"Mercer-Spoon" 1996... Did Spoon get dicked?

I have stated many times on this board that I felt as though Witerspoon was robbed in this fight, I also think it may have had something to do with Mercer dropping 2 close ones to Lewis and Holyfield.. This Spoon was very good and I also agree that losing this fight just made Tim say the hell with it I'm not getting a title shot again or a fair shake for that matter in boxing anymore.. So he just was never the same which is a shame because he still could have been a force in the division.. He spent alot of his peak years dealing with bs with Don King and other outside the ring distractions which is sad because in shape and motivated he was a handful!!

 

I really like Witherspoon, I rally hoped he'd come back and get the title back, seems like he shure could have. Maybe lack of will, and age did him in. Golata would have been his ***** in his prime

 

Witherpsoon deserved to win, but it was pretty close. When fighters are blackballed by the power brokers in the sport, they tend to lose close fights on the cards that the majority felt they should have won.

 

Mercer himself admitted Spoon got robbed.

 

Yes. I happened to be at the Garden the night Mercer fought Lewis. Holyfield was in the main even against Czyz. I had Lewis winning barely, but the crowd didnt agree, it was constant boos for Lewis until he was out of sight back in his dressing room.

MR. LEFTHOOK31:rasta

 

No robbery but the scores were too wide. A draw would've been fair. Witherspoon faded badly over the last 3 rounds. His age seem to catch up with him right there during the fight.

 

Good fight, it really could have went either way. A draw would have worked fine.

Mercer had good fights with Holyfield (L10 in '95), Lewis ('L10 in 96 that could have went either way), and Witherspoon (W10 in '96) back to back to back in those days.

Since losing to rematch to Bonecrusher Smith in '86, 'Spoon had beat Jose Ribalta (close fight), Carl Williams (split-decision that could have went either way), Al Cole (lop-sided decision), and Jorge L. Gonzalez KO5 among others. He came in out of shape vs. Bigfoot Martin and got outworked for a decision loss in '92. I really wanted to see Witherspoon vs. Bowe after the way Witherspoon dismantled Gonzalez... Bowe did pretty much the same to Gonzalez a year earlier (KO6).

Mercer and Witherspoon should have fought again in '97. They were still pretty good in those days and a rematch would have been good. I would have liked to have seen either one of them vs. a top HW in late '97 but it was downhill for both fighters after this point for whatever reason.

 

yes tim witherspoon got dicked..........he landed the power punches.....mecer landed the jabs.....but witherspoon out worked and out hussled ray

 

spoon won that. but it was very close i think