Ring Observer Boxing by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
One world championship level boxer (who I won’t name out of respect) has lectured that my theory of psychological warfare, war of words and even old sparring memories can sometimes determine fights well before they are fought is nonsense. Because all fights are won in the ring and whatever happens in sparring or in the pre-fight hype is meaningless.
Over the years I have collected inside information evidence that supports my theory that some fights are won long before the opening bell. Kostya Tszyu told me he psyched out Zab Judah at the weigh in and Michael Spinks also revealed to me during a Biofile interview how he managed to mentally conquer Dwight Muhammad Qawi before their 1983 Light Heavyweight Unification fight in Atlantic City’s Convention Hall.
“He (Qawi) was my former sparring partner. He remembered me very well. We boxed every day,” recalled Spinks. “He said to me one day that he’d like to fight me for a lot of money, but not for nothing. He never said he wanted to win. I went in (into our fight empowered) on that (comment he made). I knew I raised him in the ring.”
Spinks even remembers a specific moment in the fight when he knew he was in total control. “In the first round I started off with a swooping left hook that missed and a right that caught him. That was the tale of the fight. He respected me after that for the whole fight.”
That night on March 18, 1983 Spinks won by unanimous decision and collected Qawi’s WBC and the Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight title. He would make four more world title defenses against Oscar Rivadeneyra, Eddie Davis, David Sears and finally Jim McDonald. On September 21, 1985 Spinks, at the age of 29, won the World Heavyweight title from Larry Holmes by a 15 round decision.
Spinks would beat Holmes in the rematch and make successful defenses vs. Steffan Tangsted and Gerry Cooney before losing his titles to Mike Tyson on June 27, 1988, which would be his final fight. Spinks wanted to make a comeback but in the devastating loss to Tyson he lost his leverage and marketing value and no satisfactory financial deals could be reached.
Spinks, the 1976 Olympic gold medalist, retired with a record of 31-1 (21 KOs).
