Editing Michael Spinks (section)

===First world title===
By 1981, Spinks was already a top ranked contender, and after beating former and future world light-heavyweight champion [[Marvin Johnson (boxer)|Marvin Johnson]] by a knockout in four rounds, the [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] made Spinks their number one challenger, and so, on July 18 of that year, he met WBA light-heavyweight champion [[Eddie Mustafa Muhammad]], once again in Las Vegas. Spinks dropped Mustafa Muhammad in round 12 and went on to become the WBA light heavyweight champion with a 15-round decision win. He defended the title once in '81, beating Vonzell Johnson by a knockout in seven.

1982 began with a knockout victory over Mustafa Wassaja. Spinks had become a superstar, at least in the boxing world. He began appearing on the covers of boxing magazines and boxing fans started clamoring for a unification fight with [[World Boxing Council|WBC]] champion [[Dwight Muhammad Qawi]]. Tragedy struck his life, however, when in January 1983, his 24-year-old wife, Sandy Massey, died in a car crash, leaving Spinks the single parent of his two-year-old daughter, Michelle.