Leon and Michael Spinks - The 25 Greatest Brothers in Sports History | Complex The 25 Greatest Brothers in Sports History 17. Leon and Michael Spinks Sport: Boxing Accomplishments: Leon: Beat Muhammad Ali for heavyweight championship; Michael: International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee The Spinks brothers both reached the pinnacle of the boxing ladder, with each winning the heavyweight title at different periods of their careers (Leon in 1978, Michael in 1983). Despite Leon's gold medal and defeat of Muhammad Ali and Michael's Hall of Fame induction, both are more famous for their unceremonious losses rather than their strong track records of success. Both Leon (Ali rematch) and Michael (a young Mike Tyson) suffered defeats at the hands of a couple of the sport's biggest legends, forever associating their family name with the type of humbling defeat usually reserved for lesser fighters. WatchNow Leon Spinks of Olympic Boxing - Where Are They Now? By Andrew Eisele Updated October 12, 2016. Leon Spinks represented the United States as a light heavyweight boxer in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and won the Gold medal.

He and Michael Spinks became the first brothers to win Gold medals in the same sport at the same Olympics. His gap-toothed grin became world famous. Post-Olympic Boxing Career for Leon Spinks On February 15, 1978, in only his eighth professional fight, Spinks outpointed Muhammad Ali over 15 rounds to capture the world heavyweight title. Spinks lost the title back to Ali just seven months later in an unapproved rematch, losing in a 15-round unanimous decision. His career went into an irreversible tailspin. In the first fight after the Ali rematch, he was knocked out in the first round by Gerrie Coetzee. However, he beat top-ranked WBC challenger Bernardo Mercado by a knockout to earn a title fight against Larry Holmes in 1981. He lost in a TKO by the third round. His brother Michael Spinks went on to defeat Larry Holmes for the IBF heavyweight title in 1985, becoming the first brothers to have held the world heavyweight championship title. continue reading below our video LeBron vs. Michael: Who's Better? Leon Spinks began boxing in the cruiserweight division.

His last title fight was against Dwight Muhammad Qawi in the WBA, who had taken that title from Michael Spinks. He lost by a TKO in the sixth round. Spinks had a notable loss in 1994 in a KO to John Carlo, who was making his pro debut. He last fought in 1995, ending with a pro record of 26-17-3. Life After Boxing Career for Leon Spinks Spinks was reportedly homeless just over a decade after winning the heavyweight title. Later, after getting divorced, he briefly lived in a shelter in his native St. Louis. He's been a greeter at Mike Ditka's restaurant in Chicago. He also helped start a gym in Detroit and did assorted odd jobs in California. He lived in Columbus, Nebraska and worked at a local YMCA and McDonalds. He also volunteered at an after-school program for youth. He moved to the Las Vegas area in 2011 where he could have steady work with autograph-signing appearances and married his third wife, Brenda Glur Spinks.

Brain Trauma and Health Crisis Leon Spinks was diagnosed with brain trauma in 2012 due to his fight career and is part of the longitudinal study conducted by neurologist Charles Bernick of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. He went into a coma in 2014 due to a lodged chicken bone that pierced his intestines. He continued physical therapy and treatment at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System. Spinks is a Marine Corp veteran. Leon Spinks' Legacy Spinks' son, Cory Spinks , is a former welterweight and junior middleweight world champion. Leon was usually be spotted in or around the corner at each of his son's fights. He lost his son Leon Calvin Spinks in 1990. He was a light heavyweight boxer who was shot dead at age 19 while driving home in East St. Louis.

More Where Are They Now?​​ One Punch from the Promised Land: Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, And The Myth Of The Heavyweight Title, By John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro, 9780762783007 | Rowman & Littlefield Teaching Resources For access to these professor use only materials, please Register then email us at textbooks@rowman.com John Florio is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in print, on the web, and on television. He is also the author of the novel, Sugar Pop Moon. Visit him at johnfloriowriter.com. Ouisie Shapiro is a five-time Emmy-winning writer and producer of sports documentaries. Her writing credits include HBO's Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed; Namath: Beaver Falls to Broadway; and Lombardi. She has also produced ESPN SportsCentury documentaries on Jack Dempsey, Sonny Liston, and Rocky Marciano, among others. “I’ve lived in St. Louis more than half of my life. I first crossed paths with the Spinks brothers in 1976. Yet, all I knew of Michael and Leon were their ring records and the public caricatures of their personalities.

Steady, dependable Michael. Wild, self-destructive Leon. Well written and deeply sourced, 'One Punch from the Promised Land' fills in a lot of blanks.” —Bob Costas, award-winning journalist and sportscaster, NBC Sports and MLB Network “The first brothers to both claim the world heavyweight championship, Leon and Michael Spinks finally have a book worthy of the unlikely dramatic arc of their gap-toothed lives. Theirs is a uniquely American story—about not only realizing the dream of rising to great heights, but also the struggle to stay there. John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro deliver a vivid and compelling dual biography populated by the giants and demons of boxing’s last golden age.” —Jeremy Schaap, ESPN reporter and New York Times best-selling author of Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History “This is a book about two brothers who became heavyweight champions and a relationship that stretches across the bonds of poverty and hope, fragility and strength. This is the way it happened with the Brothers Spinks. It’s a story that transcends boxing. I know.

I was there.” —Jerry Izenberg, author, and nationally syndicated sports columnist, Newark Star-Ledger “This story of two brothers who used boxing as a way to escape the ghetto and become the first siblings to both hold the heavyweight title has the ring of Hollywood movie…. [T]he writers do a great job intertwining their subjects’ life stories with the social and political action of the era. Also, by expertly juxtaposing Leon’s carefree, self-destructive personality with Michael’s conscientious, dedicated nature, it creates a palpable tension that binds the brothers’ parallel yet contrary tales…. Just as much about America’s racial and socioeconomic situation as it is an exploration of the dynamics of family and the history of the sweet science.” —Publishers Weekly Featured Articles about Leon Spinks - Page 2 - latimes FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT LEON SPINKS - PAGE 2 SPORTS Spinks Showed That Ali Was Past His Prime February 15, 1999 It was a changing of the guard, a milestone heavyweight championship fight. The heavyweight championship that Muhammad Ali had defended so skillfully and often so bravely 19 times slipped from his grasp 21 years ago tonight in a Las Vegas ballroom.

Ali, in his prime arguably the century's greatest fighter, lost by split decision in 15 rounds to Leon Spinks, who had only seven professional fights. Ali had twice stood up to Sonny Liston, beaten George Foreman, Ken Norton and Joe Frazier. Advertisement U.S. boxing heavyweights come away battered August 1, 2012 | Bill Plaschke LONDON - The giant American boxer dances into the ring, chants of "USA" fill the dark and crowded arena, and immediately you think of former Olympic champion George Foreman. Until the kid gets popped in his grill. "My legs got fatigued really fast," says Michael Hunter II, bloodied and exhausted in the blink of a watery eye. PHOTOS: London Olympics, Day 5 Another large American boxer enters the ring, bigger, stronger, rippled and tattooed, and immediately you think of former Olympic champ Joe Frazier.

SPORTS Spinks Proves Far Too Fast for Tangstad : Norwegian Challenger Is Beaten on a TKO in the Fourth Round September 7, 1986 | EARL GUSTKEY, Times Staff Writer Perhaps the Norwegian politicians who banned professional boxing in that country in 1980 knew what they were doing after all. Norway's European heavyweight champion, Steffen Tangstad, failed to evoke any memories of Ingemar Johansson at the Las Vegas Hilton Saturday night, tumbling meekly to the canvas in front of International Boxing Federation champion Michael Spinks. SPORTS Leon Sinks Teeth Into a Comeback : Bark May Be Worse Than Bite, but Tell Johnny, CHP He's Back February 6, 1985 | RICHARD HOFFER, Times Staff Writer Leon Spinks, gone from boxing for nearly two years and gone from the Carson monologue for only a bit longer, is making a comeback, probably on both fronts. Here he is now, ambling through the hothouse heat of the Kronk gym. "Hey, Leon," you say, recognizing that famous gap-toothed smile.

As he turns, his foot hooks a light standard that a TV crew had set up for interviews with other Kronk fighters. It topples and explodes. This is the Spinks we have come to know and laugh at. SPORTS Spinks, Not Holmes, Makes Boxing History : Light-Heavy Titlist Wins the Big One September 22, 1985 | RICHARD HOFFER, Times Staff Writer Larry Holmes stood in the middle of the ring and grew old, round by round. Finally, he was as listed in the tale of the tape, a middle-aged man on the downslide. He was 35, slowed by a visible paunch and sadly confused in the face of a younger and smaller man. Finally, after seven years as heavyweight champion, this blinking shell of a former greatness was through. SPORTS The Other Spinks Lives in Slow Lane September 27, 1987 | Jim Murray His name is Spinks and he was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. But he has only crashed one car into a light pole in his life. He has his two front teeth. And he never trained for a title fight on Bourbon Street. He's not his big brother.

That's just Michael Spinks' trouble. He's not Leon. He's the quiet one. He's the kid brother. The other Spinks. He's done everything in boxing that Leon did but nobody's looking. Brothers of star athletes don't usually make it big. SPORTS A LONGSHOT : Once Again, the Odds Are Against Him, but Don't Ever Count Out Michael Spinks June 26, 1988 | EARL GUSTKEY, Times Staff Writer At his training camp in Kiamesha Lake, N.Y., a few weeks ago, Michael Spinks recalled a memorable parade in St. Louis. It was the city's 1976 welcome for the Spinks brothers, Leon and Michael, who had just won gold medals in the Montreal Olympic Games. A motorcade met them at the airport and carried them to their home in the Pruitt-Igoe projects. Sirens wailed, and passers-by cheered. As the motorcade neared the projects, Michael Spinks began to giggle.

SPORTS Leon Spinks Wins Decision at Detroit May 10, 1985 | Associated Press Former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks continued his comeback bid Thursday night, winning a unanimous decision over Tom (Ruffhouse) Fischer in a 10-round cruiserweight bout. Spinks, fighting out of Detroit, is 15-4-2 and 3-0 since beginning a comeback after a 22-month layoff. Fischer, of Dayton, Ohio, is 33-10. In another fight Thursday at Detroit's Cobo Arena, junior middleweight David Braxton of Detroit (34-1) knocked out Sam Leonard (17-8) of Tulsa, Okla., 2:34 into the second round. SPORTS Mims Scores Decision Over Leon Spinks October 21, 1987 | Associated Press Terry Mims, a former two-time national Golden Glove champion, won a unanimous 10-round decision over former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks in a cruiserweight bout Tuesday night.

Mims, 35, raised his record to 19-12, as he consistently landed combinations against Spinks, who is 34 and weighs 210 pounds. Spinks' record fell to 18-7-2. Spinks had won three previous fights this year. Spinks won the world heavyweight title by defeating Muhammad Ali on Feb. SPORTS Leon Spinks Stopped in 6th Round August 3, 1986 Rocky Sekorski of St. Paul, Minn., scored a technical knockout over former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks 1:43 into the sixth round of a bout in a bar parking lot Saturday night at Detroit Lakes, Minn. Sekorski (18-5) pinned Spinks to the ropes with a flurry of counterpunches midway through the sixth round. Referee LeRoy Benson gave Spinks a standing eight-count, and when the fight resumed, Sekorski continued on the attack. Seconds later, it was called. Former champion Leon Spinks hospitalized comment LAS VEGAS -- Former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks is in a Las Vegas hospital after a second operation for abdominal problems.

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. "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. Brenda Spinks said she doesn't know how long her husband will be hospitalized, but that she's optimistic about his recovery. "There were complications after his first surgery, but everything has been fixed," she said. Earlier, singer Tony Orlando sent out a tweet asking people to pray for Spinks, a good friend of his. Orlando wrote that Spinks was "facing the greatest fight of his life." Spinks and younger brother Michael both won Olympic gold medals in 1976 in different weight classes and went on to become heavyweight champions. Leon's rise was meteoric -- he got a shot at Ali and the heavyweight title on Feb. 15, 1978, after just seven pro fights.

Few 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. But he lost the title back to Ali in their rematch seven months later before more than 60,000 people at the Superdome in New Orleans. "Ali thought I was a wimp and I had to prove to him I wasn't," Spinks said recently. "I knew I could beat him after watching his fights." Spinks would get one more chance at the title in 1981 against Larry Holmes, only to be stopped in the third round. He would never become the heavyweight champion again but fought until 1995, finishing with a career mark of 26-17-3. Spinks was known to mix partying with training, and quickly burned through the big money he made early in his career. He would later move to Nebraska, where he worked as a custodian at a YMCA before moving to Las Vegas in 2011.

Spinks, who has slurred his words since his active boxing days, was diagnosed in 2012 with shrinkage in his brain, which doctors said was likely caused by the punches he took during his career. "My brain has got to let me know I'm doing all right and I've got to do things to help my brain now," Spinks said after the diagnosis. Michael Spinks upset Holmes for the heavyweight title in 1985 and fought Mike Tyson in a title showdown three years later. Tyson knocked him out 91 seconds into the fight, and he retired. The Brothers Spinks - The Sweet Science The Brothers Spinks By Paul Beston on Sep 18 2013 2:35 pm In a scene from Barbet Schroeder’s 1987 film, Barfly, based on the life and times of Charles Bukowski, the protagonist, Henry “Hank” Chinaski (Mickey Rourke) has just been assaulted by his girlfriend, Wanda (Faye Dunaway), leaving him bleeding heavily from the head and all over his shirt. Someone knocks at his door and Hank answers, looking primordial.

The man outside pauses, taking in his appearance, and asks: “Are you Henry Chinaski?” “No,” Hank replies, “I’m Leon Spinks!” A quarter-century ago, that line had rich comic recognition. Every viewer knew Leon Spinks. Neon Leon, they called him. He cut a memorable figure in pop culture—the missing front teeth, the superhuman partying and serial car smash-ups, the endemic and tragicomic inability to make sensible choices, the road to ruin pipedwith the sound of laughter , to paraphrase the Johnny Cash song, ringing in his ears. In 1987, Leon was nearly a decade past his one crowning glory—February 1978, when he beat 36-year-old Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in one of boxing’s great upsets . But no one was laughing at his younger brother, Michael. In 1985, Michael defeated the 36-year-old Larry Holmes to become the first reigning light heavyweight king to win the heavyweight crown. Michael and Leon thus became the only brother act in heavyweight title history (before the Klitschkos).

In One Punch from the Promised Land: Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, and the Myth of the Heavyweight Title , John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro tell the story of these brothers who boxed differently, lived differently, and forged different fates (one lives in a mansion, the other doesn’t). The book is chock-full of fresh interviews and outrageous stories, and yes, most involve Leon. It also doesn’t skimp on frankness, whether acknowledging Leon’s mental deficiencies or Michael’s Marciano-like tightness with a buck. The brotherly bond took form in 1950s and 1960s St. Louis, where Leon and Michael grew up in the nightmarish Pruitt-Igoe housing project . By the late sixties, criminal gangs ran the place, and police responding to crime calls wouldn’t enter without back up, which didn’t always come. Learning their trade at the nearby DeSoto Rec Center, the Spinks brothers fought their way onto the historic 1976 U.S. Olympic boxing team, which starred Sugar Ray Leonard and Howard Davis. Neither Leon nor Michael was expected to win gold medals, but both did. Leon turned pro.

Michael went back to his regular job; he never loved boxing, but when Monsanto, for whom he worked cleaning offices, switched him to cleaning bathrooms, he thought he might like boxing well enough. In the early going, the Spinks saga was all about Leon. In just his eighth pro fight, he was matched with an out-of-shape, unmotivated Ali, who by then barely did any fighting in the ring at all. He lay against the ropes, absorbing arm, shoulder, and kidney punches, looking to steal rounds, wear out opponents, and charm judges and fans with his clowning. The act had grown wearisome. Leon pounded Ali with abandon and held off a late-round charge to win the decision. The Greatest had been beaten by a novice pro. Moreover, he had been displaced as champion by a man as different from him as could be imagined. Florio and Shapiro are insightful in describing how Spinks represented a new kind of heavyweight champion. Most of Leon’s predecessors came from poor or modest backgrounds, but none from such a deep-seated ghetto culture. He was “a kid from the projects who had little guidance, an eye for the ladies, and a sweet tooth for cocaine,” Florio and Shapiro write.

“He had only two speeds—turbo and sleep.” Leon’s constant run-ins with the law for minor traffic infractions or drug possession—he was once busted for a quantity of cocaine valued at $1.50—made him a figure of ridicule within weeks of beating Ali. If it bothered him, he didn’t let on. To be certain, it bothered Michael, who put his own professional career on hold in a vain attempt to look after his older brother. The authors describe how, shortly before it was time for him to enter the ring in New Orleans for his rematch with Ali , Leon disappeared, and neither his camp nor his bodyguard—Mr. T., the future Clubber Lang—could find him. He was finally located in a hotel room, drunk. Somehow Leon managed to fight on relatively even terms with Ali for five rounds before Ali took command. It wasn’t much of a fight. Ali danced for the first time in years, but he landed mostly one- and two-punch combinations while holding Leon ceaselessly over 15 rounds and winning a lopsided decision. Leon went back out partying and kept the party going for years, though his career quickly became a sideshow.

He lost about as often as he won, drank up his paydays in single sittings, and generally lived the life of a wild, not terribly bright dude. Years later, training Leon for one last shot at remaking his career, Emanuel Steward went looking for the fighter and found him in the usual place—a hotel—and in the usual state—drunk, naked, and with a woman. “Coach, it ain’t like it look,” Leon said. Naturally, Leon wound up broke, and he shows signs of dementia today, but he is fortunate to have met and married a woman who is protective of him. Where Leon was madcap, Michael was reserved and enigmatic, only slightly off-kilter and in none of the ways that make headlines. “Michael always seemed so logical compared to Leon,” promoter Bob Arum told the authors. “It seemed to me that Michael had some sense. Leon never had any sense.” Michael turned out to be a better fighter than his older brother, too, largely because of his personal stability and discipline.

But in 1983, his life was upended when his common-law wife, the mother of his two-year old daughter, was killed in a car accident weeks before he was to fight Dwight Muhammad Qawi to unify the light heavyweight title. Just as he was preparing to enter the ring, someone brought the little girl into Michael’s dressing room. She promptly asked him where her mother was. Michael almost went to pieces, but he went out and beat Qawi, using his left jab to control the fight. Qawi derided him for “running.” Michael had a curious ability to inspire disdain in his opponents, perhaps because of his unusual style, if it was a style. He’d start out orthodox, but in the heat of battle punches would start flying in from all angles. In 1985, when Michael beat Holmes—then 48-0 and one win away from equaling Rocky Marciano’s perfect record—Holmes complained about the decision, though Michael had won clearly. The following year, Holmes had a legitimate gripe about their rematch , which Michael also won by decision: most observers thought Holmes deserved the nod.

Even in 1987, when Michael knocked out the much bigger Gerry Cooney, whom he feared, he couldn’t seem to convince his opponent. The usually gracious Cooney said that Michael didn’t belong in the same ring with him. Where Leon endured a sustained descent, Michael’s downfall was mercifully brief: in June 1988, he faced off against Mike Tyson in the bout that would unify (for a few years at least) the heavyweight title. Tyson was at his peak, a terrifying force combining speed and power. Emanuel Steward told Florio and Shapiro that before the Tyson fight, Michael was afraid to leave his dressing room. He entered the Atlantic City ring, as the authors put it, wearing “the look of a rabbit that had just spotted a hunter’s rifle.” Michael’s trainer, Eddie Futch, wanted him to box Tyson, to stay away for four or five rounds—easier said than done in those days. “Take him out in deep water and then we can drown him,” he said. Tyson never gave them a chance, annihilating Spinks in 91 seconds. It was Michael’s only loss as a professional and his last fight.

He lives on a generous spread outside Wilmington, Delaware, and mostly keeps a low profile. But he made news in 2011 when he sued the estate of the late Butch Lewis, his longtime manager and friend, for mismanaging the millions in boxing earnings that were to pay Michael’s living expenses. “I don’t know what an average person goes through in a lifetime,” Michael once said, “but I’ve been through a lot up to now—and I have lived life as cautiously as I possibly can. My life hasn’t been a bowl of cherries.” Leaving aside the caution, Leon could say the same. Florio and Shapiro bring the Spinks brothers and their struggles to life and remind us that, different as they were, they were united by at least two deep forces: love and trouble. Consider a moment in September 1978 before the opening bell in New Orleans. As Ali stood in his corner calmly waiting for the fight to begin, Leon reached for his brother and held him in a tight, lingering embrace. He might have been voicing some version of the old spiritual’s lament: Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen. But Michael knew. Leon Spinks of Olympic Boxing - Where Are They Now?

By Andrew Eisele Updated October 12, 2016. Leon Spinks represented the United States as a light heavyweight boxer in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and won the Gold medal. He and Michael Spinks became the first brothers to win Gold medals in the same sport at the same Olympics. His gap-toothed grin became world famous. Post-Olympic Boxing Career for Leon Spinks On February 15, 1978, in only his eighth professional fight, Spinks outpointed Muhammad Ali over 15 rounds to capture the world heavyweight title. Spinks lost the title back to Ali just seven months later in an unapproved rematch, losing in a 15-round unanimous decision. His career went into an irreversible tailspin. In the first fight after the Ali rematch, he was knocked out in the first round by Gerrie Coetzee. However, he beat top-ranked WBC challenger Bernardo Mercado by a knockout to earn a title fight against Larry Holmes in 1981. He lost in a TKO by the third round.

His brother Michael Spinks went on to defeat Larry Holmes for the IBF heavyweight title in 1985, becoming the first brothers to have held the world heavyweight championship title. continue reading below our video LeBron vs. Michael: Who's Better? Leon Spinks began boxing in the cruiserweight division. His last title fight was against Dwight Muhammad Qawi in the WBA, who had taken that title from Michael Spinks. He lost by a TKO in the sixth round. Spinks had a notable loss in 1994 in a KO to John Carlo, who was making his pro debut. He last fought in 1995, ending with a pro record of 26-17-3. Life After Boxing Career for Leon Spinks Spinks was reportedly homeless just over a decade after winning the heavyweight title. Later, after getting divorced, he briefly lived in a shelter in his native St. Louis. He's been a greeter at Mike Ditka's restaurant in Chicago. He also helped start a gym in Detroit and did assorted odd jobs in California. He lived in Columbus, Nebraska and worked at a local YMCA and McDonalds. He also volunteered at an after-school program for youth.

He moved to the Las Vegas area in 2011 where he could have steady work with autograph-signing appearances and married his third wife, Brenda Glur Spinks. Brain Trauma and Health Crisis Leon Spinks was diagnosed with brain trauma in 2012 due to his fight career and is part of the longitudinal study conducted by neurologist Charles Bernick of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. He went into a coma in 2014 due to a lodged chicken bone that pierced his intestines. He continued physical therapy and treatment at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System. Spinks is a Marine Corp veteran. Leon Spinks' Legacy Spinks' son, Cory Spinks , is a former welterweight and junior middleweight world champion. Leon was usually be spotted in or around the corner at each of his son's fights. He lost his son Leon Calvin Spinks in 1990. He was a light heavyweight boxer who was shot dead at age 19 while driving home in East St. Louis.

More Where Are They Now?​​ Leon Spinks is down, not out - SFGate Leon Spinks is down, not out Stan Grossfeld, Boston Globe Published 4:00 am, Sunday, December 25, 2005 2005-12-25 04:00:00 PDT Columbus, Neb. -- At the Columbus Family YMCA on a recent Saturday morning, the Champ punches only a time clock. The man who dethroned Muhammad Ali on a February night in 1978 in one of the greatest upsets in boxing history puts on his gloves -- not the red Everlast boxing gloves, but the orange Rubbermaid cleaning gloves. He methodically gets the cart with the brooms and the cleaning chemicals and gets to work. Leon Spinks, 52, has crash landed in the Great Plains. Nearly broke but far from broken, the former World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association heavyweight titleholder (and Olympic gold medalist) spends his days fighting his demons -- dementia, boredom, and hangers-on who have taken advantage of him. He gives his glasses to Cassie Billings, a college student working the front desk, for safekeeping.

"I tell guys I don't fear anything," she said. "I have a friend named Leon Spinks and he'll kick your butt." There's not a trace of sadness in Spinks. There are, he figures, people worse off than him. "It ain't what you do," said the custodian. "It's how you do it. Ali is puffy and shaky under the hold of Parkinson's Disease. The Louisiana Superdome , which hosted Ali-Spinks 2 just seven months after their first fight, is closed, ravaged by Katrina's wallop, and New Orleans citizens are still reeling and homeless. But Spinks is putting in an honest day's work. "You do the best you can," he said. He still carries himself with dignity, still flashing that internationally recognized gap-toothed smile, even as everyone is whispering why. Why is Leon Spinks here, in Columbus, a town of 20,971 split by the Union Pacific railroad tracks? "Well, I'm still breathing, still making money," said Spinks, who acknowledges he came here after being smitten by a woman he met on the road. "I'm happy 'bout life. Still trying.

I ain't giving up on life." The years have been tough. Spinks got divorced and lived briefly in an East St. Louis shelter. He was a greeter at Mike Ditka 's restaurant in Chicago. He says he helped start a gym in Detroit and did odd jobs in California. Now he cleans the local YMCA for $5.15 an hour on weekends, sometimes unloads trucks at McDonald's, and volunteers to help the homeless. He also never turns away a kid looking for an autograph or advice. "Sometimes it's good to get away from the city and get a little clean air, a little space," said the Champ. "I'd love to teach kids how to box here. There's nothing to do here but get in trouble." Twenty-seven years later, he's still strong, his biceps still bulging, still no man to mess with. He wears a Spiderman knit cap under a Chicago White Sox baseball cap, a green pullover over a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and work shoes. Only when he moves does he appear stiff, and he walks with a slight limp. Sandy Staverman , another custodian, asks a photographer to take her picture with the Champ.

"He's really neat, he's got a great personality," she said. "He acts like an everyday human being." Bob Lauterbach, executive director of the Columbus Family YMCA, agrees. "I call him Champ, and he likes that," he said. "We get a ton of phone calls, mostly people wanting him to sign stuff. He's real, real quiet. He gets challenged in bars. An African American in Columbus is going to stick out. But people are generally kind. He's a proud man and very humble. His situation has made him more humble. He's a good guy. He just wants to be a viable entity. When I told him everyone at the Y has to pass a CPR class, he took it and he passed it." The Champ spoke to the kids in the Y. "When they found out he won the championship of the world by beating Ali, they flipped out," says Lauterbach. "He told them, 'Don't do drugs.' Everybody applauded." On his tour of duty, one shy boy follows the Champ around and watches him mop the floors. Finally, Spinks gently puts his arm around him and poses for a picture, then he gets back to work.

The boy, on top of the world, takes his smile and runs to tell his friends. Spinks does his chores methodically, never taking a break. He says the older kids ask his advice. "Kids come up to me when they see me cleaning, and I tell them my opinion," he said. "The kids are thrilled to meet me and their parents are thrilled, too." The Champ also likes his second job at the local McDonald's. "I get 50 percent off on Big Macs and everything," he said. Spinks also goes to several autograph shows each year. Last year, he worked at Emerson Elementary in Columbus as a volunteer at an after-school program. "The kids really enjoyed him," says Marla Kurtenbach , the school's after-school coordinator. Three of Spinks' sons followed in their father's footsteps and became professional fighters. Leon, the eldest, was murdered in St. Louis in 1993. Darryl had 20 professional fights, and their younger brother, Cory, born just five days after his father beat Ali, is a former welterweight champion. "I didn't push (Cory)," said Leon. "I wanted him to decide if he wanted to go into boxing and he did.

Can't blame it on me." Looking back, Spinks admits he was immature. "When I had a kid, I was a kid," he said. "I wasn't around. I was too busy trying to figure out where I was going." Now it's payback time. "He's not helping me at all, but it's all right," Spinks said. "I don't ask for nothing." Glur's Tavern, (est. 1876), the oldest bar west of the Missouri River, serves fried gizzards, just the way Leon Spinks likes them. Brenda Glur , who was born here and whose relatives used to own the bar, makes sure Leon doesn't have to walk the icy streets. She drops the Champ at the front door. She never lets Leon, who's had more than his fair share of motor vehicle violations, drive. They met several years ago when Leon was barely existing in Brandon, Mo., and Glur was a wardrobe dresser for a Rockettes tour there. First they became friends, the country girl brought up in the cornfields of Nebraska and the tough guy from the streets of St. Louis.

Glur, whose grandfather and brothers were boxers and whose father was a Golden Gloves champion, says Leon always makes her laugh. She fell for him and vowed to help him. "I felt Leon had more potential than to just be put up in some creepy place to sit until he had some engagement to go to that someone would set up for him," she wrote in an e-mail. "A couple summers ago he was set up to stay in the back room of a stinky old gym. I went to stay with him, but I couldn't stand it. We slept on this dirty old floor and used a creepy bathroom with no light. He had stayed there for over a month already, by the time I got there. I could only take it for a couple of days! We had to leave." "She's my friend and my lover," said Leon. They moved back to Columbus, two hours northwest of Omaha. "He has good days and bad days," said Glur, who is also Spinks' business manager. On bad days, Spinks is quiet and hard to understand, because of the missing teeth and complications from the onset of dementia.

Spinks wants his epitaph to read "a hell of a fighter." But after he lost the so-called "Battle of New Orleans" to Ali, he became progressively mortal in the ring. He got one more crack at the heavyweight title, losing a title bid to Larry Holmes in a third-round TKO in 1981. Although he did win the cruiserweight title in 1982, he finished his career in 1995 with a professional record of 26 wins, 17 losses, and 3 draws. But his legacy is diminished by hanging on too long, drinking too much, and fighting for measly purses. He became the only former heavyweight champ to get knocked out in the first round by a fighter making his pro debut when he lost to John Carlo in 1994. Does he believe the dementia is a result of the blows he received? "Maybe," he said, shrugging his broad shoulders. "I'm not Dr. Kildare." "I got hit a lot. I'm glad I lived through it." Today is a good day. "If you take a little time to learn to listen to me then you might learn something," he said.

"If I can give you some kind of knowledge of life you should listen." When he became the champion, Spinks -- sporting his trademark toothless grin -- was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The smile looks the same today. "No, I ain't no vampire," he said with a laugh, noting that he first lost his teeth in 1972, when he was head-butted while sparring in the Marines. "Sometimes I leave my teeth in the hotel," he said. "One time they were stolen by a maid or somebody who got a key to my room and they got my teeth. They were in a plastic container." Spinks is a generous man. He has a dozen close friends who watch his back. "There's a sweet spirit about him; he's a humble man," said chaplain Don Konrad , director of the Men's Ministry of the Columbus Rescue Mission. Konrad says Spinks helps in the kitchen. "He's very unpretentious," said Konrad. "There's no airs about him, he's just Leon our friend." Spinks also helps give out awards at the Special Olympics, one of his favorite activities.

On a Friday night, Spinks sits at the bar and has a few 32-ounce $2 beers and maybe a shot or three of Cognac or Crown Royal. A few patrons ask for and receive his autograph. But on the way to the men's room, a young local gives him a sharp elbow. Spinks lets it go. "I don't hurt anybody," he said. But he did get his favorite cap robbed in a Columbus bar. "He snatched it off my head," Spinks said. "It said, 'Heavyweight Champion of the World Leon Spinks.' It had like diamonds on it, but it wasn't real. The guy thought it was diamonds so he snatched it off my head and ran out the back door." But when a local newspaper reported the crime, the petty thief returned with a guilty conscience. "He gave it back to me," Spinks said. "He said he was sorry he took it, gave me $20, and handed me a drink." Spinks, who was arrested in April 1978 for cocaine possession, is told that the public perception of him is that he partied away the nearly $5 million he made from fighting. "That's (expletive)," he said.

"That's what people think. I was stupid and I gave (the lawyers) power of attorney." He says he never saw a penny of the $3.75 million he made for Ali-Spinks 2. "Well, what can you do about it?" he said. "The money they stole. They stole all my money." Spinks admits he tried drugs, but not during his boxing career. "I'll tell it like it is," he said. "I did try (cocaine). I tried it in the service but I didn't like it and I got away from it. I smoked marijuana. I did pills. I tried speed in the service. I've seen how it affects other guys. It wasn't good for me. I never did crack. I never used a needle. I saw other guys do that and it ruined their whole life. "Oh, I partied with booze and smoked a little pot. I tried it but I never loved it. Mr. T. was my bodyguard. I got him started in the movies. They wanted me for those roles." Spinks finishes the night at a Karaoke bar, where he wins a game of 8 ball pool, signs more autographs, and gets drinks sent over by fans.

He plays a video card game for an hour and when he finishes, three of the top-five all-time scores read "LeonSpinksJr." Leon grew up St. Louis. His father wasn't around much. "Everyone in our neighborhood, we stayed in the projects," he said. "If you couldn't box, you'd get your (butt) whipped. "I went into the Marines to get away from drugs. My birthday was July 11 -- 7-11 -- but I don't know how lucky I was." He joined the Marines and won a gold medal in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, a member of perhaps the greatest U.S. boxing team in history (along with his brother, Michael, and Sugar Ray Leonard). "I enjoyed the service, it's the best thing for a young man," Spinks said. In the Games, he looked beaten against Cuban boxer Sixto Soria after being staggered early in the third round. But instead, he moved in and exploded with a fast flurry of punches, punctuated by his haymaker overhand right, that ended the fight later in the round. It was during the Cold War, and Spinks had beaten a Russian and a Cuban for gold.

Surprisingly, he ranks beating Soria higher than beating Ali. "Oh, the gold, man," Spinks said. "It was great. I fought for my country. I represented the United States. They can take away the title. Nobody can take (the gold)from me." But when he climbed into the Las Vegas ring to face Ali, he never had gone 15 rounds. He faced 8-1 odds. The Champ was fighting his idol. He says his mother sat with a Bible in her lap. "She snuck in," he said. "When I fought Ali, I was scared until the bell went ding," Spinks said. "Then I did my job. He talked a lot. He was the Mouth from the South. He hanged clothes on his mouth. "He said I was crazy. I talked trash to him. I came from that type of neighborhood. "He was talking trash to me. He said, 'You're going to tire out.' I said, 'C'mon old man, get in the fight.' " Spinks never tired and won a split decision.

The Champ credits his trainer for the strategy to beat the rope-a-dope, where Ali covered up on the ropes and let his opponent get tired, then attacked him mercilessly in the late rounds. "My trainer said, 'Hit his arms,' " Spinks recalled. "Then later on Ali couldn't use them when he wanted. I was putting too much pressure on him. I knew he'd try to win the 13th, 14th, and 15th. That's the way he beat George Foreman . He got humbled. I had more wind than George Foreman. I knew Ali 'cause I'd been watching how to stay on him and when to lay off and save my strength. I didn't follow him around. I cut off space. "He wasn't in great condition. Ali ran out of gas and I could've gone 20 (rounds). I just know one thing -- I went with one thing my mother taught me. When a man hits you, hit him back." Spinks says he still respects Ali. "I grew up watching him fight," he said. "I listened to the Sonny Liston fight on the radio.

"I think he's still the greatest for a lot of things in life he did. He lived his life the right way -- he chose the religious life." Spinks chose the fast lane. There are stories of Spinks sneaking out of his boxing camp to party and getting caught driving without a license and being intoxicated. But the champ denies he was not ready for the rematch -- 70,000 fans mostly rooting for Ali to become the first three-time heavyweight champ. "They didn't bother me, I blocked them out," said Spinks. "I wasn't out of shape. I'd put on some weight, but I was still in shape. How can you be out of shape? I went 30 rounds with the man." This time Ali, now 36, showed up in better shape and danced for 15 rounds, winning a unanimous decision. When Spinks watches an edited videotape of the fight in his apartment, he speaks softly and stares at the television. "I think I won the second fight," he contended. "I know they show just seven rounds in the whole fight. The ones I won they cut out. "Why just show seven rounds? Where were the other rounds?

Why did he win a unanimous decision and not show the whole 15 rounds?" Did he protest after the decision? "I didn't say nothing," he recalled. "Why should I? It's politics. They wanted Ali. It ain't what you know but who you know." Spinks also replays some Olympic tapes, but loses interest and plays solitaire on the computer. He is unresponsive, his back to his company, and seems not to be listening until Howard Cosell announces that Spinks is an "untrained boxer." "(Expletive) Howard," he says without looking up. Spinks says he has neither the gold medal or the championship belt. Both were stolen from his mother's home in St. Louis. Both Spinks brothers won gold medals in Montreal. When Michael Spinks beat Holmes in 1985, the Spinks boys became the first brothers to become world heavyweight champs. But Michael Spinks kept his money and bought a $5 million estate in Delaware. Leon lost his. "Me and my brother are close," Leon said. But he won't ask him for financial help. "I'm not into that thing," he said. "I can make it myself. I don't pressure him.

God gave me the strength to see, and breathe, and talk. Everything ain't gone. I ain't gonna ask for nothing." But Spinks does worry about the future. "I worry about that all the time," he acknowledged. "I want to live comfortably for the rest of my life. I need money. "I don't hurt nobody. I do what I can. I still help people as much as I can. I keep doing my best and hope God will lead me the right way. "If you want to be my friend, be my friend. If not, leave me alone." Latest from the SFGATE homepage: Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.

Question: Brothers Leon and Michael Spinks are associated with which sport?
Answer: Boxing