Tim Witherspoon - Underrated?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Russell, Apr 17, 2008.


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  1. Russell

    Russell Loyal Member Full Member

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    With the exception of a select few fighters the man raw roughshed over the 80's heavies, debatably beat Larry Holmes, MATCHED Holme's much vaunted later career performance against Ray Mercer beating him on my card, never completely imploded like most 80's heavyweights and had great longetivity.
     
    Russell, Apr 17, 2008
    Russell, Apr 17, 2008
    #1
  2. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Yes I believe he his very underrated.
     
    mr. magoo, Apr 17, 2008
    mr. magoo, Apr 17, 2008
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  3. Holmes' Jab

    Holmes' Jab Master Jabber Full Member

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    I'd say somewhere between 20 and 30 would be a very reasonable rating. Maybe bang in the middle of that range. Underrated fundamentally and would've been a tough nights work for quite a few fighters.
     
    Holmes' Jab, Apr 17, 2008
    Holmes' Jab, Apr 17, 2008
    #3
  4. Russell

    Russell Loyal Member Full Member

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    Higher or lower than Jimmy Young?
     
    Russell, Apr 17, 2008
    Russell, Apr 17, 2008
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  5. Holmes' Jab

    Holmes' Jab Master Jabber Full Member

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    A tad higher actually. They're neck and neck in terms of ability but I'd take Spoon to win a match against him.
     
    Holmes' Jab, Apr 17, 2008
    Holmes' Jab, Apr 17, 2008
    #5
  6. Russell

    Russell Loyal Member Full Member

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    You take H2H formidability into account quite a bit, eh?
     
    Russell, Apr 17, 2008
    Russell, Apr 17, 2008
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  7. Sonny's jab

    Sonny's jab Guest

    His fight with Tony Tubbs was awful, his fights with Greg Page and Pinklon Thomas weren't much better.

    Witherspoon was often dreary and fat. I liked his style and obvious talent, but he was one of the guys giving the heavyweight division a bad name in the 80s. He grew tits and huffed and puffed a lot.

    But I suppose that's nothing a bit of revisionism and rose-tinted glasses cant cure.
     
    Sonny's jab, Apr 17, 2008
    Sonny's jab, Apr 17, 2008
    #7
  8. Russell

    Russell Loyal Member Full Member

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    Erm, did you miss his great performances years past his peak were he lost huge amounts of weight and debatably beat top fighters from the next decade?

    He nearly imploded in the 80's, but who the **** didn't?
     
    Russell, Apr 17, 2008
    Russell, Apr 17, 2008
    #8
  9. bumdujour

    bumdujour Well-Known Member Full Member

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    depends. he never made the most of his ability. thats why he doesnt have that great a legacy.

    but head to head, he would have a great shot at beating all time greats like jack dempsey, rocky marciano and jersey joe walcott.
     
    bumdujour, Apr 17, 2008
    bumdujour, Apr 17, 2008
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  10. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    Witherspoon is an interesting case of heredity versus environment. The talent was there. The backing and manager were not. If Witherpsoon had a good team and promoter backing him, I think he could have been Mike Tyson’s chief rival in the mid to late 1980’s.

    Withspoon was far from done in the late 1980's. If you get a chance watch him vs an un-defeated Mike Williams.


    But yes, Witherpsoon is an under rated fighter.
     
    Mendoza, Apr 17, 2008
    Mendoza, Apr 17, 2008
    #10
  11. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Nothing wrong with a good set of man tits....
     
    mr. magoo, Apr 17, 2008
    mr. magoo, Apr 17, 2008
    #11
  12. Polymath

    Polymath Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Good point. When fighters dont quite live up to their talent potential what they DID do tends to be overly discarded.
     
    Polymath, Apr 17, 2008
    Polymath, Apr 17, 2008
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  13. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Agreed,

    such is the case with Witherspoon, and perhaps even Vitali Klitschko.
     
    mr. magoo, Apr 17, 2008
    mr. magoo, Apr 17, 2008
    #13
  14. heerko koois

    heerko koois Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Yes he was.....He beat Holmes i think ...his fight with Thomas was a very close one, poleaxed Broad in 2 rounds , Knocked out a prime Bruno [ Bruno was out cold ..] Whitherspoon is a top 20 atg in my book ...
     
    heerko koois, Apr 18, 2008
    heerko koois, Apr 18, 2008
    #14
  15. Holmes' Jab

    Holmes' Jab Master Jabber Full Member

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    Top 20 is a bit high, I think (though he comes in comfortably somehere amongst the next 10). I can't quite see how he quite ranks above the likes of Tunney, Walcott, Charles, Wills or Jackson etc. Underrated fighter though I certainly agree with that.

    Just out of curiosity what does your top 20 roughly look like?
     
    Holmes' Jab, Apr 18, 2008
    Holmes' Jab, Apr 18, 2008
    #15
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