spinks would be ahead on points at all stages of a fight with Weaver. It all depends if Hercules can round him up. He's certainly got the power to leave him prone. He also carries that power late. Over 15 i'd think it likely Weaver gets him. Maybe the shorter it gets the more Spinks chances improve.
It’s doubtful that Spinks would have won no matter what he did or didn’t do... But I don’t think he truly went into that fight trying to win... not really anyway.. looking at his face during the walk in, one might have guessed he was prepping for colo-rectal surgery. Bell rings and within seconds an all time great who had never been decked was down from a body shot... a moment later he’s down again... then deapte being only 31 years old and never badly hurt he never boxed again..... Spinks took that fight as a cash out pay day.... not for pride, glory or any other reason...
Spinks in the lead by a few rounds, maybe making Weaver look inept, gets caught a sickening shot from the blue. Weaver wko 4
I like Spinks . I think he keeps Weaver in that Eddie Mustapha 2nd and 3rd gear of his & drops a decision in a winnable fight. And everyone landed their punches on Weaver and I think the Spinx jinx lands and hurts him as well. Weaver had slow hands and not the best footwork to force Spinks to the ropes. I think he chases spinks around the ring slowly, but never does force him into the corners or the ropes to do his best work. Ring center and Spinks turns him and backs up and takes his breathers and Weaver just slowly follows him around.