Jonathan Spinks was born in Louisiana and came from a home of continuous family turmoil. His father was an angry man and a Marine and Jonathan describes his childhood like some sort of hellish bootcamp. As a young boy he received more than his share of beatings from his father that would prove to shape his life as a fighter, a warrior, and a survivor. People say, “Jonathan doesn’t have any QUIT in him”. Read on, you’ll understand why.
A life of trouble beyond his years:
Starts boxing at 13 years old so one day he could be the one giving the beatings, instead of his father.
Started a criminal record of assault and battery arrests at age 17
Boxing, Kick-Boxing, and Tough-Man Contest. Turns pro at 19 years old
Almost died getting shot in the head with a sawed off shotgun
Almost died in a motorcycle accident hitting a car at approx. 120 MPH
Endures weekly countless street fights, street violence and close to being killed in shoot outs
Wife cheats on him and divorces him, a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader, after attending 1992 Cowboys Super Bowl win.
Foreclosed on a house he owned by an FBI sting operation as a result of a skimming investigation
Bankruptcy, broke, out of work and homeless. Looses all his possessions.
Mother abruptly dies young and father dies leaving him the last Spinks in his fathers linage. All elder blood relatives have deceased.
Finally has his first child late in life, only to enter “his darkest hour” as brain cancer is diagnosed, and his son dies in Jonathan’s arms at age 3
To say Jonathan was dealt a hard life is to say it mildly.
Jonathan started boxing at the “Boys Club” at around 13 years old. He was introduced to the sport of boxing from a neighborhood friend that would prove to be his only, so called “brother” and life long friend Charlton Young. This strong bond and relationship would entangled them together for their entire younger lives, well into adulthood, and still to this day. Jonathan had a modest amateur career in boxing but excelled quickly, wrapping it up winning Golden Gloves while fighting on the team of his home town favorites and infamous 4 Stephens brothers. During this time he also started following Charlton to Tae Kwon Do school, learning Karate and started down the path to Kickboxing. In those days kickboxing was being pioneered by young crazy fighters like Charlton and Jonathan and they were shunned as being too brutal, barbaric and savage and spoken of harshly by people that did not understand the sport of full contact Karate / Kick Boxing. There were dozens of sanctioned and unsanctioned kickboxing leagues, all seeking success but none of them really accomplishing it. Jonathan fought for Professional Kickboxing Association, Martial Arts Council of Kickboxing, Karate Council of Kickboxing, and other unsanctioned fight leagues like National Tough-Man Contest and won in all of them. It was a time period before the internet, the general public did not possess video recorders, before cell phones were even invented and therefore very few of his fights were recorded for viewing. Many of his fights he fought as the co-main event of long time friend and now 3 Time World Champion Kick-Boxer and main event attraction Charlton Young. Charlton and Jonathan were there own two best sparring partners and both experiencing great success in the ring as they helped each other in daily sparring and training. They were often seen running together for 10 miles or more on the city streets of Louisiana.
Jonathan has a combined record of 20-0 and retired undefeated in his professional fighting career in boxing and kick-boxing, all won by knockout. He also won one of the largest nationwide “Tough Man Contest” (a 3 day fight fest with no weight categories) in the US at that time. He was called “The knock-out artist” as he had devastating power in both hands. He has never lost a fight, whether in the street, or the ring, but humbly admits he was loosing miserably in life. He was awarded a black belt in Tae Kwon Do from his sensei Carroll Baker who at that time Carroll (a man) was only 1 of 8 Tae Kwon Do Black Belt Grande Mestre’ (Grand Master) in the United States. Carroll received his credentials of black belt from Korea.
In one of Jonathan’s last fights he knocked out 7th Ranked contender of the world Terrance Anderson in the second round after which Jonathan suffered extensive injuries from a 120 mph motorcycle accident that almost ended his life. That accident would eventually stop his fighting career. Anderson went on to fight for the kick-boxing world title and lost.
Jonathan had a short lived local fame but he has made the most out of an exciting life. His professional fighting career only lasted 8.5 years before ending in a death defying motorcycle accident. Known only to a few was his enjoyment of another sport he practiced between training which was bare-foot skiing. He won 2nd place in many barefoot skiing tournaments that was also being pioneered in those days. Today he owns a business, enjoys recreational flying after acquiring a pilots license, and in his spare time travels all over the United States helping the least of these, the rejected of society and the unhealthy hurting people. Sharing answers as to how his horrific life turned around and can be a life of success. He has spoken in almost every prison in the United States, high schools & colleges, mens conferences & churches, corporations, NFL Teams and NFL cheerleading squads, etc. He has appeared on both of the largest christian networks Daystar and TBN, spoken to 1000’s of troops at the largest military bases in this country, at the Washington D.C. prayer breakfast and even The Pentagon. His sincerity has also touched the hearts of countess friends that are entertainers, professional fighters, NFL players, celebrities and Hollywood actors of our world. (See photo gallery) His life story and the answers that come from hardship has impacted 100,000’s of hurting people that need answers to life’s hardships and anger problems. What kept him alive? How did he endure so much tragic? How did he conquer a life of extreme anger and disappointment. How could he be healthy mentally after his son died? Are there some deep answers to these questions? Yes, indeed! There are not enough pages here to contain all the tragic stories of his life, nor how he overcame them. By his own admission, only a strong relationship with his creator would allow him any success in this world, at all. He lives by a code “I am Second, God is first”. A personal friend named Jesus, would mark his life for the rest of it.
