Tim Witherspoon is a great fighter with all the basics, and it's fair to say that the Philadelphia fighter had the tools and the teachings. Today, we look at today's best heavyweights and the former two-time heavyweight champion believes that the likes of Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua are getting the guidance they need on the defensive side of their game. I strongly feel that there is no such thing.
Although Tim is 66 years old, he looks and sounds much younger, and attributes his good health and youthful appearance to his solid defense as a fighter. And indeed, Witherspoon, who fought professionally from 1979 to 2003 with a record of 55 wins, 13 losses, and 1 minute 38 seconds, was stopped only four times, three of which were by Tim. It was towards the end of my career. He was over 40 years old.
When Witherspoon spoke with ESB this week, he was kind enough to take some time to talk about his career and what he's been up to lately.
Q: First, can you tell us about the documentary you're working on?
Tim Witherspoon: “I just finished In The Company of Kings with Bernard Hopkins. And what I have is mine alone. My book Terrible Times tells the whole story. It wasn't talked about at all. In fact, we had a falling out at the time because the guy who wrote it didn't put everything in there. So I'm really happy that we're doing a documentary now. There's a lot to say about the Mafia, about all kinds of things…”
Q: It's been almost 41 years since your great fight with Larry Holmes, a fight that so many felt you won.
TW: “Oh, wow, time flies so fast. The thing is, I played great defense. That was the key to that fight. Holmes was a great fighter, but his defense… He wasn't great, he was a right-handed guy with a jab. His defense was grabbing. Of course he had a great heart, but we learned Holmes in the gym and he was slim to me. I had a great trainer named Robinson. Slim was my buddy and my only trainer. I used to talk to guys like George Benton in the gym and they were knowledgeable. , taught me a lot of things. But Slim was always the star. In the Holmes fight, Slim made us get the jab. That's what today's fighters, young fighters, can do. I didn't, because they didn't have a teacher. Slim was cool and a really good teacher, but that game taught me that you really have to beat the champion, you have to convince him. [the judges] And leave no doubt. Holmes, he was the bigger name, he was the champion, and if it was close he was going to win.
“But when it comes to defense, defense is one of the most important things for any fighter. Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder can both hit really well and there's nothing wrong with their offense, but , the defense wasn't that great. I was blessed with a good schooling. Thomas Hearns was a great example…he was all about crime. Of course I was. I love him and Emmanuel Steward. But as his career progressed, he started to face some tough battles, and it took its toll. And today, the damage he suffered was because of Tommy Hearns. And now it's hard to communicate. You need both defense and offense. And every time I hear a trainer say, “Offense is the best defense,'' I get angry. Masu. Larry Holmes was great, but he didn't have a good defense himself, so if he was a trainer he couldn't teach defense to young fighters. ”
Q: You certainly had a better defense and chin than Frank Bruno in one of your most famous matches.
TW: “As I said before, if Bruno had my trainer and I had his trainer, he would have won the fight. He used it well. But he was tired, so it wasn't hard to hit him. He couldn't block shots like I did, but the whole country won him. I wanted to, and I could feel that energy.”
Q: You are of course the heavyweight champion, having defeated both Greg Page and Tony Tubbs to win the belt. Who was the better fighter between the two?
TW: “I think they were about the same in terms of overall ability. Tony was flashier, Tony was faster. Page got hit hard. But Page was from the same town as Ali, so I tried to be like Ali. Tony was the better boxer of the two.”
Q: Do you favor 15 or 12 rounds for world title fights?
TW: “I think it was a good move to go to 12 rounds. 12 rounds is enough to be a heavyweight champion or a lightweight champion. The last round, the 13th, 14th, 15th round is the real test. And when you get tired, you can get seriously injured. It may be a survival thing, but it shouldn't be that way. I think it was definitely a good move to get to the 12th round. ”
Q: That's interesting. Some older fans may be surprised by your answer. The only fight you didn't win, and could have if you hadn't lost to Bonecrusher in the infamous rematch, was against Mike Tyson. Would you have been able to defeat him if you had tried your best?
TW: “Tyson, he was strong like a kid and he beat everyone with the force of the world. My career was rocky and I was cheated on. Don King is committed to Tyson. But I believe that if I was at my best, with the right head, the right motivation and the right mindset, I could have beaten him. But Mike would have fought me, he didn't care about my trials and tribulations. [with King; Witherspoon having often strongly suggested he took a dive in the Smith rematch so as to get out of King’s clutches). It would have been a good fight.”
Q: Talk about your time working with the great Ali, at Deer Lake.
TW: “Oh, that was the best. Ali, just to be around him…… He was past his best by then, and when I sparred him I refused to hit him in the head. Angelo Dundee – I love Angelo, we both came from the same area. But in camp, Ali really didn’t listen to Angelo, he was there to see that Ali got in shape and he pumped him up and gave him confidence.”
Q: And Bundini, what was he like?
TW: “Man, he was funny. I didn’t learn too much from him myself, but he was a funny guy and he made you laugh. He would cuss and he drank. He passed away (in the 1980s). Gene Kilroy is still a great friend of mine, we talk a lot. He’s another great guy. Back in the day, Gene would go into town and check out what the reception was gonna be for black people. You know, it was like that back then. Gene would go in first and find out how we’d be received.”
Q: Anders Eklund's KO is amazing. It remains popular on YouTube. You really cut him down with your right hand!
TW: “Yeah, Eklund was a really strong guy and he pushed me down in the ring. It might not have looked like it, but he was really strong. I’m glad I was able to get him out of there quickly. I think he passed away six or seven years after our fight.”
Q: So you sparred with Gerry Cooney early in your career and crushed him?
TW: “I wouldn't say I crushed him. I sparred with him and grabbed his nose with my right hand and came on top. He was really hurting everyone. [in sparring] Back then I was breaking ribs and things like that. Slim said to me, “Tim, it's okay, he's not going to hit you with that.'' He told me to watch when Cooney would go down to prepare to throw a big left hand, and I just moved to the side and he couldn't hit me. It was easy. At the time, I was still a young up-and-coming fighter. Me and Jerry are friends now, he's also a great guy. ”
Q: Lastly, who will win in the fight between champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk?
TW: “I've said it many times, but for a long time, Fury has to fight with his body. Forget about his head! With Usyk, if I'm training Fury, I'm going to focus on his body, his shoulders. He'll tell you to hit him anywhere, on the arm, let him know he's touched you, and get rid of his moves. If Fury does that, he wins. [He has to] Jabs to the chest, arms, everywhere. I wish I was with Tyson Fury, I love that guy. I don't know if Sugar Hill is right for him. He's never fought and he won't tell you what's right. Let's go back and check out his previous matches and what he said in the corner. Sugar Hill, he got his start thanks to Emanuel. Fury, he should work it out with a jab to the body, wear him down and take away his movement and confidence. But I don't know if he will do it. ”