- 4 months ago
IBF Heavyweight Champion Michael Spinks defends his title against European Champion Steffen Tangstad on HBO Boxing, as part of the Heavyweight Unification Tournament
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00:00Sun Valley, Idaho. A place to train, a time to reflect.
00:07If the younger man beats the older man, then Michael Spinks will have done something that no white heavyweight champion has ever done.
00:14Defeating a heavyweight champion.
00:16Spinks, the aggressor! A combination by Michael Spinks!
00:20Celebration!
00:21He's a champion! He's got attention to him!
00:25A crowd on his feet, in anticipation of what could be a new heavyweight champion.
00:32Another good right hand by Holmes, but Spinks is right there!
00:37And you!
00:38And you!
00:39And the tips of the world!
00:41Excellent!
00:42Spinks!
00:45Can a man 36 years of age actually get better?
00:49And I can say to the judges, the referees, the promoters, the kids where the sun don't shine,
00:56and since we're on HBO, that's my big black behind.
00:57When I knew from 12 on, it had to be my final.
00:58Michael Spinks is a champion.
00:59And there with the right hand by Holmes and Spinks in a world of trouble right now.
01:04For the winner, by a split decision, and still.
01:09And I can say to the judges, the referees, the promoters, the kids where the sun don't shine,
01:17and since we're on HBO, that's my big black behind.
01:21When I knew from 12 on, it had to be my final.
01:25Michael Spinks escaped with a split decision.
01:28So after a historic first fight and a controversial second,
01:31IVF heavyweight champion Michael Spinks takes the next step to the unified title.
01:35Tonight, he faces European heavyweight champion Stefan Tankstad
01:39as the heavyweight unification series continues on HBO.
01:55As the sun sets in the desert, we're live at the Hilton Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada,
02:14where in the main event, Michael Spinks defends his IVF heavyweight title against Norway's Stefan Tankstad.
02:21It's scheduled for 15 rounds.
02:24Also, we'll show you several fight tapes earlier tonight
02:27between heavyweight sensation Mike Tyson and former cruiserweight champion Alfonso Ratliff.
02:33And so it's Michael Spinks, the boxing enigma, who once more steps into an arena to convince the public,
02:40and maybe even himself, that he is a heavyweight to be reckoned with.
02:44It was only five months ago that Michael Spinks stepped into this same ring in the Hilton Convention Center
02:48and won the controversial decision over Larry Holmes in their celebrated rematch.
02:53That's the history. Tonight, it's the next chapter.
02:58Hello, everybody. I'm Barry Tompkins, along with Sugar Ray Leonard and Larry Merchant.
03:02Second title defense for Michael Spinks.
03:04And, Ray, we mentioned the fact that this man is an enigma.
03:07There was a boxing writer who once said,
03:09he's so good, it takes an expert to see it.
03:12Now, you're an expert. Is he that good?
03:14Well, thanks for being so nice to me, Barry.
03:16One thing about it, Michael Spinks has initiated himself as a heavyweight on two different occasions
03:20and becoming a heavyweight champion by defeating Larry Holmes.
03:23I personally feel that Michael Spinks is not a full-fledged heavyweight,
03:26but he can deal with any heavyweight champion or contender.
03:29But the best is yet to come because as we get closer to the unification of this division,
03:33I think people at home will be able to appreciate and see a lot more of Michael Spinks.
03:38Larry Merchant, when we were in England doing the Tim Witherspoon fight,
03:40I asked some of our cohorts from the BBC about Seth and Tankstead if they'd seen him fight.
03:44In describing him, borrowed a title of an old Beatles song and they said,
03:48Norwegian Wood.
03:49So let me ask you, why Stefan Tankstead?
03:53Well, basically because every American heavyweight champion since Jack Dempsey
03:58has tried to fight these foreigners because they have these nice faces
04:03just sitting up there like pumpkins waiting to be hit.
04:06But sometimes the faces do hit back.
04:09Most memorably, Max Schmeling and Ingmar Johansson.
04:13But for the most part, such matches can be traced to the sometimes curious business ethic of prize fighting.
04:20You try to fight the least amount of fighter for the most amount of money.
04:24The only other thing I can figure out is that American heavyweights are beating up on European heavyweights
04:29in some way to pay them back for what those European tennis stars are doing to Americans at the U.S. Open.
04:36This one's a little bit more violent. We'll see what Stefan Tankstead brings to this dance then.
04:41Well, it's been a long and a rather ponderous road to the heavyweight championship for the IVF title holder.
04:46But Michael Spinks thinks of this not as an individual sport, unusually as a team sport.
04:53This is the story of two men.
04:56One hits the harsh pavement of New York City, dealing with boxing as an industry,
05:01walking the streets like any other businessman,
05:04readying himself for another tough day at the office.
05:07The other migrates to the mountains of Sun Valley, Idaho.
05:11He jogs to work every morning at 5.30 a.m.
05:16One takes the elevator to the third floor.
05:22The other takes and delivers punches.
05:26One carries a briefcase full of notes and important documents.
05:35The other carries a jump rope.
05:39Butch Lewis is the promoter.
05:41Michael Spinks is the fighter.
05:43Their story began back in 1976.
05:46Their first encounter was far from a coincidence.
05:51The Summer Olympics in Montreal.
05:53The United States boxing team took home a treasure chest full of gold.
05:57And a young man from the streets of St. Louis won the 165-pound division
06:01and caught the attention of one very interested observer.
06:05I met Butch Lewis on July 31, 1976.
06:11After every match, the winner would go to the third section in the building,
06:15or in the form, where we would be interviewed.
06:18And I met Butch right there.
06:20Michael said to me that, at the time, he didn't think he wanted to turn a professional.
06:26He wanted to become a professional fighter.
06:28And he called back and forth throughout 76 on into 77.
06:33And then he called me and I think he told me that he had signed Leon.
06:38And then after a month or two passed, I decided to turn pro too.
06:44But Leon first caught the public's eye when after just seven pro fights,
06:48he shocked the world by beating Muhammad Ali.
06:51Both Leon and Michael were fighting under the promotional auspices of Top Rank Incorporated and Bob Aron.
06:58Butch Lewis was vice president of Top Rank at the time.
07:01Leon's fortunes turned sour after his celebrated upset.
07:04And as Leon became the butt of bad jokes, Michael let his pro career slip away.
07:09And now all of a sudden, the wolves and the leeches start to come out of the woodwork and surround Leon.
07:18A dream had been shattered, you know.
07:21Or a big mirror, a big portrait of Leon and myself in the glass had been shattered.
07:28That wasn't the only shattered relationship.
07:30Butch Lewis and Bob Aron also parted company.
07:33What happened to me, Top Rank and Butch, happened to me too.
07:37If Butch and Top Rank fell out, Top Rank and Michael Spinks fell out too.
07:42As Butch Lewis productions, Michael's pro career got off the ground.
07:46In July of 81, he won the light heavyweight title from Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.
07:50The same Eddie Mustafa Muhammad who two years later in Washington, D.C.
07:54would haunt not only Michael Spinks, but also Butch Lewis in the aptly named scandal, Weight Gate.
08:00I know the deal. I know how they mess with the scales.
08:04And I know what the deal is, because I've been in boxing too long.
08:07You think the people coming to see you promote a fight, Chuck?
08:09You're out of your mind. They're coming to see us fight. Remember that.
08:12Let's go for the other time. Let's go for the other time. Let's go for the other time.
08:16When he came to the scale, two and three quarter pounds overweight, he refused.
08:23I practically begged him to just go run around the block.
08:29I mean, it's probably water. You know, let's make the weight.
08:34I knew he was afraid to fight. He was afraid of me, period.
08:38I kind of felt there was a lot of jealousy and envy with Eddie in that fight in D.C.
08:46Eddie Mustafa didn't like the way, I guess, Butch dealt with me.
08:52I don't think it was just our relationship. That's what it really was. He was jealous of our relationship.
08:57By not letting the fight happen, that's better than beating Mike.
09:03The latest chapter in this rollercoaster ride of fortune was two extraordinary wins over heavyweight champion Larry Holmes.
09:11And Spinks has taken Larry Holmes' fight. Left hand, a little short, but the second one scores.
09:16They're in the right hand.
09:20Spinks, the aggressor. A combination by Michael Spinks.
09:24Today, the highlight of a career for the fighter and promoter.
09:29I treat boxers like if I were the boxer and I would want to be treated.
09:35We go together like peanut butter and jelly.
09:40If it can happen, more relationships like this can perhaps develop in the sport of boxing.
09:47If I had to choose between anybody on earth to be with, that's who I want to be with.
09:53We've cried together.
09:57We laugh together.
10:00We share one another's problems.
10:05The relationship between Butch Lewis and Michael Spinks has produced the ecstasy of a heavyweight title
10:12and the misery of a fight that never was.
10:14The book's final chapters have yet to be written.
10:21And so coming up here on HBO, the battle for the IVF heavyweight championship between the champion, Michael Spinks, and the European champion, Stefan Tankstad.
10:31It's scheduled for 15 rounds with more on what appears to be at least an interesting matchup.
10:38Whether the fight stands up for the matchup remains to be seen.
10:41But with more comments on tonight's activities, here's Larry Merchant.
10:44Price fighting like life can sometimes be weird and crazy and nutsy.
10:50And tonight appears to be one of those times.
10:54Of the three heavyweight champions, Michael Spinks has the most credibility with casual fans as opposed to serious fans.
11:01He's been around for a decade, he's undefeated, and he became the first light heavyweight champion to beat a heavyweight champion and aging one-time great Larry Holmes twice.
11:12And yet, despite all that, here we have Michael Spinks matching himself against an unknown, a suspect, a question mark, when there are a lot better heavyweights out there.
11:25Which seems to suggest that he too is skeptical about Michael Spinks as a heavyweight.
11:31And speaking of credibility, what about Stefan Tankstad in Norway?
11:34In Norway, they outlawed professional boxing specifically because he wanted to turn professional.
11:44So he can't fight there and he's an outlaw in his own country.
11:48Not only that, but he has a four-month-old son named Tex.
11:52But in Norway, they won't legalize that name.
11:55They say it's not a really good Norwegian name.
11:57It can't be called Tex.
11:59But Tex is called Tex. You can trust to that.
12:01Beyond that, Norway is very happy to collect the taxes on his earnings from professional fighting.
12:07And in spite of all of that, the Norwegian Tourist Board has hired this man to promote tourism in Norway because he is the most popular athlete in Norway.
12:19Ours is not to wonder why. Ours is merely to wonder whether.
12:23Whether Stefan Tankstad can indeed fight on this level for the heavyweight championship of the world.
12:29I am Stefan Tankstad from Norway, Europe.
12:31I am Stefan Tankstad from Norway, Europe.
12:32I am coming here to America to win over Marcus Finks.
12:33For those of you who don't speak or understand Norwegian, he's Stefan Tankstad, European heavyweight champion.
12:50He hails from Norway and lives in the oldest Scandinavian city, Hansburg, an 1,100-year-old Viking town.
12:59A small, quaint city known for its shipbuilding that has no poverty, no crime, and no professional boxing.
13:06In 1980, Norway banned pro boxing because of its violence and even made it illegal to train there.
13:13Fighters who choose to neglect this law are subject to prison sentencing.
13:18For the last seven weeks, Tankstad has been preparing for this fight 5,000 miles from his home on America's west coast where he can work out without fear of reprisal.
13:29Well, it feels great to be able to train without having to hide and try to find places to train.
13:36I mean, after they outloaded boxing in Norway, they also outloaded training for professionals.
13:42I'm not allowed to do shadow boxing and road work. So, now I can do whatever I would like to do concerning boxing.
13:54His philosophy? First get the body into shape, then put on the gloves.
13:58A disciplined student, he trains every day of the year.
14:01Like his counterpart, Tankstad has his own unusual style of training.
14:05He's brought with him from Norway, his own exercise guru, advisor, and personal masseur, Egil Sobe, who back at home lectures on how to cope in stressful situations.
14:18Stefan and I, we've been talking about this match for a long, long time, and we know how to tackle it.
14:24That's one of my professions, how to help him to tackle this stressful situation.
14:28He has a chance because the power of positive thinking, he knows that there's a lot of power in the man, and he knows the way to bring it out when it comes to him.
14:40The criticism of Tankstad has been his inconsistency.
14:44He first won the European Championship back in 1984 with a victory over Lucien Rodriguez.
14:50Then, four months later, he lost the title in his first defense, and he was knocked out by Anders Eklund.
14:55Hankstad referred to this fight as an accident that will never happen again.
15:00Then, this past April, with the European title vacant, he captured it for the second time, with a 12-round decision over England's John Wetgard.
15:08It's no surprise that European heavyweight champions have not fared well in world title fights.
15:14The last to try and fail was the same Lucien Rodriguez, who fought Larry Holmes in 1983.
15:19In the last 50 years, only one European champion, Ingmar Johansson, holds claim to having won a world championship.
15:28In 1959, he shocked the sports world, and he knocked out American favorite Floyd Patterson in the third round.
15:33In the third round, there appears to be a parallel between Johansson and Stefan Tankstad.
15:39Yeah, Ingmar Johansson is a close friend of mine.
15:43This world championship fight was just four days after I was born, in 1959.
15:47I met him in Florida in 1980, when I first came over here to see some of the professional fighting over here.
15:58And before that, he was my idol.
16:03He proved that it was possible to come from Scandinavia to become the heavyweight champion of the world.
16:10The same way Sphinx was given no chance against Larry Holmes, Tankstad has given very little hope against Michael Sphinx.
16:17Yet, Tankstad strongly believes that when he steps out of the ring tonight, he'll take along with him the IBF championship belt.
16:24Sure, I believe that. I'm a fighter, and I like to fight, and I want to fight.
16:31I want to fight. I want to fight for the title, and that is happening now.
16:36And I'm going to give it my best shot. That's all.
16:40So tonight, Stefan Tankstad will try and join his idol, Ingmar Johansson,
16:45as only the second European champion in a half century to win the world heavyweight title.
16:53And here comes Stefan Tankstad, and if I had to describe that look on his face, Raheem, Larry, I'd say concern.
16:58Well, it might be called concentration. Unless you really know a fighter, you can't judge how he will behave in a situation like this.
17:08One thing about Stefan Tankstad, even though he's a European champion and European champions have not had great success in the United States,
17:15he has fought 17 of his fights in the United States, so he's not the classic stand-up, straight-up kind of European fighter.
17:22Well, Barry, judging Tankstad's style, one thing about it, he cannot out-box Michael Spinks.
17:28I think the best bet for him is try to out-hustle Michael Spinks.
17:31Well, that's essentially what he said when we all sat and talked with him the other day.
17:35He said, I've got to be on top of him. I've got to try to smother him.
17:38He seems to take a rather realistic approach to all of this, and Egil Sorbi, who you saw a little bit ago in that feature that we did on Stefan Tankstad,
17:47has sort of been a spiritual leader, if you will, so he's got an awful lot of things other than the physical going for him.
17:52And Egil has told us that, if nothing else, he knows his man is mentally prepared for this fight, and sometimes that's half the battle.
17:59That's true, but one thing about it, it's one person in the ring. It's Tankstad. He has to make things mature lives.
18:05So it's kind of a cross, at least the mental aspect of it is, between Zen, cybernetics, EST, a little of a power of positive thinking.
18:15He's an amalgam, Larry.
18:17Oh, and it'll all help him if he can punch.
18:22Sort of always the bottom line in this sport, isn't there?
18:24The main difference between a world-class athlete, or a championship athlete, and those who aren't, usually comes down to a matter of quickness.
18:37And what we have to find out yet, is whether he has the quickness to cope with someone like Spink.
18:44You saw his record, he has the one loss, that coming to Anders Eklund.
18:48He said it would never happen again.
18:50Here's a look at the last European champion.
18:53Ingemar, yeah.
18:54Ingemar Johansson.
18:55He looks like some of the heavyweights we've seen in the ring recently.
18:59He weighs about 300 pounds.
19:00But he also runs marathons.
19:02He's run two marathons, Ingemar Johansson.
19:04He lives in Florida now.
19:07And he is this man's idol.
19:11Floyd Patterson, the other half of those matches of the 1950s, the three of them, with Ingemar Johansson.
19:16Floyd looks pretty good, right?
19:17Yeah, he looks like, he looks like the time he was a middleweight in the 1956 Olympics.
19:24He told me yesterday he weighs about 175 pounds.
19:28Right, heavyweight.
19:29I'm sorry, Rick.
19:30And here is a graphic of the heavyweight series.
19:36This, in effect, you can see on the bottom, is a semifinal.
19:40The winner will go on to fight the winner of the WBA and the WBC.
19:45Mike Tyson, if he won earlier tonight, and I'm being a little coy because we're going to show you highlights of the Tyson fight earlier tonight, would fight Trevor Burbick for the WBC champ.
19:58Although Burbick is now making noises like he might try to bolt this tournament, in which case it's possible that Tyson would wind up fighting someone else, like Pinklin Thomas.
20:09And we will talk more of that story as you look at some of the celebrities on hand.
20:16Mike Tyson alone had a fighter here tonight in the preliminary card.
20:19Robert Duvall, of course.
20:21Red Fox behind him.
20:23Robert Mitchum.
20:25A regular at these fights.
20:27And, of course, Muhammad Ali, who inevitably draws the biggest round of applause.
20:34All looking up at this man, Stefan Tankstead.
20:36And now the waiting game as Michael Spinks, as is the norm in his heavyweight title fights, making the challenger wait.
20:43Let him think about it a little bit.
20:51So, Tankstead mulls over the next hour or so.
20:54He hopes it will be an hour or so.
20:57While the crowd looking to the entrance of Michael Spinks, who has made his way out of his locker room.
21:05And heads toward the arena floor here at the Hilton Convention Center.
21:11Michael Spinks, incidentally, will make do tonight without Mackie Shilstone.
21:16Now, we talked about Mackie Shilstone during both of Larry Holmes' fights.
21:20And what an impact he had on making Michael Spinks a bona fide heavyweight.
21:25Well, he's not here tonight.
21:27But one thing, I'm sure we're looking at Michael.
21:29There's something different.
21:30He's shaved.
21:31There you see his weight in his heavyweight fights.
21:34He felt he was a little bit over-muscled and heavy.
21:38In the second home fight, felt that he missed some opportunities because he wasn't as quick.
21:43Although, I think Larry Holmes might have had something to do with that.
21:47Well, Michael Spinks very loose, acknowledging the crowd and smiling at the crowd.
21:52Extremely loose.
21:54Do you like that attitude, Ray?
21:56Oh, yes.
21:57Because he's very confident.
21:58He knows exactly what he's capable of doing.
22:00And I think he's quite pleased with his training.
22:04I remember, though, you telling me that you didn't want to be too loose.
22:07I remember against Kevin Howard, you were very loose.
22:09And you yourself said that really wasn't the way you wanted to be.
22:13That was a matter of underestimation, I believe, Barry.
22:15But with Michael Spinks, I'm sure he's very confident and he's aware this guy here wants to take his title.
22:21But why shouldn't he underestimate this guy as you did Kevin Howard?
22:24Well, films play a major role in one's acceptance of a fighter.
22:28And let's remember that this man hasn't lost a fight in ten years.
22:35And no matter how you do it, that's impressive.
22:39Well, we'll be looking at a different Michael Spinks in one respect.
22:42He doesn't have a mustache.
22:44He did yesterday when we talked to him and today it's gone.
22:47And there is the record of Michael Spinks in the ten years since he won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics.
22:56Ten defences of the light heavyweight championships.
22:57That's Eddie Fletch, the veteran trainer.
22:58Eddie Fletch disqualified himself from both fights with Larry Holmes because he had trained both fighters and now he's back with Spinks.
23:11Well, there is a lot of electricity here tonight, which I must say is even more than I expected it would be.
23:36This fight has generated a lot of discussion.
23:42Now whether again the fight lives up to the discussion remains to be seen.
23:46Michael Spinks still waving to the crowd, smiling at the crowd.
23:55Here is a look at the numbers on this fight.
23:57Three years difference.
23:58Tankstead the junior.
24:00Thirteen pounds with more than thirteen pounds.
24:02Tankstead will outweigh Spinks who came in at 201.
24:06And the reach, which I've always found to be rather meaningless, frankly, because it is fingertip to fingertip.
24:11So really that doesn't mean all that much.
24:15And there you see our punch stat, which gives you a quantitative look at these fighters.
24:21Michael Spinks in the two fights with Larry Holmes threw roughly the same amount of punches around 45, 46 per round.
24:28And Stefan Tankstead in the one fight that we clocked through 45, the same amount, landed a few less.
24:36Qualitatively is what's important.
24:38Here are the rules of this fight.
24:39The IBF rules.
24:40The ten-point must system is the scoring.
24:41No three-knockdown rule.
24:42There'll be no standing eight-count championship fight, of course.
24:45The fighter can be saved with the belt only in the last round.
24:47And the ring doctor here in Nevada cannot stop the fight.
24:50So those are the rules.
24:51You can only be saved in the final round.
24:53Pretty much the norm.
24:54Right now, let's get up to the ring announcer, Chuck Hall, for the pre-fight introduction.
24:58Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
25:00Welcome to the Hilton Center, where tonight the dynamic duo, Don King and Butch Lewis,
25:06in association with the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, presents world championship boxing.
25:12These bouts are sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Freddie Little Chairman,
25:17with commissioners at ringside, Mr. Sammy Macias, Dwayne Ford, Herb Santos, and Sig Rogic.
25:24The objective director is Harold Bunk.
25:26Representing the IBF at ringside is Mr. Bobby Lee.
25:32The officials are signed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the next bout of the evening.
25:37The judges are Charlie Spina of New Jersey, Dolby Shirley of Nevada, and Phil Newman of New Jersey.
25:45The timekeeper is Al Bicek, counting at the knockdowns, Jane Broadfoot.
25:50The attending physicians at ringside, Drs. Donald Romeo, Cliff Omansky, and Elias Garnham.
25:57The referee for the next bout of the evening is Mr. Richard Steele.
26:03This is the main event of the night.
26:0615 rounds of boxing for the IBF World Heavyweight Championship.
26:12Introducing, in the blue corner, formerly of Norway, now fighting out of Copenhagen, Denmark, weighing 214 and three-quarter pounds,
26:24with a professional record of 24 wins, one defeat, two draws, 14 KOs.
26:31Ladies and gentlemen, here is the European heavyweight champion, Stefan Pengstein.
26:45And in the red corner, fighting out of St. Louis, Missouri, weighing in at 201 pounds.
26:52He is undefeated in his professional career, 29 wins, 19 KOs.
27:00He is the IBS heavyweight champion of the world, Michael Spink.
27:07There are, incidentally, 200 Norwegians here for this fight.
27:22I gave both of your instructions in your dressing room.
27:25I want to remind you, obey my commands at all times.
27:29In case of a knockdown and you are standing, go to the farther neutral corner.
27:33Remain there till I tell you to come out.
27:36If there any questions, shake hands and good luck.
27:45Michael Spinks is wearing a brace on his left knee.
27:48That's news to me, I'm not sure what it's about.
27:51Well, of course, he did have a knee injury at one time.
27:54That was back in 1979.
27:55It did keep him out of action for 11 months.
27:58We didn't know anything about it.
28:00He had a conversation, incidentally, just a moment ago with his brother, Leon,
28:05who came into the corner, into a neutral corner, and talked to him about something.
28:08Well, he's always worn that brace during the Olympics and during the amateur competition.
28:13This is not a fight, presumably, of who, but how.
28:26How will Michael Spinks dispose of his men?
28:29Will he be impressive doing it?
28:31Stephen Peck said, coming in without having broken a sweat.
28:36Now, it made us feel that Michael Spinks kept him standing around.
28:39First round.
28:40The opponent, watch his foot.
28:41Come on in.
28:42Watch his foot.
28:43Watch his foot.
28:44Watch his foot.
28:57Watch his foot.
28:57takes 난 Admiral to what he, always appears to be awkward.
29:01It was a right hand counter punch sometimes though.
29:06Cast pitch.
29:08Don't hold him, don't hold him. Let him go, Mike.
29:10Let him go.
29:31Well, you see a tank there.
29:33He gets those hands out there. He's jabbed there pretty fast.
29:36He's not really a devastating puncher.
29:38The one thing about it is his hands, his combinations, he gets together.
29:42Put them together quite well.
29:44I do want to mention a couple of things that we do have.
29:47Harold Letterman as a left hook scorer by Tankstead.
29:49We have Harold Letterman, who's our unofficial judge here at HBO.
29:52He'll be scoring the fight. We'll be talking to him.
29:54Also, they'll be speaking Norwegian in Stefan Tankstead's corner.
29:58And we have Brett William Aspjornsson, who is with us to translate.
30:02So we'll be able to give you up-to-the-minute Norwegian translations.
30:05Michael Spence gives you a target, then all of a sudden he vanishes
30:09because he's quite elusive up top.
30:11Very good upper body movement.
30:16Good stiff left jab on Michael Spence.
30:18Spence has not yet figured out the style of Tankstead.
30:23I think what's going to do it is a jab.
30:27As Michael Spence continues to throw his jab, you'll see opening in Tankstead.
30:31Combination by Tankstead.
30:33You know, this left jab and Michael Spence has started to snap the head of Tankstead.
30:45You know, this left jab and Michael Spence has started to snap the head of Tankstead.
30:49You know, this left jab and Michael Spence has started to snap the head of Tankstead.
30:51Tankstead has started to snap the head of Tankstead.
30:53Tankstead has a right hand to the top of the head.
30:55Tankstead has a right hand to the top of the head.
30:59Tankstead at least making good on his promise to force the action.
31:23Well, we want to remind you that coming up, Mike Tyson versus Alfonso Ratliff.
31:44Tyson, of course, perhaps the most talked about heavyweight these days.
31:48They're talking about him, even though he's not the champion, even more than the multi-champions.
31:52Because that fight taped earlier, and we will have it for you coming up a little bit later in this program.
31:57Counting with a right hand.
32:16Tankstead certainly doesn't seem odd by the situation.
32:19He tried to impose himself on Spence like a big man on a little man in that round.
32:24Spence got some jazz through, but Tankstead landed some of the heavier punches.
32:29Just to elaborate a little bit more on something we touched on earlier about Mackie Shillstone not being with Michael Spence.
32:36Michael said he felt just a little bit slow in the second fight with Larry Holmes.
32:43And he felt that perhaps some of the training that he was doing away from the ring might have had an effect on that.
32:49But I always felt that Michael is trying to convince everybody that he's heavyweight by trying to put on additional pounds.
32:54He doesn't need that.
32:55I think it has a tendency to take away his speed and his mobility.
32:59Richard Steele asking timeout for just a moment.
33:04A big blob of Vaseline is on the shoulder of Tankstead.
33:07Nothing more than that.
33:08Because Michael can beat a lot of these guys with just speed along.
33:11In and out, combination.
33:14A lot of footwork.
33:16His type of footwork.
33:17That left hand caught on the gloves by his thing.
33:25Big jab now starting to find its mark as you indicated, Ray.
33:30Well, he needs to keep Tankstead off balance.
33:33Michael is complaining about something.
33:34Probably the hand of Tankstead.
33:36So, Michael needs to just keep Tankstead off balance.
33:39Good combination there.
33:42And that slowed Tankstead.
33:54You see what's happening, Larry.
33:56Michael is actually frustrating Tankstead.
33:58Tankstead will punch and rush his man in desperation.
34:02That's when Michael should be able to catch him running in.
34:10And Stinks getting the better of that exchange.
34:14A lot of supporters for Tankstead in the crowd here tonight.
34:24Give him up. Give him up.
34:28Give him up.
34:29Give him up.
34:30Give him up.
34:31Give him up.
34:32Give him up.
34:33Give him up.
34:34Give him up.
34:35As in my imagination, Ray, Tankstead seems to have a propensity to drop that right hand
34:37just a little bit every now and then.
34:39Well, what happens, it's all through not being able to figure the style of Michael Stinks.
34:44I think Stinks' jab has been going through the defense of Tankstead.
34:48And I think it's a matter of frustration.
34:50It can't be fatigue because Tankstead is in shape.
34:53Give him up.
34:54Give him up.
34:55Give him up.
34:56And Stinks now getting off quicker than Tankstead.
35:04Watch for the left hook of Michael Stinks.
35:06Puncher, get out. Puncher, get out.
35:07Puncher, get out.
35:08Watch your head.
35:09Watch your head.
35:14Stinks very effective with the left hand.
35:16You know she's got it in and out.
35:18Michael Stinks giving him that movement.
35:29That right hand was a little bit short.
35:36A good round for Michael Stinks, who clearly felt that he was much quicker than Tankstead
35:43and so became more aggressive than we usually see him particularly in a fight.
35:49Back him up.
35:50You only expect him to be coming to you.
35:52You've got to back him up.
36:06You've got your hook.
36:07You're double and triple hook from the inside.
36:09He's strong inside.
36:10I know he's strong inside.
36:12He's only inside doing that for you though.
36:14You're out of there.
36:15Yeah.
36:16Alright.
36:17Okay.
36:20Puncher, puncher, puncher.
36:22Relax and let the puncher go.
36:24They hurt him.
36:25He's trying to put you away.
36:27But you've got to put the whole thing on him right now.
36:29You've heard what they're saying in their corners.
36:32In Spick's corner, Eddie Futch is saying you must back up this man because he's only effective coming forward.
36:38In Tankstead's corner, they're saying this guy's trying to take you out.
36:42You've got to go and put it to him.
36:44Spick's definitely fighting like the seven to one favorite he is.
36:49And Spick's apparently feels that he is in control of the fight after a little bit of a slow first round for him.
36:56And incidentally, they are speaking English in Tankstead's corner.
37:00Not Norwegian.
37:01Good right hand by Michael Spick's there.
37:03It's quite frustrating.
37:05That was the best punch of the fight right there.
37:15It's frustrating because Michael can throw peasants from all directions.
37:19Michael does not fight by the book.
37:21That's what makes it so difficult.
37:23Good damn by Tankstead there.
37:25Michael also, he was telling Eddie Futch that this man is strong.
37:30Especially inside.
37:58The left hand by Tankstead.
37:59Now Spick's backed up.
38:00I don't think he was hurt.
38:05Tankstead has a lot of heart.
38:19There was the right hand and Tankstead is down.
38:21I was just saying a lot of heart but then he connects with the right hand, Michael Spick.
38:28And still a minute and three seconds remaining.
38:34You okay?
38:36Watch Michael go to work.
38:40Good right hand again by Spick.
38:44Mike is catching Tankstead as Tankstead is coming in.
38:47And a left hand.
38:49And another right hand.
38:51Tankstead just trying to get through it.
38:53Inside of 30 seconds.
38:57Another hard right hand by Michael Spick.
39:04And Tankstead still has 15 seconds to go.
39:18So far this has been a much more action filled fight than almost anyone anticipated.
39:43Relax.
39:44Relax.
39:45Relax.
39:46Relax.
39:47Relax.
39:48Relax.
39:49Relax.
39:50Relax.
39:51Relax.
39:52Your punches are a little bit closer.
39:53How do you feel?
39:54You okay?
39:55Lay attention.
39:56Relax.
39:57Okay.
39:58I'll go now.
39:59I'll go now.
40:00Come on.
40:01Give me the bucket.
40:02I'll go.
40:07There you see.
40:08Here you see what's happening here.
40:09And as I noticed earlier, he's just much quicker with the left hand in particular.
40:14And finally the opening came with the right hand.
40:17And as Tankstead was trying to move away from the left, the right hand came right over
40:22the top.
40:23A three punch combination, Ray.
40:25And that's the way it's written in the textbooks, I imagine.
40:28Put the punches together.
40:29Not one punch.
40:30Spink says he wasn't coming out to look impressive.
40:39He was coming out to be sharp.
40:41So far he's been both.
40:43Not wasting any punches, making just about every punch count, throwing him from just
40:50about every direction.
40:51Another good right hand that Tankstead walked right into.
40:53And he's out.
40:54Oh, no.
40:55Oh, no.
40:56Oh.
40:57Oh.
40:58Oh.
40:59Oh.
41:00Oh.
41:01Oh.
41:02Oh.
41:03Oh.
41:04Oh.
41:05Oh.
41:06Oh.
41:07Oh.
41:08Oh.
41:09Oh.
41:10Oh.
41:11Oh.
41:12Richard Steele lets us go on.
41:14Joe Right.
41:15Tankstead is just looking for a place to fall down.
41:193, 4, 5, 6, 7, 6, 7.
41:28What about now?
41:30Huh?
41:31Richard Steele asked Stefan Tankstead how he felt, and Tankstead said, that's enough.
42:01Well, Stefan Tankstead, Ray, was not an upright European champion, he came to fight, he did fight, he just was in there against the Tiger tonight.
42:19Well, like I said, Mike is not a full-fledged heavyweight, but he can hold his own against anyone.
42:23Michael Spinks, he utilized the left jab, and comes with that dynamite right hand.
42:30I tell you one thing about Michael Spinks' left hook, it's very, very short, very potent.
42:34There he was able to put Tankstead to the canvas. At this point, his Tankstead was out of him.
42:41And here's a look at the second knockdown now, a right hand, and Tankstead behind a left, he goes down.
42:47Well, Michael could follow up with the left hook, in fact, it's a very good habit to have.
42:52One two, we have another shot, as Michael Spinks goes to the right hand, and comes back with a beautiful, picture-perfect left hook.
43:01And we'll take one final look at that second knockdown, it was a great right hand.
43:05He let Tankstead throw a left, and came right over the top.
43:09So, yet another European champion comes and goes, leaving Ingmar Johansson, who's here tonight, as the only European champion to ever take the title back.
43:30Here is our punch stat totals. Tankstead threw more punches, as you can see, but Michael Spinks, very effective, scoring on 58% of his punches.
43:39He had a very effective left jab, he didn't waste any punches, he finished very well. By and large, an impressive performance.
43:46Well, Michael Spinks, without worrying about how much weight he put on, was more mobile, he was quick, he was fast, he could get in and get out and be very effective.
43:55Let's get the official decision now from Chuck Hall. Chuck?
44:04Ladies and gentlemen, referee Richard Steele stops the bout at 58 seconds of the fourth round.
44:12The winner by a TKO, and still the IBS heavyweight champion of the world, Michael Spinks.
44:21You know, Ray, you've made the statement on numerous occasions, it's very difficult to fight an awkward fighter, and Michael Spinks, while on the ten, is an awkward fighter.
44:35Tonight, he was particularly effective, I thought.
44:37Well, his type of movement frustrated Tankstead. Tankstead was never really aimed into the fight.
44:42He hit Michael a couple of biceps, but they didn't do too much damage. Michael used a left jab, and Kyle was a beautiful right hand.
44:48Everybody's been saying he's got to prove himself, the ability to knock out a heavyweight, and he did that tonight.
44:53Well, I'll tell you one thing about Michael. He's trying to convince everybody that he's a heavyweight.
44:57He's not a full-fledged heavyweight, like I keep stating, but he's effective, and he wins. That's all that counts, though.
45:02Tankstead did exactly what he said he was going to do. He told us he had to be on top of Michael Spinks. He had an effective first round, and it looked like Spinks was just kind of sitting back trying to figure out his style. Once he did, it was over.
45:11Well, the mistake Tankstead made, he laid back, and then all of a sudden, Michael Spinks was ready to push him back, and that was what Eddie Funch was telling Mike to do, to push him back.
45:20Michael did that, and Tankstead cooperated.
45:23You can almost see at the beginning of the second round, Spinks say to himself, I got it now. My man can't hurt me.
45:28Well, that's a matter of confidence, because once you're able to get your left jab in, your body shot, and every punch you want to throw, that's when you're able to actually set your man up for a knockout.
45:37So Michael Spinks gets by, the European heavyweight champion, came in at 214, so now he's knocked out of heavyweight. Larry Merchant is with the winner right now. Larry?
45:46All right. Michael, you were uncommonly aggressive, and certainly for the first time like that in a big heavyweight fight. Your assessment?
45:55Well, first I'd like to say, all the praise on Ingram goes my heavenly father to Christ. I'd say, hi to Mackie and Sandy in New Orleans. But I was, um, asking your question now. I was aggressive in this fight because, uh, what I was sure I said, I watched him only once, but it, uh, I didn't get much out of it, but they said he couldn't fight back enough. And, uh, you know, I felt, I mean, I felt good. I was, uh, he was strong inside. He, uh, knocked my head side to side a few times.
46:24That really made me a little later on the inside. But, um, I just felt that I could control the match with his European style. He's still European no matter what. I thought I could get him to the inside and touch him in the body.
46:36You're saying, you're saying you felt that he was strong in the first round or two?
46:40Oh, he was strong in, in, in the entire fight, but he just didn't, I mean, I became, I made myself very, uh, unable for him to land the effective punches.
46:49It seemed that Eddie Fletch was saying he set you between rounds. You can't fight back enough. You must be aggressive. Did that kind of tactic surprise you against the heavyweight?
46:59No, not at all. Cause I've been doing a great job in, in the, in the gym. And I, and I box heavyweight. So, you know, with, with my type of defense, you know, I, I feel good, uh, of going, going forward. You know, I can do a little bit of everything in the ring. And whatever I have to do against anybody, that's what I do.
47:15And I felt that it was important to touch him with my jab. And if I find him with my jab, I can find him with everything else.
47:21Does this make you feel now that you can handle bigger men?
47:26Well, every man is a different man. And as, as each fight progress, I'll take him as I feel, uh, I'll take every fight as I feel. If I feel, if it's important for me to go forward, I'll, I'll form a defense to help me get inside to go forward and, uh, and do what I have to do against every man.
47:44I, I, I'm confident. I can fight. I learned how to fight a long time ago. And it, and it just making these necessary adjustments. And I'm very adjustable. And I make adjustments like, uh, adjusting everything, everything, everything in the world.
47:57Okay. Let's try to adjust here for a moment to a picture of the knockdown, the ultimate, the, uh, the knockdown that finally put him away. You describe it.
48:06Well, I was waiting for him. I, I hit him with the, with the good right hand. Cause he had his left hand kind of low.
48:12And I came right back with the left hook. I saw in the film, in the film, how he swung, he, he shoot from the hip. Most of the guys that I, that I, uh, been watching, the majority of boxers shoot from the hip.
48:23I probably accept me. Even at times I shoot from the hip sometimes, but I saw that he was shooting from the hip after a couple of punches.
48:29And I thought it was best to follow up with the left hook after the right hand and thought he'd be open for it and with you up.
48:34Are you prepared now to wait for the, the finals of the heavyweight series and to meet whoever is there?
48:41Of course, I'm in the business to do it. And, uh, just how I make my living. So look, look forward to me doing that.
48:48I'd like to say, um, they just made me honorary chairman of just say no to drugs.
48:53And I hope that we can help knock out the drug epidemic in our country just the way I knocked out tanks there.
48:59Thank you very much, Michael. Thanks. And now back to ringside.
49:04Okay. Thanks very much, Larry Merchant.
49:06You know, the other thing too, that I feel should be pointed out here is the fact that his corner was very organized.
49:10Eddie Futch was back in there and the one sage piece of advice that we heard Eddie Futch say was you got to back him up.
49:15And Michael Spinks just substantiated that, that he didn't fight very well backing up.
49:19Well, Eddie Futch is a veteran trainer and he knows exactly how to work, work another opponent.
49:24And in fact, he's still a weakness in Tankstead, the fact that Tankstead cannot fight backing up.
49:29And Michael Spinks went in there, became more aggressive, worked inside, got his right hand in, and he followed with a clean left hook.
49:35So Michael Spinks is a knockout winner in the fourth round over Stefan Tankstead, the European champion.
49:40And he retains his IBF heavyweight title. A little bit earlier...
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