Editing Leon Spinks (section)

===Spinks vs. Ali===
{{Main|Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks}}
At the time a lower-ranked contender, he made history on February 15, 1978, by decisively beating [[Muhammad Ali]] on a 15-round split decision, that was in actuality fairly one-sided, in Las Vegas, Nevada.<ref name="espn">{{cite web |title=Leon Spinks, ex-champ who upset Ali, dies at 67 |url=https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/30848782/leon-spinks-ex-heavyweight-champ-upset-muhammad-ali-dies-67 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=February 7, 2021 |language=en |date=February 6, 2021}}</ref> Spinks won the world heavyweight title in his eighth professional fight, the shortest span in history.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ruiz |first1=Michael |title=Boxing legend Leon Spinks dies at 67 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/sports/boxing-legend-leon-spinks-dies-at-67 |website=Fox News |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=February 6, 2021}}</ref> The aging Ali had expected an easy fight, but he was out-boxed by Spinks, who did not tire throughout the bout and had Ali ready to fall in the last seconds of the fight.<ref name="espn" /> It was one of the few occasions when Ali left the ring with a bruised and puffy face.

The victory over Ali was the peak of Spinks's career.<ref name="espn" /> He was the only man to take a title from Muhammad Ali in the ring, as Ali's other losses were non-title contests or bouts where Ali was the challenger. Spinks's gap-toothed grin was featured on the cover of the February 19, 1978 issue of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Putnam |first1=Pat |title=SI Vault: Ali takes sloppy win, title from Spinks |url=https://www.si.com/boxing/2015/09/24/muhammad-ali-leon-spinks-heavyweight-championship-vault |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=February 7, 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref>

However, Spinks was stripped of his world title by the [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] for refusing to defend it against [[Ken Norton]], instead agreeing to a return bout against Ali to defend his [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] crown.<ref name="espn" /> The title, stripped from Spinks, was then awarded to Norton.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spinks Stripped of Crown; W.B.C. Recognizes Norton (Published 1978) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/19/archives/spinks-stripped-of-crown-wbc-recognizes-norton-suit-seems-likely.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=February 7, 2021 |date=March 19, 1978}}</ref>