When an Unknown Boxer Stood Up To Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali vs Leon Spinks
In the red corner, floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee, his opponents’ hands can’t hit what their eyes cant see. The one and only Muhammad Ali. Standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing in at 224 pounds, Ali would be coming into this fight 36 years of age and the WBA, WBC and The Ring undisputed heavyweight champion.
But standing in his way and on the other side of the ring was a fighter with only 7 fights to his name and not all of them wins. It was the ruthless, toothless Lean Spinks. Lean would be coming into this fight 25 pounds lighter that the champion and a boxing rookie, but not a unknown fighter after wing the gold medal at the Olympics two years prior.
This crazy match up came about, after beating the hard hitting Earnie Shavers, Muhammad Ali decided to face Leon Spinks, instead of fighting Ken Norton for the fourth time as Boxing bad boy Norton was in the number 1 spot for the belt. It seemed Ali had taken the easier root.
the clash between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks in 1978, stands out not only for the fight itself but for the extraordinary circumstances surrounding it. This bout, which saw the seasoned Ali face off against the relatively inexperienced Spinks.
Below the belt boxing presents. Muhammad Ali vs Leon Spinks