Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II, was a professional boxing match contested on September 15, 1978 in New Orleans for the WBA and Lineal Heavyweight Championships. The fight was estimated to have been watched by a record 2billion viewers worldwide, in some 80 nations. After his shock win over Ali to become Heavyweight champion, Leon Spinks was stripped of the WBC belt for not facing its number one ranked contender Ken Norton, instead he agreed to a rematch with Ali. Ali entered the rematch as a 2½ to 1 favorite. ABC televised the fight
Leon Spinks heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee. In the following fight, Spinks defeated former world title challenger and European title holder Alfredo Evangelista by a knockout in round 5. He fought to a draw in with Eddie López, in May 1980 he scored a knockout over Kevin Isaac, and in October beat the WBC's top-ranked challenger, Bernardo Mercado, by a knockout in round nine, this fight was on the undercard of Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes. His strong performance against Mercado earned Spinks a title match against Larry Holmes. In Spinks' only fight in 1981, and what would be his last opportunity to