Right up there, or thereabouts, with the Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvelous Marvin Hagler fight/decision when it comes to fan debate on who actually won, the historic and controversial Michael Spinks-Larry Holmes fight celebrates its 40th anniversary today. It was a fight that saw an ageing but still tough heavyweight king in Holmes look to bag his 49th win, this by seeing off light-heavyweight champ Spinks.
The fight took place in Las Vegas, and Holmes, 48-0(34) was the betting favourite, this despite being the older man by six years. Spinks, who had taken on a calorific diet in order to pack on enough muscle to weigh 200-pounds on the nose, had baffled many a foe when boxing quite brilliantly at 175 pounds, and he too was unbeaten, this at 27-0(19).
Did Spinks Deserve the Decision Over Holmes?
Both men had history on their minds – Holmes aiming to match Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 ledger, and then one day eclipse it, Spinks looking to become the first ever light-heavyweight champion to unseat a reigning heavyweight champion – and fans everywhere knew the importance of the fight.
It proved to be a close, engrossing affair. Holmes was the man on the front-foot, “The Easton Assassin” looking to unload big shots on Spinks. But the challenger, with his famed “Jinx,” proved ever so hard to nail. Spinks used a ton of lateral movement, he punched from unorthodox angles, and Spinks picked up valuable points by landing flurries.
Still, it was mighty close. Neither man was ever really hurt, but older man Holmes was feeling the pace more so than was Spinks. Who had done enough? In a decision that surprised more than a few, the three judges handed in a unanimous decision in favour of Spinks – 145-142, 143-142, 143-142. Spinks had done it; he had made boxing history. He had denied Holmes his shot at immortality.
Holmes’ Fury, Rocky’s Legacy, and Spinks’ Place in History
Holmes, who never trusted the judges, Vegas ones in particular, cried robbery. Oh, how Larry cried robbery! In an infamous post-fight presser, Holmes came out with the “Rocky couldn’t carry my jockstrap” remark, this instantly offending the millions of Rocky Marciano fans all over the world; not to mention Rocky’s brother Peter, who was right there listening to Holmes badmouth himself and his legend of a sibling.
Holmes actually made an attempt at an apology during the same presser, but the damage had been done. Holmes was bitter, and Spinks, all smiles, was the new boxing hero. The rematch would come, and Holmes would again be edged by Spinks on the cards, with Larry again insisting he had been robbed. To this day, plenty of people do agree that Holmes deserved the decision in both fights, while Spinks has his staunch supporters.
We will never know if Holmes would have gone on to break Marciano’s record had he been awarded the decision over Spinks that day in 1985, this in one of the last 15-round title fights. As for Spinks, he is today unfairly best remembered for the fight he would have in June of 1988, this a fight that lasted a mere 91-seconds.
But on this day 40 long years ago, Michael Spinks was very possibly the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet. And Larry Holmes was almost certainly its angriest.
