One Punch from the Promised Land: Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, and the Myth of the Heavyweight Title
Pruitt-Igoe was a housing project in north St. Louis; a terrible place overrun with gangs, drugs, violence, and despair, it was demolished in the mid-seventies. Two young men who escaped Pruitt-Igoe were Michael and Leon Spinks, who found a haven in a local boxing gym and eventually became the first brothers to become heavyweight champions. Though Michael and Leon shared an affinity for boxing, the two were very different. Leon was a drinker and loved to party. Boxing great George Foreman once said Leon couldn’t box but was the greatest street fighter he’d ever seen. Michael, on the other hand, was serious, disciplined, and self-contained. He became the light heavyweight champion and successfully defended his crown 10 times before wrestling the heavyweight crown from previously undefeated Larry Holmes. After losing the title to Mike Tyson, he retired from boxing and has since lived a quiet, semireclusive life. Leon upset Muhammad Ali early in his career for his heavyweight title, but, after that, it was all downhill, financially and physically. The authors cover the brothers’ careers in revealing detail. An excellent read for boxing fans. --Wes Lukowsky