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The American gained immense popularity when he defeated the famous Muhammad Ali in 1978. It was only his eighth professional fight.
Recently, L. Spinks faced health problems, in 2019 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“It was his last fight, but in it he showed the same skills, the grace that accompanied him throughout his career and all his difficult life,” said a statement released by his management company.
Photo by Scanpix / Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks
The former US Marine passed away Friday night in Henderson, Nevada, along with his wife Brenda Glur Spinks in the last moments of his life.
“Leon has battled many illnesses lately, but he has never lost his legendary smile. It showed Spinks true dedication, never throwing a white towel, “the report says.
At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Spinks won gold and, after 18 months, broke Ali and won the WBC and WBA World Championships.
Photo by Scanpix / Leon Spinks triumphs after victory over Muhammad Ali
That sensational night, the bookies evaluated L. Spinks’ odds at 1/10, but in the 15-round fight, two judges gave him a win at 145: 140 and 144: 141, and one judge at 143: 142 decided that M. Ali won.
VIDEO: Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks 1 – CBS original
L. Spinks was world champion for seven months. Ali achieved a rematch in the 1978 competition.
L. Spinks ended his career in 1986, scoring 26 wins and suffering 17 losses.
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