Witherspoon replacing dokes against holyfield and Bowe?

Your whole argument is "IF Tim got in shape ..." and "IF Tim was motivated" and "IF Time had one great fight left in him" ... and "IF Evander DIDN'T look good" (but Evander looked damn good that night).

Tim barely edged Larry Alexander in a split decision. Two months later, that's the guy who would be entering a fight with Holyfield.

Also, Michael Dokes fought the best fight of his entire career against Holyfield that night, and he got knocked out. And Dokes did well because he threw fast combinations that Witherspoon simply never threw. Tim was jab. Jab. Jab. Look for the big right. Jab. Jab. On the other hand, Dokes threw fast combinations on the inside. And Holyfield did the same.

Stylewise, Witherspoon-Holyfield would've resembled Pinklon-Thomas-Holyfield.

Evander would've stopped Tim in fairly one-sided fashion, IMO.

Bowe would've stopped Tim, too, and stopped him early. Probably like Bonecrusher did.

 

After his title loss he was avoided.Tyson wanted no part of him or foreman Holy and bowe and moorer kept clear Stewart fought Holy rather than spoon in 89 .I'm not saying that those guys couldn't beat him but it was a risky move to fight spoon for not much cash.

 

Michael Dokes looked good on the undercard of Holyfield-Thomas.

On the other hand, Witherspoon barely edged Larry Alexander. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-01-28/sports/sp-1258_1_split-decision

I highly doubt the 1983 version of Tim Witherspoon was going to show up in 1989 against Holyfield. And I wouldn't take that 1983 version of Spoon over Evander, either.

The best version of Spoon doesn't beat the best version of Holyfield. The guy struggling with Larry Alexander certainly doesn't.

 

I thought we were talking about the version of Spoon who fought Holmes since were talking about specific versions of Holy and Bowe. Am I missing something here?

 

Had really high hopes for a young Spoon thought he would take one of the other belts after the Holmes loss but he was his own worst enemy and never really showed up again like he did vs Holmes.
I got the Spoon from the Holmes fight taking the rightfully respected but slightly overrated Holy by points. Prime Bowe probebly beats him on points but wouldnt place a bet on it.

 

You seem very motivated to ignore that Witherspoon went on to beat Al Cole and Jorge Luis Gonzales while deep into his 30s. It's evidence that he had something left.

 

And which one was better than a prime Holyfield and a prime Bowe?

Al Cole? Jesus Christ.

 

You can see a 32-year-old Tim Witherspoon - coming off a controversial decision win over journeyman Larry Alexander and getting booed out of the arena - flooring Evander Holyfield and winning a decision?

What was it about his one round KO loss to Bonecrusher, his split decision win over Mike Williams ... or his split decision win over journeyman Larry Alexander that led you to this outrageous claim?

Any time he fought someone who remotely had a pulse around that time - Mike Williams, Larry Alexander, Jose Ribalta, Carl Williams ... one judge scored it for the other guy.

And in the case of Bigfoot Martin, two judges scored it for the other guy (and not Spoon).

But you think he's going to floor and stop Holyfield? And outbattle Bowe for the World title in 93 after the Bigfoot Martin show?

Two all-time greats ... at or near their very best?

Utterly ridiculous. On his best day, Spoon doesn't beat Holyfield.

Holyfield stops him in six or seven.

Newly crowned champ Bowe mops the floor with him four years later.

I don't know where you guys get this from. It's pure fantasy. Look at him leading up to when those matches would've taken place.

 

He asked what would have happened if Witherspoon had replaced Dokes in 1989 (against Holyfield) and if he'd replaced Dokes in 1993 (against Bowe).

1989 and 1993 weren't 1983.

In 1989, Spoon would be coming off a split decision win over journeyman Larry Alexander. In 1993, he would be coming off loss to Bigfoot and a decision over light heavy Tony Willis.

Stick that Witherspoon - coming off those fights - in against the Holyfield who fought Dokes and the Bowe who fought Dokes.

The answer ISN'T Witherspoon wins.

 

He'd have a real shot against '89 Holyfield.

He'd be motivated.

I don't care if he just edged Alexander. Witherspoon's performances were often affected by motivation or lack thereof

I think he'd be highly motivated to knock off an undefeated Holyfield who was getting hype.

Also, '89 Holyfield was a version that was just growing into the Heavyweight division.

If a past peak, immobile Dokes could give him hell, so could Witherspoon - who had better defense and more power than Dokes.

Witherspoon wouldn't be as busy as Dokes, but he was more dangerous.

If Holyfield warred with Witherspoon, he could be hurt.

I favor Holyfield to win a decision but it is by no means a certainty.

 

Witherspoon wasn't more dangerous. Witherspoon wasn't as good as Pinklon Thomas in the 1980s. Holyfield showed how well a stationary guy who just jabs and looks to throw a right would do against him when he dismantled Pinklon in 1988.

Dokes did well against Holyfield because Dokes had fast hands and threw a ton of combinations in close. That's how the fight remained competitive until Evander stopped him. It was a battle of combinations and flurries.

Witherspoon didn't fight like that. Witherspoon would just jab and look to land a big punch, like Thomas did. And it would be a mismatch in Holyfield's favor.

That was NEVER the recipe to beat Holyfield.