He exceeded everyone’s expectations by winning his fight against one of the most important boxers, but in a short time he was ruined.
Leon Spinks was a young boxer who had only 7 official fights when he would face Muhammad Ali himself, who, although he was already in his last years of career, was the undisputed favorite. Even a CBS executive asked him to please not end the fight so quickly so that people could enjoy the fight.
But nothing went as everyone expected. Spinks took the hit beating the world champion against all odds. In 15 incredible rounds, and with impressive attrition, the rookie was able to win on points and surprise in the final rounds. It was February 28, 1978, when León Spinks, 24, reached the top of the world.
Leon Spinks
Leon Spinks and bankruptcy
But the fact of being champion at 24 years old was more counterproductive than positive. The next day after winning the fight, he was seen in his limousine walking through the city of Las Vegas and smoking a marijuana cigarettesomething that left a bad feeling in the public and the media, especially CBS.
Then, he gave revenge to Ali, “the revenge”, which the world champion was able to win and Since then Spinks was never able to become champion again. Although in those years he had a fortune of 4.5 million dollars, there were very few years of waste and waste of money, so in 1986 he declared bankruptcy, earning 1,600 dollars a month. .
What did Leon Spinks do after bankruptcy?
After losing his rematch against Muhammad Ali, he was never able to become champion again. And by wasting his money and increasing his debts, declared bankruptcy in 1986, reducing his assets from 4.5 million dollars to only 500 and working at the YMCA as a cleaner and then at McDonalds. Finally, he died of prostate cancer in 2021.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
