{"product_id":"muhammad-ali-vs-leon-spinks-2-official-boxing-event-program-1978","title":"Muhammad Ali Vs Leon Spinks 2 - Official Boxing Event Program (1978)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial Boxing Event Program\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuhammad Ali Vs Leon Spinks 2\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e15th September 1978\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eIn good condition - some minor edge or surface wear possible - See photos for exact condition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II, billed as Battle of New Orleans, was a professional boxing match contested on September 15, 1978, in New Orleans for the WBA and The Ring heavyweight championships\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAfter his shock win over Muhammad Ali to become Heavyweight champion, Leon Spinks was stripped of the WBC belt for not facing its number one ranked contender Ken Norton; instead he agreed to a rematch with Ali. Ali entered the rematch as a 2½ to 1 favorite. \u003cbr\u003eThe fight was held at the Louisiana Superdome, with ringside seats costing $200 (equivalent to $987 in 2025).\u003cbr\u003e The card contained three other world title fights: WBA Bantamweight Champion Jorge Luján vs. future WBC champion Alberto Davila; WBC Featherweight Champion Danny Lopez vs. Juan Malvarez; and WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Víctor Galíndez vs. Mike Rossman.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eABC paid $5.3 million ($22.24 million in 2021 dollars) for the rights to televise the fight live in the United States. The broadcast was blacked out in the entire state of Louisiana (except Monroe; KTVE, northeast Louisiana's ABC affiliate at the time--now affiliated with NBC--is licensed in El Dorado, Arkansas and was not subjected to the blackout) and markets within 200 miles of the Superdome, which included Jackson, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePat Putnam of Sports Illustrated wrote:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e    The plan was simple. Ali would jab, jab, throw a right and grab. When Spinks came flailing in, Ali would hook his left hand around the back of Spinks' head and pull him into an embrace, effectively limiting Spinks to one or two punches or pulling him off balance. And Ali would dance, baby, dance. He would tie up Spinks and then dance away from him on the break, circling to the right, circling to the left. And the fight went as plotted.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferee Lucien Joubert took the fifth round away from Ali for holding. The Associated Press scored the fight 12–3 for Ali, while the three judges had the bout 11–4, 10–4–1 and 10–4–1 all in favor of Ali giving him a unanimous decision win.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Superdome attendance was 63,352, which, at the time, was the largest indoor attendance ever for a boxing match. Ticket sales of $4,806,675 ($20.168 million in 2021 dollars) was the highest live gate for a sporting event at the time. The average ticket price was $75.87 ($318.34 in 2021 dollars).\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn estimated audience of 90 million viewers watched the main event in the United States, with 46.7% of TV sets in the nation tuned in—a record for the time. The fight was estimated to have been watched by a record 2 billion viewers worldwide.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAli regained the WBA heavyweight title and avenged his split decision loss to Spinks from seven months prior. He also became the first man to win the World Heavyweight Championship three times.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn June 1979, Ali sent an official letter of retirement to the WBA. Promoter Bob Arum said he paid Ali $300,000 to announce his retirement because Ali's reluctance had delayed the scheduling of a fight between John Tate and Gerrie Coetzee for the vacant WBA title. \"We knew Muhammad Ali was going to retire\", Arum said, \"but as long as he delayed, I couldn't make definite plans.\" However, in October 1980 Ali returned to face WBC Champion Larry Holmes but was stopped by TKO in the 10th round. He then retired for good after a lackluster loss to Trevor Berbick in December 1981, the final fight of Ali's career.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eUndercard:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnited States Mike Rossman     Argentina Víctor Galíndez     WBA World Light Heavyweight Title     13th-round TKO.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnited States Danny Lopez     Argentina Juan Domingo Malvarez     WBC World Featherweight Title     2nd-round KO.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ePanama Jorge Lujan     United States Alberto Davila     WBA World Bantamweight Title     Unanimous decision.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnited States Marvin Johnson     United States Jerry Celestine     Light Heavyweight (10 rounds)     Unanimous decision.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eRomania Mircea Șimon     United States David Wynne     Heavyweight (4 rounds)     1st-round KO. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53345293828443,"sku":"CK00670","price":69.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0926\/4719\/4971\/files\/20260520_135520.jpg?v=1780995621","url":"https:\/\/www.combatkingdom.co.uk\/products\/muhammad-ali-vs-leon-spinks-2-official-boxing-event-program-1978","provider":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}