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Light Heavyweight Boxing

Marvin Johnson vs Michael Spinks

A fight that actually happened — and everything both records say about it.

Meetings on record

1

Marvin Johnson and Michael Spinks met once (1981). Michael Spinks won in 1981 by ko.

SOURCE·Marvin Johnson (boxer) and Michael Spinks — English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)·both records name the other·REVIEWED AUG 2026

How this head-to-head is established

  1. This pairing exists only because at least one of the two articles' own results tables names the other fighter. No matchup on this site is speculative and none is a hypothetical.
  2. Every figure in the comparison below comes from that fighter's own page and carries the same source line. A dash means the source states nothing, not that the value is zero.
  3. Common opponents are found by matching linked bout lists, which is only possible because every fight list here is linked to every other. A shared opponent is not a transitive result and this page does not treat it as one.
  4. Nothing on this page predicts an outcome. It is a comparison of what is on record.

Sources, exclusions and known limits →

Side by side

What both records stateAUG 2026
Marvin JohnsonMichael Spinks
—Reach76″ (193 cm)
70″ (177.8 cm)Height74″ (188 cm)
—Reach advantage+2.66%
43–6Record31–1
81%Finish rate68%
18Longest unbeaten run31
50Recorded bouts32
SouthpawStanceOrthodox

A comparison of what is on record. Nothing here predicts a result.

Common opponents

Both fought these 1. This is the comparison the siloed databases cannot make, because it needs every fight list linked to every other.

OpponentMarvin JohnsonMichael Spinks
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad L W

Both records, drawn

The same ledger line on each: wins stamped above the rule, losses below, the mark's shape carrying how it ended.

Marvin Johnson

19701980UNFILEDwin v Chuck Warfield, 1973, kowin v Al Byrd, 1973, kowin v Sylvester Wilder, 1973, kowin v Jim Adams, 1974, kowin v Johnny Words, 1974, kowin v Ted Paxton, 1974, kowin v Eddie Owens, 1975, kowin v Paul Cardoza, 1975, kowin v Gary Summerhays, 1975, decisionwin v Vandell Woods, 1976, decisionwin v Wayne McGee, 1976, kowin v Harold Carter, 1976, kowin v Ray Anderson, 1976, kowin v Billy Douglas, 1977, kowin v Johnny Fields, 1977, koloss v Matthew Saad Muhammad, 1977, kowin v Tom Bethea, 1977, kowin v Johnny Townsend, 1977, decisionwin v Mate Parlov, 1978, kowin v Jerry Celestine, 1978, decisionloss v Lottie Mwale, 1978, decisionwin v John Baldwin, 1978, decisionwin v Eddie Davis, 1978, kowin v Roberto Reynosa, 1978, kowin v Víctor Galíndez, 1979, kowin v Carlos Marks, 1979, decisionloss v Matthew Saad Muhammad, 1979, kowin v Dave Lee Royster, 1980, koloss v Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, 1980, koloss v Michael Spinks, 1981, kowin v Rick Nash, 1981, kowin v Eddie Straight, 1981, kowin v Alvino Manson, 1982, kowin v Darnell Hayes, 1982, kowin v Mike Brothers, 1983, kowin v Andros Ernie Barr, 1983, kowin v Eddie Collins, 1984, kowin v Charles Williams, 1984, decisionwin v Johnny Davis, 1984, decisionwin v Jerome Clouden, 1984, kowin v Eddie Gonzales, 1984, kowin v Elvis Parks, 1984, kowin v Frank Lux, 1985, kowin v Raleigh Searcy, 1985, kowin v Eddie Davis, 1985, kowin v Charles Henderson, 1985, kowin v Jean Marie Emebe, 1986, kowin v Leslie Stewart, 1986, koloss v Leslie Stewart, 1987, koresult not stated v Opponent, no date on record
WON ABOVE·LOST BELOW BAR = STOPPAGE·BROKEN BAR = SUBMISSION·TICK = DECISION 1973–1987 · 1 UNDATED
1980 win vs Chuck Warfield (1973)win vs Al Byrd (1973)win vs Sylvester Wilder (1973)win vs Jim Adams (1974)win vs Johnny Words (1974)win vs Ted Paxton (1974)win vs Eddie Owens (1975)win vs Paul Cardoza (1975)win vs Gary Summerhays (1975)win vs Vandell Woods (1976)win vs Wayne McGee (1976)win vs Harold Carter (1976)win vs Ray Anderson (1976)win vs Billy Douglas (1977)win vs Johnny Fields (1977)loss vs Matthew Saad Muhammad (1977)win vs Tom Bethea (1977)win vs Johnny Townsend (1977)win vs Mate Parlov (1978)win vs Jerry Celestine (1978)loss vs Lottie Mwale (1978)win vs John Baldwin (1978)win vs Eddie Davis (1978)win vs Roberto Reynosa (1978)win vs Víctor Galíndez (1979)win vs Carlos Marks (1979)loss vs Matthew Saad Muhammad (1979)win vs Dave Lee Royster (1980)loss vs Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (1980)loss vs Michael Spinks (1981)win vs Rick Nash (1981)win vs Eddie Straight (1981)win vs Alvino Manson (1982)win vs Darnell Hayes (1982)win vs Mike Brothers (1983)win vs Andros Ernie Barr (1983)win vs Eddie Collins (1984)win vs Charles Williams (1984)win vs Johnny Davis (1984)win vs Jerome Clouden (1984)win vs Eddie Gonzales (1984)win vs Elvis Parks (1984)win vs Frank Lux (1985)win vs Raleigh Searcy (1985)win vs Eddie Davis (1985)win vs Charles Henderson (1985)win vs Jean Marie Emebe (1986)win vs Leslie Stewart (1986)loss vs Leslie Stewart (1987)
winlossdraw / NC1973–1987

Michael Spinks

19701980win v Gary Summerhays, 1977, decisionwin v Ray Elson, 1977, kowin v Jasper Brisbane, 1977, kowin v Joe Borden, 1977win v Luis Rodriguez, 1977win v Eddie Benson, 1977win v Eddie Phillips, 1978, kowin v Tom Bethea, 1978, decisionwin v Marc Hans, 1979, kowin v Yaqui Lopez, 1980, kowin v David Conteh, 1980, kowin v Murray Sutherland, 1980, decisionwin v Ramon Ranquello, 1980, kowin v Johnny Wilburn, 1980, decisionwin v Vonzell Johnson, 1981, kowin v Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, 1981, decisionwin v Marvin Johnson, 1981, kowin v Willie Taylor, 1981, kowin v Johnny Davis, 1982, kowin v Jerry Celestine, 1982, kowin v Murray Sutherland, 1982, kowin v Mustafa Wassaja, 1982, kowin v Oscar Rivadeneyra, 1983, kowin v Dwight Muhammad Qawi, 1983, decisionwin v Eddie Davis, 1984, decisionwin v Larry Holmes, 1985, decisionwin v Jim MacDonald, 1985, kowin v David Sears, 1985, kowin v Steffen Tangstad, 1986, kowin v Larry Holmes, 1986win v Gerry Cooney, 1987, koloss v Mike Tyson, 1988, ko
WON ABOVE·LOST BELOW BAR = STOPPAGE·BROKEN BAR = SUBMISSION·TICK = DECISION 1977–1988
1980 win vs Gary Summerhays (1977)win vs Ray Elson (1977)win vs Jasper Brisbane (1977)win vs Joe Borden (1977)win vs Luis Rodriguez (1977)win vs Eddie Benson (1977)win vs Eddie Phillips (1978)win vs Tom Bethea (1978)win vs Marc Hans (1979)win vs Yaqui Lopez (1980)win vs David Conteh (1980)win vs Murray Sutherland (1980)win vs Ramon Ranquello (1980)win vs Johnny Wilburn (1980)win vs Vonzell Johnson (1981)win vs Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (1981)win vs Marvin Johnson (1981)win vs Willie Taylor (1981)win vs Johnny Davis (1982)win vs Jerry Celestine (1982)win vs Murray Sutherland (1982)win vs Mustafa Wassaja (1982)win vs Oscar Rivadeneyra (1983)win vs Dwight Muhammad Qawi (1983)win vs Eddie Davis (1984)win vs Larry Holmes (1985)win vs Jim MacDonald (1985)win vs David Sears (1985)win vs Steffen Tangstad (1986)win vs Larry Holmes (1986)win vs Gerry Cooney (1987)loss vs Mike Tyson (1988)
winlossdraw / NC1977–1988

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