Michael Spinks world Heavyweight champion in Las Vegas. 1979 saw Spinks get less than three minutes of boxing action inside a ring, with his only fight ending in a first round knockout of Marc Hans, but in 1980, Spinks took his ascent towards the top to another level, when he beat future IBF super-middleweight champion Murray Sutherland, David Conteh, and fringe contenders Ramon Ronquillo and Alvaro Yaqui Lopez (who challenged for a world title four times). Of his five wins that year, three came by knockout, Sutherland and Johnny Wilburn being the only ones who lasted the distance. By 1981, Spinks was
Tommy Spinks included his wife of forty years, the former Barbara Lindsay — the couple married out of high school; four children, Kimberly Spinks Burleson and husband, Michael, of Arlington, Terri Spinks Netterville and husband, Kevin, of Shreveport, Jason Wesley Spinks of Arlington, and Lindsay Spinks Shepherd and husband, Chad, also of Arlington; two sisters, Peggy Spinks Hughes and husband, Ed, of Longview, Texas, and Betty Carol Spinks Bales and husband, Joey, of West Monroe, Louisiana, and eleven grandchildren. Spinks' obituary makes no mention of his football career. Mike Morgan (born ca. 1950) of Shreveport, himself a high school football player, recalled