Part 1 of 2

On May 1, 2004, I had the privilege of attending the wedding of former world welterweight champion of the world Cory “The Next Generation” Spinks.  Cory had just defeated Zab Judah via decision and was listed on most pound-for-pound lists.  At that time, I was working on a video project that revolved around the history of the Spinks family.  For those who don’t know, Leon and Michael Spinks, two brothers from St. Louis, MO, both won Gold Medals at the 1976 Olympic Games and went on to become heavyweight champions of the world.  And of course, Cory is Leon’s son who, in 2003, made history by defeating Ricardo Mayorga for the world welterweight championship (at the time, Mayorga was coming off back-to-back wins over Vernon Forrest, who was considered the best fighter in the world at 147).  On the day of Cory’s wedding, just over seven years ago, I interviewed a number of people, the first being his father Leon Spinks.
 
Leon is best known for defeating an aging Muhammad Ali in 1978.  Although Ali was past his prime when losing to Leon, it was still a remarkable accomplishment for Leon, because he only had seven professional bouts under his belt before he walked into that fight.  I think about the interview I did with Leon from time to time.  It was the first time I ever interviewed a fighter, it was just a few months before my first amateur fight, and he said some things that really reached me.  Just recently, it occurred to me that the readers of Boxingtalk might want to hear what the former heavyweight champion and Olympic Gold Medalist had to say on the day of his son’s wedding.  So I recently had the original BetaSP tape burned to a DVD, re-watched the interview, and typed everything up over the weekend.  In Part 1 of this 2-part interview, Leon discusses his rough childhood in the city of St. Louis, joining the Marines, winning a Gold Medal, his relationship with his brother Michael, and his victory over Muhammad Ali.
 
BT: We were just talking about St. Louis a second ago out in the lobby and you said that I wouldn’t like it so much if I was from your neighborhood.  What was it like growing up in your neighborhood?
 
LS: Well, my neighborhood was pretty rough.  It was tough, I mean…  My father wasn’t at home and my mother was raising five kids.  And then plus, people always seemed to beat up the oldest guy.  And I was a real skinny guy.  And at the time, people just beat me up all the time.  Took my money…  I would go to the store and come back and whatever…  And I went through a lot of changes with my mom, because my mom and my dad would have arguments and whatever.  That’s basically what I had to go through.  It was hard, it was real hard.  And when I got to the age of 14, 15, I started boxing.  And boxing was a big thing then in St. Louis.  In the amateurs…  It was the only way you could make it out.  But there were different gangs then and me being tall and skinny then, gangs would jump on you and beat you up and take your money and I would go home and go crying to my mom, “They took my money!”  So when my mom had seen that, I had decided to go into the ring.  So I started at a gym called Capri (spelling?).  And after that, I started boxing and I started beating who I can.  And then I saw that I could travel as long as I beat my opponent and I did very well doing that.
 
BT: So you basically started boxing because you had to.
 
LS: Well, it wasn’t what I HAD to do, it was my best escape.  And it was my best respect in the neighborhood I stayed in.  So the guys knew that I boxed and how good I did at it.  And the guys that would jump on me wouldn’t jump on me no more. 
 
BT: When you first started professional boxing, what level did you see yourself reaching?  Ultimately, you became a champion.  What did you see for yourself when you first started?
 
LS: I didn’t see nothing.  The only thing I seen at the time I started boxing is it was important that I had a good opportunity to travel and see the world.  And when I was an amateur and as long as I was still fighting, I did boxing to see the world and I had a (boxing) jacket and come back with trophies and what not.  And then I heard that the Marine core never had a Gold Medal in boxing.  And I thought the Marine Corps was better than anything.  So I joined the Marine Corps.  And the Marine Corps was even better for me, because it taught me self respect and it taught me to learn things, to teach myself things.  It taught me more than school.  I got educated more so.  And then I heard that the Marine Corps never had a Gold Medalist, so I joined.
 
BT: Speaking of Gold Medals, I’d like to talk about the 1976 Olympics when you and your brother Michael both won Gold Medals.
 
LS: Yeah, but see, my brother Michael inspired me.  You know how it is when the younger brother goes farther.  My younger brother Michael won the national Golden Gloves.  So I said I’m going to win the AAU Golden Gloves.  Me and my brother was always in competition against each other.  I wanted to be better than him and he wanted to be better than me.
 
BT: You inspired each other.
 
LS: Yeah, we inspired each other.  And I was in the Marine Corps at the gym and when I heard my brother won the national Golden Gloves, I said, “What’s better than that?”  And they said the AAU, so I won the AAU.
 
BT: Now, it was at the Olympics where the nickname “Spinks Jinx” originated.  How did the name “Spinks Jinx” come about? 
 
LS: Because me and my brother used to knock ‘em out with overhand rights.  My brother gave me the name “Spinks Jinx” and I just carried on with it.  Carried on…  And we both carried on with it.  That was the overhand right and we just kept knocking people out and it worked.  You fight Leon Spinks or Michael Spinks, you’re liable to get hit with an overhand right.
 
BT: When you turned professional, you had just a small handful fights and then you were thrown into the big fight with Muhammad Ali.  How did that come about?
 
LS: Ali told his promoter, Butch Lewis at the time, he said, “I will fight Leon if he gets in the top ten.”  I trained at Joe Frazier’s Gym and I had a good trainer.  And I was strong and young and silly, as usual.  But I went for that.  And so I beat these guys and it got me in the top ten.
 
BT: Going into that fight with very little experience, it seemed like you didn’t have a worry in the world.  You were smiling and ready to go, where most people in your position would be a little apprehensive about getting in with the best in the world.
 
LS: See, I grew up watching Ali fight all the time.  Even when they had him on the radio.  Or when he would fight on Wide World of Sports.  He was inspiring to me.  He was the big mouth from the south.  So I’d see him talk ‘em into the fight and talk ‘em out of the fight.  He was yappin’ his mouth and people was scared of him.  And I said, if it were me…  You can’t be no more than what you can be.  You do your thing and I’ll do my thing.  And then I won that way.  
 
BT: And what was your thing that night when you got in there with Muhammad Ali?  How were you able to beat him over fifteen rounds?
 
LS: I had to keep punching and make him fight more than what he had to.  Fighters hug on each other and dance with each other…  I’m a boxer puncher.  Steady puncher.  I don’t stop.  Most guys fight for a little while and then stop and hug each other.  But the military taught me to punch all the time and stay busy.  I always liked Ali, but the point is, when it comes down to fighting, you got to do your job.  That’s the bottom line.
 
BT: I would assume your life changed significantly after you beat Ali.  Tell me what your life was like after that win.
 
LS: Well, a lot of people tried to take advantage of me.  A lot of people DID somewhat.  But you make mistakes like a human being does.  People make mistakes.  I have made mine.
 


 

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