The HBO boxing broadcast crew of Barry Tompkins, Sugar Ray Leonard and Larry Merchant provide final thoughts on the 1986 IBF Heavyweight Title Fight between Michael Spinks verses Steffen Tangstad….who happened to be the ONLY heavyweight contender in the history of Norwegian boxing….and the truth of the matter is that he wasn’t much of a fighter….much less worthy of a title fight….but since Jinx Spinx wasn’t looking to fight any heavyweight with any real substance before he defended his title against a “very late in his career” Gerry Cooney….who although he was 28 – 1 when he would face off against Spinks….he simply wasn’t fighter he was when he took on Larry Holmes for the title in 1982…but Spinks was not going to risk a big payday against Cooney….so, he fought Tangstad first…..and if you listen to Larry Merchant’s opening on this video herewith….he seems to be voicing our opinion here at ImaSportsphile.
Regardless of all of that….we are completely overjoyed to have the many video clips featuring “the boxing boys” at HBO….for Barry Tompkins, Sugar Ray Leonard and Larry Merchant are at the top of the heap when it comes to bringing a top-shelf boxing to the television world….always energetic, intelligent and insightful….and anyway, they always wore tuxedos….I mean, it doesn’t get any more “top rung on the ladder” than that.
