RIP Leon Spinks, former heavyweight boxing champion

[DinahMoeHum]

7. I remember him and his brother Michael from 1976. . .

. . .when they won their boxing gold medals at the Olympics. . .

https://vault.si.com/vault/1976/08/09/oh-brothersthey-put-punch-into-it

The Spinkses are more than brothers; they are close friends. One is seldom without the other.

"Just like when we were kids," said Leon. "Our mother used to keep us in the house because we were always getting beat up. Guys would push us around, take our money. They called us 'messovers' because we were easy to mess over."

"We got tired of it," Mike said. "So we'd go out on the porch of our house and hit each other in the ribs. We'd go to the recreation center and watch other fighters and try it out on each other. When the kids heard how good Leon was doing they started leaving us alone."

Still, they fought each other. Almost hourly.

"Fought like madmen," said Mike, grinning at Leon. "Almost to kill. We were always mad about something. I thought I was the toughest in the house. I fought with everybody—my four brothers, my sister. I thought I was real good, so one day I boxed my sister and she busted my nose. Made me mad as hell."

"He never fought with Mother," Leon said. "She could whip him good."

"Still can."