Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
The 24 year-old, who will campaign at light-welterweight, has
sacrificed his work and school-life for a shot at big-time boxing and will dip
his toes into the paid ranks on Rumble Time’s ‘March Mayhem’ card this week in
a four-round contest.
WBN Editor
Debutant follows in famous footsteps
Leon Spinks III makes his professional debut on Friday night
on home soil in Missouri as he continues a fight tradition stretching back 35
years in the boxing ring and prolongs the family name that has become synonymous
with boxing.
The 24 year-old, who will campaign at light-welterweight, has
sacrificed his work and school-life for a shot at big-time boxing and will dip
his toes into the paid ranks on Rumble Time’s ‘March Mayhem’ card this week in
a four-round contest.
Spinks’ grandfather Leon defeated a faded Muhammad Ali in
1978 in just his eighth pro fight via a split decision at The Hilton in Las Vegas
to become the world heavyweight champion at 24. 'GrandPop' as Leon called him would then suffer his first defeat
in the rematch as ‘The Greatest’ regained the world crown for the third and
final time.
Great Uncle Michael became the undisputed light-heavyweight
king in 1984 after reigning as WBA champion since 1981 and it eventually took a
peak Mike Tyson up at the heavyweight limit, to inflict his only defeat. ‘Jinx’
would then retire with an impressive record of 32-1, with 21 KO’s, including
two victories over Larry Holmes in the mid-eighties and four world titles.
Uncle Cory, 34, is also a former
world champion and continues to fight today. The ‘Next
Generation’ claimed the undisputed world title this time at
147lbs and was rated as one of the top pound-for pound fighters in 2004. Cory
then claimed the IBF light-middleweight belt twice at light-middleweight until
halted spectacularly by Cornelius Bundrage in 2010. He came back with two
victories, most recently against Sechew Powell in January this year and is now
in line for a rematch with Bundrage in the summer.
'III Generation' as Spinks is to be known, is aware he has a lot to live up to, but is intent
on making his own name and has was keen to make sure boxing wasn’t hereditary
as a career path, hence the lateness of his arrival in the profession.
“I always wanted to fight. I just made sure that it wasn’t
all that I was going to be about,” Spinks explained to World Boxing News.
“Like Leon and Michael are remembered as great fighters and
Cory is still up there today as a great fighter, but I want my resume to be so
long you can’t read it off of paper!
“My family have no choice but to support me because I may be
the last of it all and I want to bring everything in one go like they always
dreamed. Cory is a great boxer but I am so different and more packed.
The fledgling pro has no real amateur pedigree and wants to
make it in boxing his own way, which means any everything else in his life is
on hold whilst boxing takes the forefront.
“I’m pursuing this boxing career on my own and I have had to
live life first. I got a job, I went to
college and boxing was on the back burner for a while since I didn’t have any
help. I’m still doing this on my own terms and have had to drop working and school
to give this my undivided attention.
“I learned from my past family mistakes - so my common-sense and skills should do the trick for me and help to get me to the places where I
want to go in boxing."
'III Generation' then went on to reveal his expectations for the coming year; “I expect a great break out year for me and
show the world that the Spinks family is so much more than one dimensional
because I bring character, entertainment and a true love for the craft.
“As I always say - I bring conflict and lower confidence.”