Back in the day when Tyson Was coming through, I remember an anticipated flght Was between him and Tim Witherspoon. The hope Was Tim gets himself sorted and fighting shape. Still think he could have been Tyson s hardest fights.
I think for the right amount of money Tim would’ve turned up and given Tyson hell, I just don’t think he was in a healthy place when it could’ve happened, he had a lot of issues at the time.
Think that's what it was mate. All that crap with DK, his head was mashed. Which is a great shame cos Tim was one of the best of the 80 s guys.
This fight would have happened if Tim hadn't been knocked out by Smith. It's a pity that this happened because Tim would have given a damn a much better fight than the extremely defensive, fighting for survival and uncomfortable to box James. But as for the result, I think that Tim, who hits quite wide punches and is a bit slow, would have been created to effectively win over the faster Mike. Tim had a great talent for tall boxers. He would do great or he could do it with high outfighters like Akinwande, Lewis, Biggs, Klitschko, Bugner, Tucker just like he did great with Gonzales or Holmes. His fight with Cooney, with Foreman, could have been great... But fast, mobile Tyson with these low dodges is the worst style for Tim, in my opinion. Tim was a perfect match for Mike, but only if he won the rematch with Smith.
They would have fought for unified WBA and WBC title in early 1987 except Tim got blown out by Bonecrusher Smith. Then he got blackballed by King who held all the HW cards.
No way was that the real Witherspoon in there with Boney. Getting blown out in one like that.. definitely not right.
At that point he’d’ve gotten knocked out early, but prime for prime, it’s a tough fight for Tyson, even the version from the Mercer fight could’ve given him trouble.
