Leon Spinks, a former Marine who became a gold-medal Olympic boxer and once defeated Muhammad Ali in a title fight, has died. He was 67.
Spinks had been battling multiple types of cancers, including prostate cancer, for years, according to a spokesperson.
“Rest in peace, Leon Spinks,” World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman tweeted Saturday evening. “Olympic medalist, Pan American medalist, and of course, WBC heavyweight champion.”
Spinks has battled several health issues over the last decade. He was diagnosed with brain shrinkage in 2012, a condition doctors said stemmed from the beatings he took in the ring, and in 2014 he was hospitalized for abdominal problems, according to FoxNews.
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