Spann’s light hearted personality combined with his imposing physical build help make him one of the most unique fighters in the light heavyweight division. Ironically, Spann’s nickname “Superman” isn’t unique – well sort of.
It’s actually his father’s nickname.
Growing up in Westwood, Tennessee just outside of Memphis, Spann’s father was the oldest boy out of eight siblings and he was the neighborhood defender against bullies. And apparently he used to “take people out” which earned him the title of “Superman.”
“They used to call me ‘Superkid,’ but I didn’t know why. Naturally, when I hit 17, I was like, ‘All right, I’m done with this kid thing; I’m a man now,’ so ‘Superman.’ Then after a few fights, I went to Memphis and I was visiting my Dad. We walked into the store, and remember that all my fights at this point were in Texas. So we walk in and someone said, ‘Hey Superman!’ I looked and I was like, ‘Man, who knows me by that name here?’ And when my dad looked over, I was like, ‘Wait a minute,’ and then I started putting the pieces together. My dad had Superman stuff, he had it painted on the driveway and the mail box, he has a little man cave with stuff on the wall, so I said, ‘Okay, this makes sense.’”
So while he may be really “Superman 2”, Spann is focused on adding to the “Superman” legacy by defeating the legend Nogueira.
