Boxing
FORMER BOXING HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, LEON SPINKS IS DEAD
Leon Spinks, the gap-toothed fighter from the St Louis slums who pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history in 1978 by defeating Muhammad Ali to take the undisputed world heavyweight title, has died at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer, a spokesman said on Saturday (Feb 6).
Spinks passed away with only a few close friends and family present due to Covid-19 restrictions.
“Leon fought his battle with numerous illnesses resiliently, never losing his trademark smile,” The Firm PR said in a statement sent to Reuters.
“Showing true Spinks determination, he never threw in the towel.”
Spinks rose to fame winning the light-heavyweight gold medal for the United States at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
He shocked the boxing world just two years later when he defeated Ali in a split decision.
That would be the highlight of his career as Ali would get his revenge in the rematch seven months later in New Orleans.
Spinks would fight for a heavyweight crown only on one other occasion, losing to Larry Holmes in 1981.
On Saturday, Holmes wrote on Twitter: “You gave me a hell of a fight but you were a good guy. You lived your life the way you wanted and it was a good one. I pray you Rest In Peace.”
Spinks retired in 1995 at the age of 42 with a pedestrian 26-17-3 record, including 14 knockouts.
Much of his post-boxing life was marked by substance abuse, subsistence jobs and obscurity.
But in the late 1970s he had plenty of reasons to flash his trademark broad smile, sometimes accentuated by two missing front teeth.
After serving in the Marine Corps, Spinks won a gold medal in the light heavyweight competition at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
He was undefeated in his first seven professional fights but few thought he had any chance at all against the legendary Ali, even though the champ was past his prime going into their Feb 15, 1978, fight in Las Vegas.
His aggressive style and superior stamina allowed him to outduel Ali in a 15-round split decision, becoming the first boxer to take the title from Ali in the ring.
His reign did not last long. Seven months later, he squared off again with Ali at the Superdome in New Orleans and a properly prepared Ali won a 15-round unanimous decision. Spinks already had been stripped of his World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title for refusing to fight No. 1 contender Ken Norton in favour of the Ali rematch.
After the second Ali fight, Spinks was never again a serious championship contender, although in 1981 he took on Larry Holmes for the WBC crown.
Holmes beat him on a technical knockout in the third round.
Spinks continued fighting, often for embarrassingly small purses, until retiring following a unanimous decision loss to Fred House on Dec 4, 1995.
When his brother Michael Spinks upset Holmes for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight championship in 1985, he and Leon became the first brothers to have held world heavyweight championships.
The Spinks brothers were often bullied growing up in a notoriously rough housing project in St Louis, Missouri and learned to fight as a matter of self-preservation.
In a way, Leon remained a raw, naive child of the rough streets and after he won the title, the life of “Neon Leon” became a cautionary tale.
“It might have looked to people like I was having a good time,” Spinks told the Chicago Tribune, “but deep down I wasn’t because I wasn’t who I wanted to be. I never had anything when I was young. We were poor and now I had so much, so I tried to enjoy it. Having money like that makes you feel you can do anything you want but you can’t.”
Spinks was unsophisticated and did not seem to mind being photographed without his false teeth – replacements for the ones he lost to a head-butt in the Marines, he said.
He endured a series of arrests for driving violations and problems with drinking and drugs, including an arrest for cocaine and marijuana possession.
In 1981 he was mugged outside a bar in Detroit and later woke up naked in a hotel, missing several thousand dollars worth of clothes, jewellery and cash, as well as his false teeth.
The millions of dollars he won in the ring were lost to exorbitant spending and mismanagement, Spinks said.
In the late 1990s media reports said he sometimes stayed in a homeless shelter in the St Louis area and was taking random minimum-wage jobs.
In 2005 Spinks was living in Columbus, Nebraska, working as a janitor at a YMCA and at a McDonald’s.
In his 50s he began showing signs that the punches he took to the head had brought on a form of dementia.
In October 2011, Spinks married Brenda Glur, who began managing his personal appearances, and moved to Nevada, where he had two emergency abdominal operations in 2014.
-Reuters
British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua is set to make his long-awaited homecoming fight in Nigeria in early 2026, according to Nigerian promoter, Dr Ezekiel Adamu, a serial entrepreneur, investor and son of Nigerian sports administration legend, Dr Amos Adamu..
Adamu, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Balmoral Group, revealed that discussions with Joshua’s camp had been positive and that plans are underway to stage the bout at the 50,000-capacity Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Speaking to The Punch, the promoter disclosed that Joshua has always expressed his desire to fight in Nigeria before the end of his career.
“I spoke with him, I spoke with his team, and they already said to me, ‘If we had an offer from Nigeria, it’s a match made in heaven,’” Adamu said.
He added: “Joshua has always said that before he ends his career, he wants to fight in Nigeria, and we are going to make that fight happen.”
The proposed fight, expected in the first quarter of 2026, would likely feature Joshua against another African opponent. Adamu hinted at possible names, including France’s Tony Yoka, Congo’s Martin Bakole, and former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, who also has Nigerian heritage.
The promoter dismissed rumours that Ghana could host Joshua’s African debut. “I heard rumours about Joshua fighting in Ghana, and I laughed it off because, for me, where is the story in there? Joshua is Nigerian. Now we have a big promotion, and Nigeria is the biggest market. It’s a no-brainer for Joshua to fight in Nigeria,” he insisted.
Joshua, born in Watford, England, spent part of his childhood in Nigeria and proudly wears a tattoo of the country’s outline on his right shoulder.
Adamu maintained that Nigeria has both the infrastructure and the market to become a hub for global boxing.
“We’ve got the population, we’ve got the infrastructure, and we’ve got the technical know-how. This is just the start. October 1 (Chaos in the Ring event in Lagos) is only a sneak peek of what we can make happen,” he told The Punch.
Joshua’s long-time promoter, Eddie Hearn, had previously suggested the possibility of staging a fight in Africa, but Adamu’s plan now appears to be the most concrete yet. If successful, the 2026 bout would mark a historic milestone for African boxing and pave the way for more high-profile contests on the continent.
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British boxing great Ricky Hatton, a former two-division world champion, has died at the age of 46, the World Boxing Association said on Sunday.
Nicknamed ‘the Hitman’, Hatton won the WBA, IBO and IBF light-welterweight titles and the WBA welterweight world championship during his 15-year professional career before retiring in 2012.
He had been due to make a comeback for an event in Dubai this year.
“A true champion, an indomitable spirit and a legend of the sport. Your legacy will live on in every fight and in the hearts of boxing fans around the world,” the WBA posted on Instagram.
Greater Manchester Police said that a body had been found on Sunday morning at an address in Hyde in the northern English city.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious,” a police spokesperson said.
Hatton had 45 wins in 48 bouts over his career but in the years after he retired he said he had tried to kill himself several times and had been open about his struggle with depression, drink and drugs.
“I was coming off the rails with my drinking and that led to drugs. It was like a runaway train,” he told BBC radio in 2016.
Hatton became an ambassador for the mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably in 2023.
The crowning moment of Hatton’s career in the ring came in 2005 when he stopped Australian Kostya Tszyu in a brutal duel in Manchester to add the IBF light-welterweight title to the WBU belt he already held.
He had a perfect 43-0 record until he was floored by Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas in 2007 and was never the same again.
Hatton’s second loss came in 2009, when Manny Pacquiao knocked him out.
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Ricky Hatton. He was not only a great fighter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life,” Pacquiao wrote on X.
“We shared unforgettable moments in boxing history and I will always honour the respect and sportsmanship he showed.”
British former light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan described Hatton as “a friend, a mentor, a warrior.”
“Ricky, thank you for everything. For your fights, your moments of glory, your grit. Thank you for pushing us, showing us what’s possible … you’ll always have your place in the ring of our memories,” Khan said on X.
Hatton was a lifelong Manchester City fan and wore sky blue shorts, matching the soccer club’s colours, in most of his bouts.
The Premier League club held a thunderous minute’s appreciation ahead of their derby against Manchester United on Sunday with both sets of supporters paying their respects.
“Ricky was one of City’s most loved and revered supporters … everyone at the club would like to send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends,” City added.
-Reuters
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Boxing
Excitement As Nigeria’s Ibeabuchi, Former Mike Tyson’s Conqueror, Danny Williams Clash in Comeback Fight In Lagos
The boxing world is abuzz with anticipation as legendary heavyweight, Ike “The President” Ibeabuchi (20-0, 15 KOs) prepares to make his highly anticipated return to the squared circle against British knockout specialist Danny “The Brixton Hammer” Williams (55-33, 42 KOs).
This monumental clash, a true spectacle of power and resilience, is set to ignite Lagos, Nigeria.
This event will be live on pay-per-view streaming on www.Prizefighting.tv only on August 23, 2025, at the Teslim Balogun stadium, Surulere.
The times for the event are 1:00 PM New York, 6:00 PM London, noon Dallas, and 10:00 AM Los Angeles.
Ibeabuchi, a fighter revered for his explosive power and unblemished professional record, will step back into the ring after a lengthy hiatus, ready to remind the world of the immense talent that once captivated boxing fans globally.
His return to his ancestral homeland of Nigeria adds an even deeper layer of significance to this historic event.
Facing “The President” will be the formidable Danny Williams, a seasoned veteran known for his knockout power and the monumental upset of Mike Tyson in 2004.
“The Brixton Hammer” brings a wealth of experience and a relentless fighting spirit, promising to test Ibeabuchi’s comeback every step of the way.
This is more than just a fight; it’s a homecoming, a testament to perseverance, and a chance for ‘The President’ to once again showcase his abilities on the world stage. To do this in Lagos, in front of his people, is an incredible honour.
“Danny Williams is a tough opponent, with a very respectable career, but Ike Ibeabuchi is here to make a statement. “The Brixton Hammer’ will be sent back to England hammerless. Danny Williams will be knocked out,” Ibeabuchi has said in what is seen by many as a pre-fight hype.
Danny Williams expressed his readiness for the challenge, “Ike Ibeabuchi is a legend, and I know he’ll be coming to fight.
“But ‘The President’ will not be returning on my timeline. I will come to his hometown, drop the hammer on him and send him back into exile. That will become a fact mate,” Williams has been quoted as saying.
Promoters are anticipating a jam packed arena and a global viewership as fans eagerly await to see these two big punchers. Prizefighting.tv states “pig punchers do not lose power with age.”
With these two big punchers there is no way this fight is going the distance. This fight will end in a knockout.”
Ike Ibeabuchi is an undefeated Nigerian-American heavyweight boxer with a professional record of 20 wins and 0 losses, with 15 knockouts.
He is the biggest “what if’s” in heavyweight championship history.
Danny Williams is a British professional boxer with a record of 54 wins and 33 losses, with 43 knockouts. He is best known for his shock win over the famed Mike Tyson in a non-heavyweight title fight in 2004.
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