Willie DeWit, Out of Grand Prarie, Alberta had an extensive amateur background. In the lead up to the 1984 Olympics, he won the Heavyweight World Amateur Championship defeating Soviet, Aleksandr Yagubkin. Entering the Olympics as one of the favorites to win gold, he lost the gold medal match to Henry Tillman to win silver at the 84 Olympics. Like many he got tabbed a 'Great White Hope' and turned pro after the Olympics. He was carefully guided, you might say protected in amassing a 15-0-1 record. On 2-14-87, he fought Bert Cooper in a fight televised by CBS. Bert Cooper, had just made his move up to the heavyweight division. He was exposed by Cooper, getting knocked to the floor 4 times, losing by KO2. His cornermen mercifully stopped the fight, as Cooper broke DeWit's nose and deposited him on his face, near the end of the 2nd round. Dewit, retired one year later after 6 more fights. Avenging his Olympic defeat, by defeating Henry Tillman by UD10. He retired at 26 with a record of 21-1-1. Willie, later went on to college graduating in 1994 with a law degree from the University of Alberta. He remains to this day a criminal defense attorney in Alberta with a law firm. Life turned out all right for DeWit, even if his professional boxing career didn't.
I watched Willie in the amateurs and was very impressed with his power, he actually KO'd Tillman before losing to him in the finals. i think it was all the attention that he and fellow countryman O'Sullivan were getting but I have to tell you he was a ruined product as a pro, he had much more potential but was mistrained and mismanaged along with O'Sullivan. DeWitt was a great prospect but developed poorly, through in Nick Wells as a excellent amateur that was ruined with these 2
yep I was a fan of Willie but he didn't develop into a good pro, even before the Cooper fight. he had decent power, especially to the body, however, that was about it, lol, wow did Cooper hammer him, I knew it was coming however, I had watched Cooper before that fight many a time and knew Willie was going to be in over his head.
a few years ago I took interest in his career and saw a few clips of his fights. He was tough and a decent prospect. A successful olympian and a semi-successful pro. Not a man who was destined to becoming a world champion but one who was better than a journeyman and maybe a step below a genuine contender.. He left the ring with a decent record, being the canadian champion and his brains and body in tact. He went on to practicing law and from what I've read lives a decent life...
I'm glad he is doing well. He quit pretty early before he took too much punichment - although he took quite a bit in that one fight w/Cooper.
Being a Canadian boy and living in the prairies at the time I remember both he and O' Sullivan very well. Over the years we've had a few prospects that never worked out. Those two, Shane Sutcliffe, and Michael Olajide off the top of my head. Trevor Berbick did alright, and Lewis and Ruddock both did quite well. O'Sullivan was the guy people thought was going to go farther in the sport than he ended up going.
No mention of Tom Glesby? DeWitt's shining moment was the 1984 Olympic games. The talent field was weak that year, due to the Soviet's and Cuban's boycotting the event.
