Very talented heavyweight, but I don't buy this nonsense about him throwing the Smith fight. Smith, for all his flaws, had UNGODLY power, especially in his right hand. Watching a very, very green Bonecrusher against Holmes, it looks like Holmes went through the seven stages of grief everytime Smith caught him with even a glancing right. There's no doubt that a man who hit that hard could legitimately knock out a cold, unfocused Spoon. I'm not denying Spoon was lazy and distracted going into that fight. But there's a big ****ing difference between being lazy and paying the price, versus out and out throwing a fight, ala Lamotta-Fox.
Then how do you explain Timmy walking through harder shots in the first fight? Those were glancing blows he got hurt with. Being unfocused is one thing. Mentally checking out before the fight even starts is another thing completely.
Let me just follow up and say that I don't believe that there was some grand Don King conspiracy to fix the fight for Bonecrusher. I just believe that Tim Witherspoon made no effort to win. Period.
I think Witherspoon went in there not wanting to win. He certainly took some hard shots in the process but I believe he really went in there thinking '**** this, I don't want to be here, I don't need this ****, I don't want this title' ... ... it's irrational in some ways, but it's rational too. He was coerced into the fight by a promoter who owed him millions of dollars and treated him like a slave. He knew that giving up the title was the most effective and quickest way to get free from the situation. All credit to Smith though. He seized the opportunity, smelled blood, and came out with some serious intent and firepower.