Tim Witherspoon vs Jeff Sims - Two big HW bombers clash in early 90's TV bout

Jeff Sims is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting and enigmatic heavyweights of the past 30+ years. Certainly among the most troubled. Guy made Sonny Liston look like a straight laced citizen.

Sims was initially a sparring partner of an older Muhammad Ali and a young Gerry Cooney. He gained a degree of infamy after splitting Ali's lip badly during a heated sparring session, resulting in Ali growing a mustache to hide the cut that would leave him with a scar. He was at one time, for a brief period, a top ten heavyweight.

Sims learned how to fight while incarcerated for manslaughter, arrested for the crime at the age of 17 after a childhood and young adult life spent in destitute poverty. He supposedly quickly took to boxing within prison and accumulated a 21-0 record with 21 first round knockouts.

Sims was pretty old in this fight, seemingly unable to throw a right hand. He had been in a car crash that resulted in one of his shoulders and arms having to be rebuilt. He was also carrying several bullets in his body at this point, a result of numerous "disputes" over his life.

Tons of good information on Sims in this broadcast and in this early 80's article. I've always had an interest in the man and his unskilled but seemingly huge power, being compared to the likes of Shaver's while he was coming up by pundits and trainers.

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http://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/27/sports/sports-of-the-times-bulletproof-boxer-is-healthy-again.html

 

I also love watching Terrible Tim ply his wares and skills... I can't see many punchers catching him cold in hypothetical match ups, honestly. Look at how relaxed he is in the ring, and how well he sees and navigates around all incoming fire... Certainly one of the most skilled heavyweights of the past 30 plus years. Just because he didn't dance like Ali or jab like Holmes doesn't mean he wasn't exceptionally skilled, albeit in a much quieter and loud manner.

 

I believe Wells knocked out Holmes twice as an amateur, a sticking point/factoid that critics and detractors of Holmes used to routinely bring up during his ascent through the ranks. He was Larry's amateur boogey man, much like Mark Wills would become a perpetual thorn in Greg Page's professional side. Same situation as Hearns/Barkley, really.

Sometimes, there's just a guy out there with a quarter of your talent who's still going to beat you every time out for one reason or another.

 

The Moore comparison is a great one, but Spoon really does feel like a super sized Mongoose... both in terms of most of his fight ending power being in one hand despite both actually being able to punch with either, their respective zen like calmness in the ring, the cross armed defense,

Funny enough Moore had his own "Bonecrusher" sized mishap, being stopped in a one round blitzing by a fighter named Leonard Morrow. I guess it really can happen to anyone, sound as your defense is, and whether you're a blown up LHW or flirting with being a super heavyweight...

 

Hahah, I'm a New Englander and can barely speak functional English half the time...

 

I'm smack dab in the middle of Connecticut...

They're talking about 10 inches of snow starting tomorrow afternoon. Hoping I don't lost power (Would mean I wouldn't be able to post with all you excellent gentlemen tomorrow afternoon and evening, you included Longhorn! )

 

Anyone watching and enjoying the fights I've been posting? Trying to dig up stuff on the obscure side, with interesting fighters and bouts. Also trying to stoke the fires of nostalgia for posters here...