People

By Guy D. Garcia

How does it feel? Michael Spinks was asked a few days later. The thrill apparently does not last. "I was champ before," he said accurately enough. "I did my celebrating in the ring." That he did, after stopping and setting some records. Despite 5-to-1 odds against him when he challenged Larry Holmes, 35, Spinks, 29, fought on through 15 grueling, if unstirring, rounds to a unanimous decision and his 28th straight victory, making him the first light-heavyweight champion in history to win the heavyweight title. Spinks' upset ended the seven-year reign of his opponent, who was just one fight away from matching Rocky Marciano's all-time heavyweight record of 49 wins without a loss. In 1978 Spinks' older brother Leon took the heavyweight championship from Muhammad Ali for seven months, and the Spinkses are the first brothers to be kings of the ring. (Max Baer held the heavyweight title, but Buddy lost his two title fights.) Michael presumably wants to wear the championship belt longer than Leon, though. Says he: "I know how to fight."