Mike Tyson didn't duck Tim Witherspoon.

Witherspoon was a good fighter, and to be fair the contractual stuff going on between him and Don King potentially would have posed a obstacle to a fight between him and Tyson, but the main reason they never fought was the nearly 10 year age gap... there were only a few weeks between Tyson's first title win and Witherspoon's loss to Smith, after that a fight against Witherspoon wasn't really an obvious match for Tyson, from either a financial or sporting perspective. If Witherspoon had beaten Smith a Tyson fight would have been a logical next step, but he lost. Tyson would have been a strong favourite to win, though it's IMO eminently likely that Witherspoon would have put in a creditable Tony Tucker style performance against him.

 

I never had any impression that Tyson ducked Witherspoon. I don't remember anyone talking about it at the time. Witherspoon was one of the better champs in the 80's outside of Holmes and then Tyson. He might have done better than 2 rounds against Tyson, but I never thought he could actually win.

Both of the previous posts are right in that the timing was never right for such a fight.

 

Just going to say Mike feasted on a generation of heavyweights best described as "Ali-like".

 

Terrible Tim was probably the best alphabet champ of the 80s that Iron Mike didn't face.

I think the reason was solely b/c Don King didn't want to give Timmy a look in. Nothing else.

Iron Mike faced Trevor Berbick, Bonecrusher Smith, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Tony Tubbs, Larry & Michael Spinks in the 80s.

He didn't face Terrible Tim, Mike Weaver, Michael Dokes or Greg Page.

Page was on the payroll as a sparring partner so that ruled him out. Michael Dokes wasn't active at the time while Terrible Tim & Mike Weaver were in conflict with Don King.

 

Not fighting from March 85 until December 87 (almost 3 years) when Tyson was extremely active didn't help his chances of getting a fight with him either.

 

Tyson would’ve body bagged him in 4.. great fighter but Tyson at that point In time was a few levels above.

 

The only reason Tim Witherspoon didn't fight Mike Tyson is because Witherspoon got knocked out in one round by Bonecrusher Smith in the Heavyweight Tournament.

That's it.

Tyson was scheduled to fight the winner. Smith beat Spoon in less than a round. Tyson fought Smith. If Spoon won, Tyson would've fought him.

It was a tournament. If you get to fight Mike Tyson if you beat Bonecrusher Smith, then don't get knocked out in one round by Bonecrusher Smith. (LOL)

 

There was that.

Allow me to rephrase. The only reason Tim Witherspoon wasn't recycled as an opponent for Mike Tyson was b/c of his contractual situation with Don King.

I think he was the most marketable of the 80s alphabet champs who didn't get a shot.

 

I know what you're saying, but I don't agree.

After the tournament, Tyson fought three mandatories - Tyrell Biggs, Carl Williams and Frank Bruno - he fought Michael Spinks for all the marbles and he fought Holmes who was still the biggest name at heavyweight other than Tyson.

That left one fight and he fought Tubbs in Tokyo.

Tubbs and Witherspoon were the only two guys in the whole tournament he didn't fight. Could he have fought Witherspoon in Tokyo instead of Tubbs, sure. But Tubbs wasn't the guy who got wasted in one by Bonecrusher. Tubbs actually left the tournament after a dispute with King over money (and claimed he was injured). So it's not like Tubbs was super tight with King, either.

It wasn't like after the tournament Tyson was rubbing it in Tim's face. Tyson fought his mandatories and he fought Holmes and Spinks.

To fight Tyson, all Witherspoon had to do was beat Smith - which he had already done before. It's not like they put someone in front of Spoon he couldn't handle.

Spoon even claimed years later he threw the Smith rematch, which I never believed (because he got a tooth knocked out). But, if you believe Witherspoon that he lost on purpose, then whose fault is it he didn't fight Tyson - who was next?

Whether he lost legitimately or on purpose, either way, it's Tim Witherspoon's fault he didn't fight Mike Tyson.

Beat Smith. Fight Tyson.

 

Failed to face and ducked are used too interchangablely around here. No one has fought everyone

 

What I said was that I thought he was most marketable of the 80s alphabet champs who Tyson didn't face.

If you don't agree with that statement, you need to post the name of the one who he didn't face that was more marketable at the time.

You appear to be reiterating at length the point you've already made. That is, if he wanted to face Tyson, he needed to beat Bonecrusher.

Acknowledged.

 

You said (twice):

"I think the reason was solely b/c Don King didn't want to give Timmy a look in. Nothing else."

"Allow me to rephrase. The only reason Tim Witherspoon wasn't recycled as an opponent for Mike Tyson was b/c of his contractual situation with Don King."

I not disagreeing Witherspoon wasn't marketable. I never said that once.

I said it wasn't his contractual situation. The winner of Smith-Spoon had a contract to fight Mike Tyson next. Spoon lost, so he didn't get the fight, Smith did. And Tubbs was arguing with King over money, too, which is why he left the tournament but he got a fight with Tyson afterward.

Nobody is arguing with you about 'marketability."