After Michael Spinks knocked out Marvin Johnson in March of 1981, he was the next in line to fight for Eddie Mustafa Muhammad’s WBA light heavyweight championship. Muhammad had made a feeble attempt to fight at heavyweight, and lost a ten round decision to young contender Renaldo Snipes. He was never in the fight, and weighed a fleshy 201 and 3/4 lbs., enroute to a unanimous decision loss. He returned to light heavyweight and signed to fight Michael Spinks in July.
It was a brutally hot Saturday afternoon that July 18th. I remember cutting the sticker bushes in our yard, and returning inside drenched in sweat to watch the fight in my air conditioned bedroom. Michael Spinks was one of my favorite fighters, and I desperately wanted him to win his first championship.
The bout from the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas was broadcast live on ABC, with Howard Cosell the lone announcer as usual. I was a bit nervous as the opening bell action began.
The bout was fairly slow paced, but Michael was landing enough punches in spots to be winning most of the rounds. The only knockdown of the fight occurred in round twelve, when a Spinks right hand dropped Muhammad. After fifteen, Michael won a unanimous decision, and captured his first championship belt of what would be an illustrious career.
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