Michael Spinks vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi recommended him not to fight, as he had been diagnosed with pneumonia. This diagnostic put the fight on jeopardy, but he decided to go on with the fight. The bout was carried live on HBO Boxing. The bout was fought at Atlantic City, New Jersey, near Qawi's hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some fans and critics would later say that the fight did not live up to its name, because they were expecting an action packed fight. Spinks surprised many observers by taking a technical stance from the beginning, and Qawi, in his typical style, charged forward, chasing Spinks. Rounds one
Leon Spinks to Norton. His second match with Ali, at the Louisiana Superdome on September 15, 1978, went badly for Spinks. A now-in-shape Ali—with better, sharper tactics—rarely lost control, winning back his title by a unanimous fifteen-round decision. Ali regained the title, becoming the first three-time lineal heavyweight champion. Spinks was never given a rematch; Ali retired after the fight (although he came out of retirement a few years later to fight Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick). Spinks's next fight, his only one in 1979, was at Monte Carlo, where he was knocked out in the first round by future WBA world