15, 1978, after just seven pro fights.įew in boxing - including Ali - gave Spinks any chance in the fight, but he used his energy and awkward style to frustrate Ali and win a 15-round split decision at the Las Vegas Hilton. Leon's rise was meteoric - he got a shot at Ali and the heavyweight title on Feb.

Spinks and younger brother Michael both won Olympic gold medals in 1976 in different weight classes and went on to become heavyweight champions. Orlando wrote that Spinks was 'facing the greatest fight of his life.' 'There were complications after his first surgery, but everything has been fixed,' she said.Įarlier, singer Tony Orlando sent out a tweet asking people to pray for Spinks, a good friend of his. 'It's going to be a long road ahead, but he's strong and he's starting to recover,' Brenda Spinks told The Associated Press.īrenda Spinks said she doesn't know how long her husband will be hospitalized, but that she's optimistic about his recovery. The 61-year-old boxer, who catapulted to fame by beating Muhammad Ali in 1978, had the second surgery in recent days after complications from the first emergency surgery, his wife said. LAS VEGAS - Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks is in a Las Vegas hospital after a second operation for abdominal problems.

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Leon spinks