02/26/1986 - Michael Spinks Stripped of IBF

On February 26, 1987, Michael Spinks was officially stripped of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight title. The IBF championship committee unanimously voted to revoke his title after he failed to defend it against the mandatory challenger, Tony Tucker. Spinks had previously defeated Larry Holmes in 1985 to claim the IBF heavyweight title and had successfully defended it in a rematch in April 1986. However, instead of facing Tucker, Spinks chose to fight former contender Gerry Cooney in a bout scheduled for June 15, 1987. This decision led to legal disputes, as Spinks was contractually obligated to participate in the IBF’s heavyweight unification series. The IBF’s decision to strip Spinks of the title was based on his refusal to fulfill the mandatory defense against Tucker, a move that was met with disappointment by IBF president Robert Lee, who stated, “It is most unfortunate that we had to take this course of action.