What is the consensus on Tim Witherspoon vs Larry Holmes?

He lost the round and that's all there is to it. If you gave Larry that round then you probably scored the Holyfield fight 120-108 to Holmes.

 

My point was, as this thread proves, the consensus had/has it very close and recognise that it could have gone either way.

 

Noway did Holmes win the first Spinks match. Not even close enough to debate. The second he won, but not the first.

 

For those interested here is the prestigious Ring Magazines scoring of the bout (and the 9th of course)

1. Holmes 10-9
2. Holmes 10-9
3. Witherspoon 10-9
4. Holmes 10-9
5. Holmes 10-9
6. Holmes 10-9
7. Witherspoon 10-9
8. Witherspoon 10-9
9. Witherspoon 10-9
10. Holmes 10-9
11. Holmes 10-9
12. Witherspoon 10-9

Holmes 115-113

Personally i thought a point or two closer.

 

Funny when i scored it I remember my two 'swing' rounds were the 6th and 10th. I gave them one apiece but Ring awarded both to Larry. It was thisclose.

 

Fair call, great fight that i enjoy very much.

 

looking for more discussion on this fight...post your cards rather than say I think so and so won (although most of you wont!)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPWM10r_1-s[/ame]

 

It could have gone either way. A draw and a rematch would have been the fairest outcome.
Great fight.

 

In the ensuing years, I since scored it a draw, 114-114.

 

What a shame that this was not a 15 round fight...any idea of why, especially since a fight on the undercard Weaver/Dokes was???

 

I am a big fan of both guys, but have never foud this fight as close or as controversial as some make it out to be. The announcers are complete morons, never scoring a single round yet constantly saying how close the fight is....I would love to score the fight for the Philly boy, but feel even if I was overly generous a draw would be the best he could hope to claim. When Spoon went into a few late round spurts of southpaw and dancing around the ring flicking the jab the crowd and announcers went crazy, but hardly anything landed when that happened? Following the 6th round his corner tells him he needs to let his punches go more if he wants to win the fight, and I agree...he fought a solid competitive fight, but don't think he did enough to win some of those close early feeling out rounds...

I scored:
Holmes 1,2,4,5,6,10,11
Spoon 3,7,8,9,12
I felt that both 8 & 11 could be scored even but tried not to

 

Tim was not peak yet. Still green, but gave a good fight. Holmes had a championship heart which Tim never had. Just a greater fighter mentally than Tim was, but if Tim had Holmes mental attitude who knows how good he could have been.

 

This was the best and sharpest Spoon ever looked imo, good defence for a heavy, nice punching.His lifestyle and Don King ensured he never really had a peak.Just a flat plodding decline from here on out.

 

15 round would have been great!

 

Very......very close one. I've watched it a couple of times recently,and gave it to Holmes by a point the first time and Witherspoon the second time by the same margin.