Cory Spinks welterweight titles in 1997. Spinks went 29-2 in his first 31 contests, only losing to Antonio Díaz (regarded as a controversial decision by some boxing analysts and ringside observers) and Michele Piccirillo, whom he defeated by decision in a re-match. However, Spinks rose to boxing stardom by unifying the WBC, WBA, IBF, and "The Ring" and lineal welterweight titles on December 13, 2003, when he defeated Ricardo Mayorga by majority decision. Spinks was a 5 to 1 underdog going into the fight with Mayorga. The judges scored the fight 114-112, 117-109, 114-114, favoring Spinks. Spink' first Welterweight title defense came
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