Boxing

FORMER undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Leon Spinks has died at the age of 67.
The man who shocked the world when he beat the legendary Muhammad Ali in just his eighth pro fight had been battling prostate cancer for the last five years.

Leon Spinks has died at the age of 67 after a long battle against cancerCredit: Getty – Contributor

Spinks famously fought, and beat, the great Muhammad AliCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Spinks’ management firm said in a statement that he died on Friday evening with his wife Brenda Glur Spinks by his side, and with ‘only a few close friends and other family’ allowed to be present due to coronavirus restrictions.
Tributes have flooded in for the American who competed between 1977 and 1995.
President of the World Boxing Council Mauricio Sulaiman tweeted: “Rest in peace, Leon Spinks.
“Olympic medalist, Pan American medalist, and of course, WBC heavyweight champion.”

WBC lightweight champ Devin Haney posted “RIP Leon Spinks.”
American US boxing manager Lou DiBella tweeted: “Rest In Peace, Neon Leon, a heavyweight champion and a nice man.
“Condolences to @MikeSpinksjinx and the Spinks family. Rest In Peace and Power, Leon Spinks.”
Spinks served in the United States Marine Corps, who he proudly represented when he won a gold medal in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

But he cemented his place in boxing history on February 15, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in history by beating Ali to become the undisputed world heavyweight champ.
Leon entered that fight with only seven prior professional fights, weighing only 197 pounds and being outweighed by over 25 pounds.

Spinks wrote his own story of the underdog triumphing in 1978 when he beat AliCredit: AP:Associated Press

He was not successful in the rematch, losing the belts via unanimous decision at the Louisiana Superdome on September 15, 1978.
Spinks, famous for his characteristic gap-toothed grin, never reached such highs again as he retired in 1995 with a record 26 wins, 17 defeats and three draws.
In 2014 Spinks was hospitalised and suffered major damage to his intestines caused by a piece of bone from a chicken wing.

Spinks was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.Credit: Getty Images
After several surgeries he then spent a number of weeks at a rehabilitation centre.
In August 2017, along with his brother Michael Spinks, Thomas Hearns and Ken Norton, Leon was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.
His son Cory Spinks also enjoyed success inside the ring, becoming undisputed welterweight champion.
His other son Leon Calvin was tragically shot dead in 1990 while travelling to his girlfriend’s in East St. Louis.

Top Rank joins the boxing community in mourning the passing of Leon Spinks – A true legend, who pulled off one of the greatest Heavyweight upsets of all time in 1978. pic.twitter.com/i3xHjkKNti
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) February 7, 2021

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JAKE PAUL is adamant Floyd Mayweather has ‘lost his mind’ after the legendary boxer challenged him to an exhibition fight.
Earlier this week, the former four-division world champion revealed his intention to face the YouTuber and his friend turned enemy 50 Cent.

Jake Paul was left baffled by Floyd Mayweather’s decision to call him outCredit: AP

Mayweather’s call-outs of the pair baffled fight fans, who were supposed to see the boxing great take on Paul’s older brother, Logan, later this month.
Paul was equally as stunned, telling TMZ: “This guy is out of his mind! He just calls me out, out of nowhere — same with 50 Cent!
“I mean, he hasn’t even fought my brother yet. It just seems like he’s losing his marbles … like what the f*** is this guy doing?!”
Paul, 23, reckons the Money man is desperate to box him because he’s strapped for cash.

The former Disney star added: “It just seems like this guy is money hungry. He just wants to fight everyone.”
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Paul, who entered the boxing world last year, is open to facing Mayweather, but only if the 50-0 legend agrees to a professionally-sanctioned bout.
The YouTube star said: “I’m 2 and 0 with 2 KO’s with pro fights. Floyd wants to do these exhibitions, ya know … cool!

“But, I’m a real fighter. He has to take me seriously and I think the reason he wants to do these exhibitions is because he’s afraid to risk his legacy of his 50 and 0 record in case he were to lose.
“But, I’m not doing the exhibition s**t. It doesn’t interest me. Those are like fake patty-cake fights.”

Paul is currently gearing up to face former UFC welterweight Ben Askren in an exhibition bout on April 17.
And he’s brimming with confidence after scoring back-to-back stoppages in his first two pro fights.
He told ESPN: “I don’t even think he’ll hit me. I haven’t been hit one time in the face in my past two fights.
“So I haven’t even been punched as pro boxer one time. Nate Robinson landed one body shot in a clinch.
“I don’t think Ben Askren will even hit me. That’s my prediction.”

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DEONTAY WILDER’s former coach Mark Breland has branded the ex-WBC heavyweight champion a one-trick pony and claimed his career is ‘done’ following his brutal loss to Tyson Fury.
Wilder’s reign as WBC king came to an end last February at the hands of The Gypsy King, who recorded a stunning seventh-round TKO win in Las Vegas.

Deontay Wilder axed Mark Breland for throwing in the towel for in his defeat to Tyson FuryCredit: Getty

Mark Breland has branded Deontay Wilder a one-trick ponyCredit: Getty

After seeing his man take a battering, Breland mercifully threw in the towel – an act which saw Wilder fire him from his team and prompted a wave of allegations.
And nearly a year after that fateful night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, former WBA welterweight champion Breland has fired back at The Bronze Bomber.
During an appearance on the Fight is Right podcast, he said: “My whole thing with Deontay is part of boxing I guess.
“His career is done now, I’m done and he’s done, I’m done with him.”

Breland, like many others, believes Wilder, 35, is a one-dimensional fighter.
The 57-year-old added: “He’s got a lot of power but that’s all, I wish him well and that’s it.
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“He’s only got his power and we’ll see how far that takes him. That’s all I’m going to say.

“I’d been working with him since he turned pro and nothing had happened until [the defeat].
“Some people cant take a loss; don’t blame everybody else, go back and think about yourself.”
Wilder hasn’t fought since Fury handed him the first loss of his professional career.

Deontay Wilder suffered a seventh-round TKO loss to Tyson Fury last FebruaryCredit: PA

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the Olympic bronze medallist was set to have a trilogy fight with the Brit.
Fury, however, is now in negotiations over a blockbuster heavyweight title unification bout with Anthony Joshua.
Wilder believes he’s contractually entitled to a third fight, although Team Fury are adamant his rematch clause expired last October.
The Alabama bruiser has sought legal action to try and resolve the situation and secure a third bout.

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ANTHONY JOSHUA and Tyson Fury have yet to decide whose name will appear first on their fight poster.
The biggest fight in the history of British boxing is close to being finalised, with both fighters’ teams confident an agreement will be announced within the next fortnight.

Anthony Joshua knocked out Kubrat Puelv in his last outingCredit: PA

Tyson Fury celebrates his stunning victory over Deontay Wilder last FebruaryCredit: PA

But according to Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, the small matter of whose name will be first on unification title fight poster has not yet been resolved.
Hearn told Boxing Scene: “Still to be discussed. I’m looking forward to that one.
“I suppose you have whose name is first, who goes to the ring first, who has the first changing room, who will weigh in first.
“Jokes aside, that’s not something that will necessarily be solved in one phone call. But it will be a discussion point over the next week or so.”

Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn doesn’t expect the matter to be solved until face-to-face meetings are permitted to take place.
He added: “I can’t imagine a Zoom coin flip. It’s better to paper it and discuss it and come to an amicable agreement.
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“For me AJ is the bigger draw globally. But again, we are not interested in a debate where the fight falls apart because of things like that.

“We just need to box that off. In any unification fight this is always a conversation that can be arduous.”
Hearn, 41, is optimistic the long-awaited Battle of Britain will be announced in the coming weeks, saying: “All moving in the right direction.
“When we put the contract together it took time because we were trying to work to a contract that wouldn’t come back with hundreds of comments and it didn’t.

Eddie Hearn is confident the long-awaited Battle of Britain will soon be finalisedCredit: PA

“There are still minor details to iron out but we have Top Rank’s comments and are working through those now.
“There’s no deadline. We expect the fight to take place in June, I wouldn’t rule out early July but June is where we want to be.”
Joshua vs Fury is expected to take place outside of the United Kingdom due to the coronavirus pandemic.
And according to Hearn, a number of countries have expressed an interest in hosting the blockbuster bout.
He said: “The next two weeks, we hope for an official announcement, and then we go out and decide where this thing will take place.
“We’ve had offers from the Middle East. We’re talking to Qatar, we’re talking to Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, we’re talking to Singapore, we’re talking to China, we’re talking to America.”

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