Leon Spinks  (July 11, 1953 – February 5, 2021) was an American  professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1995. In only his eighth professional fight, he won the  undisputed   heavyweight  championship in 1978 after defeating  Muhammad Ali  in a  split decision , in what was considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Spinks was later stripped of the  WBC  title for facing Ali in an unapproved rematch seven months later, which he lost by  unanimous decision .