Everybody got a shot at the WBC or the WBC-WBA or the WBC-WBA-IBF Championships before Tyson lost the undisputed Championship to Buster Douglas in January 1990. Trevor Berbick who won the WBC Title from Pinklon Thomas ( who won it from Tim W'spoon) fought Tyson. James Bonecrusher Smith who won the WBA Title from Tim W'Spoon fought Tyson. Pinklon Thomas who lost the WBC Title to Trevor Berbick and had just one sucessful defense against Mike Weaver had a shot at the WBA-WBC Titles. Tony Tucker who won a vacant IBF Title stripped from Michael Spinks and against Buster Douglas on the same day and place Tyson fought Thomas had a shot at Tyson for the unfication of the Titles. Larry Holmes who once held the WBC Title won against Ken Norton and then was stripped from it and later defended the IBF title which he lost it to Michael Spinks when he was about to break Rocky Marciano's record of the number of successful Heavyweight fights undefeated and as a champion, Larry had a shot at Tyson. Michael Spinks who dropped the IBF Heavyweight Title to fight Gerry Cooney in spite of Tony Tucker and had won it in two fights UD and SD against Larry Holmes, fought Tyson and Tyson became linear undisputed Champion. Tony Tubbs who won the WBA HWT Title from Greg Page and lost it to Tim W'Spoon had a shot at Tyson in Tokyo, Japan. Even Tyrell Biggs who was only Olympic Gold Medallist and a contender and Carl Williams who had a shot at Larry Holmes IBF or WBC Titles once were given opportunities. Frank Bruno who once was stopped in the last rounds of a non-title fight against James Smith, then won a WBA eliminator against former Champion Gerry Coetzee ( who had stopped Michael Dokes who beat Mike Weaver who beat John Tate and then was stopped by Greg Page in Sun City, SA, Page who of course lost the WBA Title to Tony Tubbs) and was stopped in the Wembley Stadium by former WBA Champion Tim W'Spoon fought Tyson twice, first in 1989 in the US as a challenger and after beating Oliver McCall who beat Lennox Lewis, and in that same Wembley Stadium, and defended unsuccessfully that WBC title in a rematch against Tyson. Evander Holyfield who beat James Buster Douglas and became automatically the undisputed HWT Champion, much later, after having lost the Championship to Riddick Bowe in November 1992 and regained part of that Championship in November 1993 against the same Riddick Bowe, fought Tyson for the WBA Championship in 1996 and fought him one more time. Lennox Lewis who held the WBC Title, lost it to Oliver McCall and regained it against the same Oliver McCall in a vacant HWT Title fight and who won the WBA and IBF portions of the Championship won by Holyfield against Tyson and Michael Moorer, defended his undisputed HWT Championship against Mike Tyson. Sure everybody who held Titles couldn't fight Tyson like Greg Page, Mike Weaver and gerry Coetzee. But why did two time Hwt Champion Tim Witherspoon once promoted by Don King and who would surely give a much tougher fight to him than either Tubbs, Thomas, Berbick and Bruno gave, never had a chance to do it? Please let me know...
Quite simply, after losing to Bonecrusher, Witherspoon initiated proceedings against Don King for "misplaced" earnings. That dragged on for several years (until an out of court settlement), during which time Witherspoon was utterly shut out of any decent matches by Mr King.
Don King. End of thread. Edit: If Spoon had beaten Bonecrusher in late '86 he fights Tyson next. Unfortunately, he lost by 1st round KO.
Tim was too good. I remember thinking in 1986 and 7 that Tim was just too big and strong for Mike. Most guys Mike could blow out in a few rounds, but not Tim who was big and had a great right hand and was strong.
Did'nt Larry Holmes take a gun and have it on him while he met Don King at one time. Larry Holmes has some beef with King right..? Why didn't David Tua get more shots?
Tim lost to Bonecrusher..as to strength.. Pinklon Thomas seemed to intimidate and bully Witherspoon in their fight and I think Tyson beats Tim... Tim did not look so great against the short fighters..the short height negated his overhand right... its a shame cause Tim was one of my all time favorite fighters
It would have been a great fight for Tyson because Spoon would have challenged him, and frankly Mikes complacency from over matched opponents did alot of damage to him. He started to think that "why should i kill myself in training for a 1st round KO?" And when he got to where he had training down to ONE DAY in the gym, Buster busted him up! I think Mike was quick enough and in great shape under Rooney that he would have beat Tim, BUT he would have learned a good lesson about being prepared, because it would not be easy! What is amazing about Mike is that Buster had to batter him non stop for all those rounds before he went down.......and Mike had basically walked off the street and went 10 rounds, without training.
Guys, I know and I have said in the opening thread that Tim lost to Bonecrusher and immediately lost a chance to defend the WBA title in the process of unification but so did Tubbs to Tim actually and Tubbs was given a chance... Pinklon Thomas who won his WBC title from Tim lost the same to Trevor Berbick but he still got a shot at both titles. I have seen plenty of Tim W'spoon since he beat Snipes and challenged Larry for the title and the man he lost in a 1st round kayo he previously battered in a NABF title fight he won from James Broad with that devastating overhand right that had Bruno's bells ringing in London. I trully believe Don avoided that fight for Mike and Tim was one who put a legal process on Don.
Ur right mag1965 Witherspoon has a heck of a right also a good job and he used it, was about 6 4 and fought tall would have been a tough fight for iron mike but don king of course wasnt going to let witherspoon anywhere near tyson
& he failed a post-fight drug test, again :smoke Plus he was pissed off at only getting 90k from a 1m purse after beating Bruno http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12535192&postcount=1329 http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12535195&postcount=1330 :deal