Michael Spinks Record & Stats
In a career spanning 11 years and 2 months, Michael Spinks fought 32 times with 31 wins and a single loss. By his last professional fight on June 27, 1988, Spinks' boxing record stood at 31-1 (21 KO wins, 1 KO loss).
- Born
- Jul 22, 1956
- Age
- 66
- Debut
- Apr 16, 1977
- Record
- 31-1
- Rounds
- 226
- KOs
- 21 (65.6%)
- Height
- 185 cm
- Reach
- 193 cm
- Ape Index
- 8 cm
- Stance
- Orthodox
- Last Fight
| WBA | WBC | IBF | TheRing |
|---|---|---|---|
| HV w1 d2 | HV w1 d3 | ||
| lHV w1 d10 | lHV w1 d4 | lHV w1 d2 | lHV w1 d4 |
Michael Spinks (Jinx) is a retired American professional boxer. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. on July 22, 1956. Spinks made his professional boxing debut at the age of 20 on April 16, 1977. He is a former 2-weight-class world champion. He is 66 years old, and will be turning 67 in 5 months and 18 days. Spinks is a Hall of Famer.
Boxing Record
| Total Fights | 32 |
|---|---|
| Wins | 31 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No-Contests | 0 |
| KO Wins | 21 |
|---|---|
| Total Title Wins | 6 |
| Title Defenses | 13 |
| Title-Fight KO Wins | 10 |
| Losses via KO | 1 |
| # | Date | Age | Opponent | Result | Via |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Jun 27, 1988 | 31 | Mike Tyson | Loss | KO1 |
| 31 | Jun 15, 1987 | 30 | Gerry Cooney | Win | TKO5 |
| 30 | Sep 6, 1986 | 30 | Steffen Tangstad | Win | TKO4 |
| 29 | Apr 19, 1986 | 29 | Larry Holmes | Win | SD |
| 28 | Sep 21, 1985 | 29 | Larry Holmes | Win | UD |
| 27 | Jun 6, 1985 | 28 | Jim MacDonald | Win | TKO8 |
| 26 | Feb 23, 1985 | 28 | David Sears | Win | TKO3 |
| 25 | Feb 25, 1984 | 27 | Eddie Davis | Win | UD |
| 24 | Nov 25, 1983 | 27 | Oscar Rivadeneyra | Win | TKO10 |
| 23 | Mar 18, 1983 | 26 | Dwight Muhammad Qawi | Win | UD |
| 22 | Sep 18, 1982 | 26 | Johnny Davis | Win | TKO9 |
| 21 | Jun 12, 1982 | 25 | Jerry Celestine | Win | TKO8 |
| 20 | Apr 11, 1982 | 25 | Murray Sutherland | Win | TKO8 |
| 19 | Feb 13, 1982 | 25 | Mustafa Wassaja | Win | TKO6 |
| 18 | Nov 7, 1981 | 25 | Vonzell Johnson | Win | TKO7 |
| 17 | Jul 18, 1981 | 24 | Eddie Mustafa Muhammad | Win | UD |
| 16 | Mar 28, 1981 | 24 | Marvin Johnson | Win | KO4 |
| 15 | Jan 24, 1981 | 24 | Willie Taylor | Win | TKO8 |
| 14 | Oct 18, 1980 | 24 | Yaqui Lopez | Win | TKO7 |
| 13 | Aug 2, 1980 | 24 | David Conteh | Win | TKO9 |
| 12 | May 4, 1980 | 23 | Murray Sutherland | Win | UD |
| 11 | Feb 24, 1980 | 23 | Ramon Ranquello | Win | TKO6 |
| 10 | Feb 1, 1980 | 23 | Johnny Wilburn | Win | UD |
| 9 | Nov 24, 1979 | 23 | Marc Hans | Win | TKO1 |
| 8 | Dec 15, 1978 | 22 | Eddie Phillips | Win | KO4 |
| 7 | Feb 15, 1978 | 21 | Tom Bethea | Win | UD |
| 6 | Oct 22, 1977 | 21 | Gary Summerhays | Win | UD |
| 5 | Sep 13, 1977 | 21 | Ray Elson | Win | KO1 |
| 4 | Aug 23, 1977 | 21 | Jasper Brisbane | Win | TKO2 |
| 3 | Jun 1, 1977 | 20 | Joe Borden | Win | KO2 |
| 2 | May 7, 1977 | 20 | Luis Rodriguez | Win | UD |
| 1 | Apr 16, 1977 | 20 | Eddie Benson | Win | TKO1 |
Featured Opponents
Statistics
Career Summary
Michael Spinks' professional boxing career spanned more than 11 years — from 1977 to 1988.
Spinks made his debut against Eddie Benson at the age of 20 on April 16, 1977, defeating Benson via 1st round TKO. He went on to win 30 more consecutive fights after the debut, which included 20 wins via stoppage.
Spinks had his first world title fight at the age of 24 on July 18, 1981 after 16 professional fights, against Eddie Mustafa Muhammad for the light-heavyweight WBA title. He defeated Muhammad via 15 round unanimous decision to become the light-heavyweight champion of the world.
He was a two-time undisputed light-heavyweight world champion, and has won six world titles at 2 weight classes. For all the details about Spinks' world title wins and defenses refer to "Michael Spinks World Titles".
Some of Spinks' best fights and notable victories include wins over Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Larry Holmes, David Sears, Steffen Tangstad, Jim MacDonald, Oscar Rivadeneyra, and Mustafa Wassaja.
Michael Spinks had just a single loss in his professional boxing career. He suffered his first loss against Mike Tyson via 1st round KO on June 27, 1988, which ended his 31-fight win streak. Tyson is the only boxer to beat Spinks. For more details about this defeat, refer to "All of Michael Spinks' losses".
His last professional fight was for the heavyweight undisputed championship title against fellow American boxer Mike Tyson on June 27, 1988. Spinks lost the fight via 1st round KO, and lost his The Ring title. It's been 34 years, 7 months, and 8 days since this fight.
Spinks retired from professional boxing with a record of 31-1, which included 21 knockout wins and 1 loss via knockout, and 6 title wins. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1994.
Career Highlights
Michael Spinks fought a total of 32 times during his professional career. He was among the very best of his generation and put on some great performances. These eight fights are the highlight of his career.
Michael Spinks vs. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad
A 24-year old Michael Spinks (16-0, 11 KO) had his first world title fight against Eddie Mustafa Muhammad for Muhammad's WBA light-heavyweight belt.
Spinks defeated Muhammad via 15th round unanimous decision to win the WBA light-heavyweight title.Michael Spinks vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi
A 26-year old Michael Spinks (22-0, 16 KO) faced Dwight Muhammad Qawi, who was 30 years old with a record of 19-1-1 in a undisputed light-heavyweight championship bout. Qawi was on a 18-fight win streak with 12 KO wins. Spinks was the taller of the two by 15 cms and also had a 5 cm reach advantage.
Spinks defeated Qawi via 15 round unanimous decision to win the WBC and Ring Magazine light-heavyweight titles and retain the WBA light-heavyweight title.
Michael Spinks vs. Eddie Davis
A 27-year old Michael Spinks (24-0, 17 KO) faced Eddie Davis, who was 32 years old with a record of 27-3-1 in a undisputed light-heavyweight championship bout. Davis was on a four-fight win streak with 17 KO wins. Spinks was the taller of the two by 7 cms and also had a 15 cm reach advantage.
Spinks defeated Davis via 12 round unanimous decision to win the IBF light-heavyweight title and retain the WBA, WBC, and Ring Magazine light-heavyweight titles.
Michael Spinks vs. David Sears
A 28-year old Michael Spinks (25-0, 17 KO) faced David Sears in a undisputed light-heavyweight championship bout.
Spinks defeated Sears via 3rd round TKO to retain the WBA, WBC, IBF, and Ring Magazine light-heavyweight titles.Michael Spinks vs. Jim MacDonald
A 28-year old Michael Spinks (26-0, 18 KO) faced Jim MacDonald in a undisputed light-heavyweight championship bout.
Spinks defeated MacDonald via 8th round TKO to retain the WBA, WBC, IBF, and Ring Magazine light-heavyweight titles.Michael Spinks vs. Larry Holmes
A 29-year old Michael Spinks (27-0, 19 KO) faced an undefeated Larry Holmes, who was 35 years old with a record of 48-0. Holmes was on a 48-fight win streak with 34 KO wins, and was the taller of the two by 6 cms and also had a 13 cm reach advantage over Spinks.
Spinks defeated Holmes via 15 round unanimous decision to win the IBF and Ring Magazine heavyweight titles. He handed Holmes the first loss of his career, and put an end to Holmes' 48-fight win streak.
Michael Spinks vs. Larry Holmes II
In an immediate rematch, a 29-year old Michael Spinks (28-0, 19 KO) faced Larry Holmes, who was now 36 years old with a record of 48-1 in a heavyweight title defense fight. Holmes had lost to Spinks in their last fight, and was the taller of the two by 6 cms and also had a 13 cm reach advantage over Spinks.
Spinks defeated Holmes via 15 round split-decision to retain the IBF and Ring Magazine heavyweight titles.
Michael Spinks vs. Steffen Tangstad
A 30-year old Michael Spinks (29-0, 19 KO) faced Steffen Tangstad in a heavyweight title defense fight.
Spinks defeated Tangstad via 4th round TKO to retain the IBF and Ring Magazine heavyweight titles.
FAQs
What are some of Michael Spinks' best wins?
Some of Spinks' best wins were against Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Larry Holmes, David Sears, Steffen Tangstad, Jim MacDonald, Oscar Rivadeneyra, and Mustafa Wassaja.
How many KOs does Michael Spinks have on his record?
Spinks knocked out 21 of his 32 opponents. By his last fight, his KO ratio was at 65.6%. Of his total 31 wins, 21 of them were via KO (67.7%).
Who did Michael Spinks lose to?
Spinks had just a single loss in his professional boxing career. He suffered his first loss against Mike Tyson via 1st round KO on June 27, 1988, which ended his 31-fight win streak. Tyson is the only boxer to beat Spinks.