I love how people on here having Tyson blowing away this guy or destroying that guy. Yet a past it Holy beat his azz twice ..a one timer in Douglas put a clinic on him. Lewis destroyed him when he was still fairly young for a HW. Coke head Tucker took him for a long ride as did Bonecrusher but yea he destroys everybody. Please
Witherspoon was just as good as Bruno ( I say better ) and Douglas. Bruno nearly had Tyson down, Mike wasn't the type to get up and win. We saw what Douglas did to him with his jab, and Timmy has a good jab, and IMO more power than Douglas. His chin was better than Bruno's or Douglas too. Provided Witherspoon was in shape, and I suspect he would be for this one an upset could happen. Timmy had a good defense, and as I mentioned a good chin. Tyson was front runner type with few later round KO's and I say lost his aggressiveness when things were not going his way. So what happens is this fight is close at round 6? Tyson's isn't facing an old and inactive Holmes, a Thomas with Drug issues ( maybe Tyson's best pure win ), or a scared to death Mike Spinks. In my opinion, Witherspoon was the 3rd best heavyweight in the 1980's.
But at the time they should of met, Tyson was prime Tyson and Witherspoon was a lazy fat coke head. The question was not how Tyson would do against the Witherspoon who fought Holmes.
Prime for prime Tyson takes it in a tough one similar to his bout with Thomas. In the timeline they could've fought, I'm sure Spoon would've prepared furiously for Tyson and vice versa.
Huh.... Tyson spent years in the can, faced a couple of stiffs and lost against a ACTIVE Holyfield.........Tyson , despite his age was washed up and nowhere NEAR what he was before he went in.........he was mentally done and just went for the $$$ ride.........he missed wildly against against that bum Mathis Jr..........he was never ever as sloppy before the can. Douglas ? Shid happens.........Lewis got one shotted by a Crack Head Holyfield entire rep is made out of his two victories over a washed up Tyson................he won only T W O out of S E V E N fights against Bowe/Lewis/Moorer.......fact not fiction, one of the most over rated Heavies ever. LOL, Tucker won like, what , one round ? Triple LOL @ the Lewis fight..............maybe you need your senile eyes checked because Lemmie fought a shot to shid sedated ghost of Mike Tyson impersonator..... Conclusion: Poster exhibits Tyson derangement syndrome with emotional responses due to lack of IQ.
We're talking prime Tyson. Witherspoon blew his chance at unifying against Tyson when he was anhiliated by Bonecrusher Smith, who then was shut out by Tyson. If Tim was fully focused and in shape he could have given Tyson a great fight. But, he blew it.
Tim was good. Id put Thomas above him, though. The reality is Tim had the potential to give Tyson a competitive fight, but at the time the fight should have been made, when Tim was in his second reign, and Tyson looked to unify - Tim was a mess. Tyson would have crushed him.
Not a lot of insight here. Mostly drivel. I should probably remind you that this is the Classic Boxing Section. As for the question? Witherspoon was having a contractual dispute with Don King making a Tyson vs Witherspoon fight unlikely. To his credit, Tim was fairly active but contract disputes aside, getting KO'd in 1 round and leaving it unresolved makes it difficult for any Champion to give you a title shot. In any case, based on how the fighters looked between 1986-1991 Tyson would have beaten Witherspoon. And if they fought between 87-88 He would have wasted him.
What part of being inactive sitting in jail stamping license plates eating crap food with no opportunity to box for close to four years do you not understand ? Post prison Tyson was a shell of his former glory ......timing,defense, elusiveness stamina, combos,setting the other guy up.....was all gone, he strictly relied on power,chin and intimidation but hated his craft and worked strictly off talent alone. Holyfield was always blowing hot and cold. stretched by Stewart, Cooper, troubled by Grandpa Holmes, made it needless difficult against Fossil Foreman, got beaten from pillar to post from a green Bowe...........Holyfield was a over achiever who was never the "Man" at Heavy vs Mike Tyson was a underachiever who electrified the division until he self destructed.........next to Ali most likely the best Heavy enigma in a century. I used to think Atlas is a straight up jealous Tyson hater but now I am convinced that he is pissed that Tyson did not full fill his god given talent and squandered it all away while barely getting started........that a fighter as talented as Tyson just threw it away while guys like Holyfield work their butts off to get to the top but cannot sustain because for lack of top tier god given gifts.
