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

I for one really dig your posts Russ, as someone who was born in 1965 and started being a boxing fan as soon as I was a conscious being in the early 70s ( thanks Dad ) I really enjoy the 70s stuff you post.

I was actually watching a bit of mid 80s local stuff on youtube yesterday as we were rained in.

Brisbane welterweight Brian Janssen vs Kirkland Laing in 1985.

My younger brother n I were at ringside for this one and we thought Laing was absolutely beating the whizz outta Janssen when Janssen decided to deal with Laing by a putting together a nice head butt-hit the guy when he is down combination.

Laing didnt actually seem to be THAT hurt but for whatever reason he wouldnt get up or fight on and Janssen was called the winner. I have to be honest n admit that I saw some really hardcore home town cooking in fights held in Brissie.

Lets go to the video tape ( in Warner Wolf style ) ...

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Actually, Sims didn't bust Ali's lip in a "heated" sparring session. Ali used to jump in the ring while still wearing his street clothes against guys in the gym and clown around with them for a round or two. He'd been doing that for 15 years.

He showed up in a gym when he was trying to build interest in a fight with Holmes and got in the ring with Sims. Ali was in street clothes. Sims was already in there. Ali put on gloves he was moving around and Sims blasted him. Ali didn't have a mouthpiece in because he was just fooling around, and his teeth cut his lip.

Everyone jumped in and yelled at Sims (who wasn't the brightest bulb). Ali had to go get stitches. And, yes, that's why he grew a mustache and started calling himself "Dark Gable." (Like Clark Gable)

Ali had done that so many times that it was bound to happen eventually. Most people understood Ali was just there to clown around. He just popped in for a minute.

But Jeff Sims was basically a brain damaged street guy, and he took his swing at a clowning Ali and it landed. I guess Sims wasn't known for his sense of humor.

 

Gracias for a very edumacational post DC. I didnt know that and as you said Ali was absolutely notorious for getting into the ring in street clothes. He just absolutely loved fighting which in the end proved very detrimental to his physical well being.

Cheers.

 

The prefight interview with Sims isn't included on that Witherspoon fight link, but it was on the USA broadcast. (I recorded that fight back in the day and still have it.).

His interview was scary in terms of the damage he had. His brain was fried.

 

A guy once told me that he had hold the title "The 2nd coming of Sonny Liston" pretty scary