Why didn't Tyson-Witherspoon happen, and how would it go down?

how is it nuthugging? lets face it, tyson didnt just beat most of the 80s best, HE DOMINATED them so badly there was no question of supremacy...its going to take a heck of a big leap in class/talent from those bunch if you want to convince me he has a chance against tyson, and witherspoon was not a big leap above those guys. Spoon wasnt more talented than Tony Tubbs, Tubbs gave him a near even fight, Spoon wasnt better than Pinklon Thomas, in fact Thomas beat a Prime Spoon, Bonecrusher got shutout by spoon first time but in the rematch caught him with a right hand early on and literally destroyed him in 1, Witherspoon barely escaped frank bruno, Trevor Berbick was a very accomplished fighter more so than witherspoon, and Tony Tucker was arguebably a tougher task head to head than spoon. . While Tim was a very good fighter, I dont think he was a step above these guys. Witherspoon was just another Thomas, Tubbs, Page, Berbick, Tucker. So in essence, he was another Tyson early Kayo Victim.

 

Yes im sure team Tyson feared a man who had developed man boobs, and who was losing to fighters mike was easily destroying.

 

You guys are seriousely overrating Spoon. Now I rate Spoon in my top 30 heavyweights of all time, and give him his due, but realistically he would end up just like Berbick Thomas Tubbs and Tucker did. For those saying Witherspoon could take tysons shots, thats bull****. I watched Bonecrusher Smith catch spoon with a right hand early on, and spoon was never the same after getting floored 3 times...now tyson was 10x the puncher bonecrusher was. There is no such thing as a good chin against tyson, tyson has the blend of speed power and combinations to knockout ANYONE. Thomas, Tubbs, Holmes, Spinks these guys all never been close to being stopped before and tyson knocked them all out COLD. I don't think spoon's turtle shell defense matches up well against Mike especially if spoon is forced to fight on his back foot. Witherspoon is going to end up brawling with mike, and tyson will flatten him. Do we not forget just how devastating Mike was in the late 1980s?

 

Witherspoon was a hot and colod fighter and a cold version has zero chance. The hot versions of Witherspoon really didn't have the ko results against top notch opposition. Always a decision. I think the elite fighters can solve that style and at least stay in there. But that cross armed defense is open to left hooks & I see Tyson getting thru real early and getting the stoppage.

 

No way Witherspoon beats Tyson in the 80's. He had a decent jab and pretty much only threw an overhand right, not enough to hang with a prime Tyson. I remember him catching Bruno late against the ropes and stopping him. That was probably his biggest win, although anyone who made into the later round with Bruno had a chance.
Contract problems with King and being out of the Acefield tournament prevented Spoon from being in the mix for a shot at the undisputed title.

 

How about Dokes-Tyson? Anyone know why that fight didn't happen, and do you think Dokes could have troubled Tyson any or would it just have been another Thomas, Tubbs etc?

 

Evander Holyfield at the time was really the only threat to Tyson, and in my opinion at that time in his career he was more apt to brawl than use his smarts like he did later in his career. I dont see anyone in that group including Holyfield, beating a prime Tyson.

 

For all your knowledge in other areas, I'm not convinced that you are well versed on the subject of 1980's fighters.

 

I mean, every single thing I said above is true. Witherspoon WAS losing to fighters mike tyson was destroying. Spoon was constantly showing up overweight for fights by 1987-88. What was there to fear? I have read books, autobiographies on 1980s heavyweights...please provide me one concrete peice of evidence that Team Tyson wanted no part of Spoon.

 

King, with exception to Evander Holyfield who was a cruiser at that time, controlled the entire heavyweight division. If a fighter wanted to play by Kings rules, they had a chance to fight Tyson, thus the reason for the tournament. Witherspoon was no different than any of the other fighters Tyson was dispacthing. Just a solid fighter who held the title for a brief period, but no dynamo.

 

Well why dont your enlighten us with your vast knowledage of 80's heavyweights and why Team Tyson avoided such a dangerous fighter like Witherspoon. He was beaten by fighters that Tyson destroyed. Your arrogance in assuming your right on everything is really annoying.

 

First of all, you have to look at what I said carefully. It wasn't TYSON personally, who may have been afraid of Witherspoon. But, commentary that I listened to while watchin multiple boxing matches back in the late 80's and early 90's suggested that Tyson's CAMP was reluctant to place him in the same ring. Witherspoon was a man with a proven chin, proven guts, power, size, lengthy reach even for 6'3". His biggest asset however, was probably his style. Holmes, Tubbs, Page and a myriad of other fighters a **** of a time trying to figure him out. Look at his stance sometime and watch. He threw these overhand rights that came out of no where that his people termed as " the can opener. " His defense was well better than average and he knew the value of working the body as well, a rare trait for modern heavyweights.

Now, some of the things that you said are true, however Witherspoon's career is one that can't be summed up by looking at boxrec results. For example, if you look at his fight with James Smith, the result is a first round TKO. Do you realize how much talk there was about that fight being a fix? I have posted numerous times Witherspoon's conversation with Sean O'Grady and how he publicly stated that he was black mailed to throw that match, or King would see to it that his post fight urinalysis would come back positive for drugs. Fighters don't just say that they threw a match, simply to come up with an excuse for losing a bout. Being involved in a fixed fight is far more detrimental to a man's reputation than losing in the ring, and every man who's ever boxed knows this. In addition, standing up to the King family and publicly slandering them is risky stunt to pull. The guy's wife could have gone out to get the mail one day and found Tim's head in the post box.

As for the Thomas loss, I have no explanation, as I have never seen the fight. However I have been told that Tim showed up with his head basically up his ass for that match, yet still fought him to a majority decision loss. It was also one of the best performances of Thomas's career, who would later deteriorate from the effects of heroine use by the time he met Berbick and Tyson.....

 

Wow this is quite a story. All the behind the scenes tidbits have no relevance when discussing Lennox Lewis or a Foreman comeback, but when discussing a fighter you dislike, waking up on the wrong side of the bed, has tremendous significance in the outcome of a fight.:huh

 

You do nothing but stalk posters who prove your ineptitude.

 

No man, keep it real, dont make **** up and use significant factoids only when it suits your arguement. Your proving nothing to anyone but yourself if you believe that to be the case.