European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 17, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse 22 the stars and stripes february 1978 i will be first to win the title three times beaten Ali vows Hes not Byril Grimsley Las vegas underestimated him he a Tough but 1 am not Down cast Muhammad Ali mumbled in his dressing room after losing his world heavyweight championship to 24 year old Emmarine Leon Spinks wednesday will tight i will be i will be the first Man to win the title three timer despite his optimism in a moment a for Many it looked like the end of an Era for one of sports greatest champions and most magnetic Alt was sprawled in a wrapped in White an aide pressing ice tucks to his bruised forehead and his pretty sitting disconsolately at his feet when a few newsmen managed to squeeze past a cordon of Security men to enter the dressing you Guys were the exc Hampton seeming to get a temporary Delight out of ribbing his old friends and adversaries of the you were picking me to win in the second some you sold id win in the others in the you sure were How about you were you surprised a newsman asked Ali replied in a voice that was feet he showed me a will to win and Sta t misjudged the fight my plan was to Wear him out in the Early rounds 1 get him but he never got he kept get Ting next i will fight it i will fight the first round like i did the i will slay in the i will be in better i will be 215 pounds and Able to dance ill the seemingly weighed 22v4 he had a 27pound advantage on who checked in at Ali insisted that to wanted in Early i am the Only one that can make him a few but the world boxing Council said it Tad a signed contract by both Ali and Spinks that the Winner must meet pm Norton without any intervening Norton was at ringside and visited Ali in the dressing room i thought the decision was Norton i am i was looking Forward to a fourth fight with Norton broke alls jaw and won a decision in their first meeting during the interim period when alls championship had been taken away from but All came Back to score two is round both Holly All was a sad sight in the dressing blood showed on his which were Cut open in the urine there was an ugly knot Over nil right red bruises blotched his he was barely Able to go Back Uthia Corner at the end of the fierce climaxed by a slugging 1kb round in which he nailed Spinks several limes bul got the some in the Emmarine from the ghetto kept hammering he is one of the toughest men i Ever Ali i think he is better than asked on what grounds he based this Champion he is so Young and harder than t thought he a whose Mother sat at ringside her elbowed his Way through the dressing he and All exchanged what did someone asked we just crowned around a All promoter Bob arum said Alt told lose my t am glad it was to this i when newsmen entered alls dressing former Champion was combing his hair strokes while his wife leaned on one f near Bandini a longtime Corderman the phrase float Lite a Man glue mis Trainer Ever pro in Hob after winning an olym agreed with his lighter thai i mated a got wry showing to i the Trainer but t though showed aloof guts the Way he v Ali tint won the title from Sonny listen11 1x4 had 11 taken from him in 1967 because of to enter military inactive in gained the title in Konsto stopping George Foreman in the eight ii a visit to the a quiet word of thanks to god vegas up the first thing the j world heavyweight Champion did was the old one to pay his youre a great fighter and a Fine Leon Spinks to Muhammad the i he had just beaten in a is round split Rii wednesday mumbled holding a cold to his you Tso bad next thing the Ity Earold Spinks did o to his own dressing room where heed Down and said his thanks to god helping my win the f All was my idol since 1 was a said a Louis who first gained in prominence by winning a Gold in during the 1976 olympics in Mon Hes still my 1 cant honestly say 1 feel sorry for in my heart i because this is something 1 always wanted so t could become but i cant say anything bad about the he gave me a great Spinks Victory Over the 33yearold Ali represented the biggest upset in world heavyweight title history since an underdog himself at the dethroned the late Sonny listen in Miami in ii ranked right alongside Jim Bra docks upset Over Max Baer in Jersey Joe Walcott a title Victory Over Ezzard Charles in 1451 and Tnge Inar Johansson title win Over Floyd Patterson in in this Mecca of there was next to no one at Alt on spanks who was quoted As an h that meant if you wanted to bet on All to twp his there was no one it the vegan gambling Parlours that would accept your Odds dont make a said who showed remarkable poise considering he had Only seven previous pro 1 knew about the Odds but i didst Natty about v i were a betting 1 a High school said be was willing to give Ali a return although there was no provision for a return Boutta the contract he signed for wednesday1 u Spinks received a his biggest Pone and Ali made until Oil now his Gold is spendable by de Schuyler Las vegas a Hes got the that i really said Leon training for his world heavyweight Cham Plo whip shot against Muhammad now the 24yearold former Marine from who left Montreal with a Gold medal he can Wear around his is in line for the kind of Gold he can spend Fol lowing his stunning upset of Ali wednesday incredible might be an inadequate the scrip too of Spinks Rise to the heavyweight a feat he achieved in his eighth fight of a professional career that haunt been for Mast of his ibs Amateur Many of them in military tournaments As a Spinks was known Only within that tight knot of people who follow Amateur the attention to the american Spinks int a Boxer but he is the Best Street tighter Ive said former heavyweight Champion George watching Spinks flak his Imo tote Light heavyweight final at the on the night of july Leon watched younger now a pro Light win the middleweight Gold i was pulling for him More Sun continued on Page 23j who didst come immediately to the press Tau Riew said if he had to he Wasrud Okise to a Man like what r 4bfce to do Tate off and then fight him said the somber to like to become the first Man Evert win All Fiody one of two fighters Ever to win he heavyweight Crown the other younger brother Mike cheered him m from aging Side teat after awning a Deduron of his own against Tea Thea enter to the Lawhe f Eft along Tot he could i knew he dance All Plaht and i trained said new Chams had a great Opportunity and i a Wettl thank Grite we knew what we bad to do to be the Man on top and we fid Spinks scores stunning upset to won a Bronze medal in the it sound division in the world championships in Cuba in 1974 and was a Silver medallist at the pan american games in Mexico City in but it want until he reached Mon Treal in july that Leon Spinks caught continued from Page 31 the oly Trpic middleweight Champi wow had just won an Eighn sad heavyweight Tom Bethea of new York in a preliminary bout the sellout crowd of which paid a Nevada record Gate of Al Skaw w3c featherweight Champion Danny utile red Lopez successfully defend his title with a sixth round knockout of former Champion David Kotey of is Preun Inaiya new Vorker Eddie Gregory stoned Jessie Berneyl of Laruie loth round in a ought heavyweight contest great Britain Alan meter to d puerto bean Sand Torres at l57 of the fifth Rountas Kansas City middleweight Tony Chiaverini to d Perus Marcelo Quinones at 129 of the thin Roun f continued j All a t pm m my int it Kin Ikbal to my b hit be cd wow it Ita but ecu 5
