SPINKS, LEON; AND SPINKS, MICHAEL

born July 11, 1953, St. Louis, Mo., U.S. born July 13, 1956, St. Louis American boxers, the first brothers to win gold medals in the same sport at the same Olympics and, as professional champions, the first brothers in boxing history to win world titles. Before the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, both Leon and Michael had fought with some success at the amateur level, with Leon, a light heavyweight, losing in the finals of the 1976 Pan-American Games and Michael, a middleweight, winning the championship of the Golden Gloves Association of America. Michael defeated Rufat Riskiev of the Soviet Union in the Olympic middleweight final in Montreal; Leon beat Sixto Soria of Cuba for the light-heavyweight Olympic title. Michael (6 feet 2 1/2 inches) began his professional career in 1977 and in 1981 won his first title fighta 15-round decision over Eddie Mustafa Muhammad for the World Boxing Association light-heavyweight crown. He successfully defended his title five times before earning the vacant world title by winning a 15-round decision over Dwight Qawi in 1983. Michael won four more title-defense bouts. He then gained 25 pounds and in September 1985 became the first reigning light-heavyweight champion to topple a heavyweight champion when he won a 15-round decision over Larry Holmes for the International Boxing Federation title. After being stripped of that title, Michael fought Mike Tyson in June 1988, losing in just 91 seconds, the fourth-shortest heavyweight title match in history. He retired the following month. Leon (6 feet 1 inch) began to fight professionally in 1977, moving up to the heavyweight division. After seven bouts he challenged Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in February 1978 in Las Vegas, Nev., and upset the legendary champion in a split decision. In New Orleans, La., seven months later, however, Ali won a rematch, thus rendering Leon's reign as heavyweight champion the shortest in history. In 1981 he challenged Holmes for the heavyweight title and lost in three rounds. Leon fought just one more title fight in his career; after losing 10 pounds to box at the newly formed cruiserweight level, he lost in six rounds to Qawi in 1986.