The brothers get bissed at each other, and Michael moves up and takes on Leon at heavyweight. Who wins?
Surprisingly harder to pick a winner than some might think... Michael was the far better professional and who's legacy far exceeds Leon's.. But this doesn't address styles or even more importantly..... That they were brothers... The latter of the two factors could have a huge impact. Leon was always the one who Michael looked up to growing up. The one who would win the sibling rivalries around the house.. And needless to say, beat him in sparring at least through adolescence.. He knew everything about his brother, but then again the same can be said in reverse. And could there be an emotional factor? If one of them gets badly hurt will the other have the heart to finish him off? Both men were comparably sized as Michael had to work hard to stay at 175 while Leon was always kinda small for heavyweight to begin with. The Jinx was about 6'2" and I think Neon was maybe 6'1". Michael's ideal weight while fighting at heavy was probably around 205 and Neon was maybe somewhere between 195-201. Michael might have the slight edge in size but not enough to have any real advantage... Debatable on who hit harder. Leon could certainly punch but neither men were what I'd call huge bangers at heavyweight... Michael was the more skilled, naturally talented, better athlete and took FAR better care of himself... Not sold one way or the other as Leon being his brother could have a significant impact.. But here's a vote for Michael via decision.
prime for prime, Michael Spinks by decision. Leon would have trouble cutting off the ring consistently.
Michael Spinks is a usual popular thread point round here and of late Leon seems to be kinda hot. So I want searching and found this older thread. I think Magoo made pretty much all the points I would’ve as well. I think Michael is a little too crafty and too smart of a boxer to be swarmed all over by Leon to the point where he would lose a decision. I also think Michael has enough power in the Jinx ( his right hand) to keep Leon from coming in with total disrespect and reckless abandon. Michael never really fought on the ropes at HW much, he preferred to use movement and dictate the tempo, “fight his fight” so to speak, he’d keep you off balance with his awkward attacks and constant herky-jerky movement. I see him winning on points with these tactics and frustrating and confusing Leon.