Spinks or Tyson
Many people will glance at this headline and automatically think this is a no-brainer! Spinks was destroyed in 91 seconds by Mike Tyson, so he has to have been the greater fighter, right?
I would say to those people, not so fast! Michael Spinks was an all-time Great Light Heavyweight Champion, and a case can be made that he is the greatest of all time. Tyson had a short, brilliant prime that flamed out because of his stupidity, i.e. letting Don King promote his fights. So let’s look at these two legends’ careers more closely. Check out the best bookmakers for betting on boxing.
Advantage
This one is easy; this decision goes to Spinks. Spinks dominated the Light Heavyweight division for over a decade and pulled one of the biggest upsets in Heavyweight history by beating Larry Holmes. Spinks fought and defeated the more challenging competition.
Intangibles
Tyson fans will repeat the mantra that if Cus had lived, Tyson would have been unbeatable. Those people are clowns and need to open their eyes. Tyson was mentally weak, and Spinks wasn’t. Just two months after his wife died, Remember Spinks fought and won one of the biggest Light Heavyweight fights of all time! Spinks was tougher than Tyson mentally.
Spinks was at the end of the road when they fought, and by then, the size difference was too much to overcome. While I think at any point in their careers that Tyson would win, I also know that Spinks was a Light Heavyweight, and he was undoubtedly one of the five greatest of all time. Nobody thinks Tyson was top 5 unless they are just a Tyson fanboy.
Who was greater
To me, this can’t be questioned as Spinks is an all-time great and Tyson wasted a ton of talent. Spinks dominated a loaded Light Heavyweight division for over half a decade, and he never ducked anybody while doing it. Spinks moved up and did something nobody had ever done, and while it is true that a prime Tyson easily defeated Spinks, it is also true that a Prime Spinks was at Light heavyweight around 1982, not as a heavyweight six years later. Very sad that when most people think of Spinks career, they think of his unfortunate loss to Tyson.
Outside of the ring, Spinks carried himself with class, and he got less recognition than many fighters because he didn’t run his mouth and didn’t showboat. In short, Michael Spinks was everything a champion is supposed to be.