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Leon Spinks defeats Ali in 1978...
Leon Spinks defeats Ali in 1978...
Item # 725451
February 16, 1978
THE RALEIGH TIMES, N.C., Feb. 16, 1978
* Leon Spinks pulls off big upset
* Muhammad Ali - Cassius Clay
* Heavyweight boxing title fight
The front page has a large photo of Leon Spinks celebrating his victory which is captioned: "The Winnnnnah" Much more in the sport's section with headings and a few more photos. (see images)
Complete with 30+ pages, close cut along the margins causing a little text loss, a few binding holes along the spine, generally good.
background: The February 16, 1978, edition of The Raleigh Times captured the immediate shockwaves of a boxing miracle: the night Leon Spinks, an unheralded underdog with a mere seven professional bouts, dethroned the legendary Muhammad Ali to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. The fight, which took place the evening prior in Las Vegas, saw a sluggish and aging Ali outpaced by the raw, relentless aggression of the 24-year-old Olympic gold medalist over fifteen rounds. While the media often still referenced his birth name, Cassius Clay, Ali entered the ring as a heavy favorite expected to coast through a routine title defense; instead, he was met by a buzzsaw of energy that resulted in a stunning split-decision loss. This victory made Spinks the only fighter to ever take a world title directly from Ali in the ring, marking a definitive "changing of the guard" moment that transfixed the sporting world and set the stage for Ali’s eventual, historic third title win in their subsequent rematch.
Category: The 20th Century
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