BoxRec

Why did this fight never take place? I suppose most people will say Tyson would have won easy but I'm not too sure. What do people think? I think the fight would have gone the distance!

I think Witherspoon was a good tough guy,and he had an awkward defense,good power,and a good jab.BUT,I do think that the Tyson back then would have overwhelmed him.Many people got high on Witherspoon when he gave Larry Holmes a good solid fight.But giving an aging boxer like Holmes a good challenge(many thought Witherspoon was robbed)is night & day with the Beast that Tyson used to be.I think Witherspoon would have had as good a chance as any of the young prospects back then,but that's it,only a chance.Don't think about the Tyson that got warped by Robin Givens,or Tyson the person,(who seemed to be a prick),but watch some of those old fights,when Tyson was Tyson,he was a quick fisted,aggressive wrecking-ball throwing fighter.I know many dislike Tyson and won't agree,but the old Tyson was a thing of beauty,I wouldn't give many moderns a chance against a prime Tyson.
zuru

Arsenal wrote:Why did this fight never take place? I suppose most people will say Tyson would have won easy but I'm not too sure. What do people think? I think the fight would have gone the distance!

It have been dicussed before.. seach from the archives ... dont know why it's funny.. ARCHIVES... damn

A motivated and well trained Spoon would have given Tyson all he could handle. A matchup was never seriously mooted for a couple of reasons - Tim's problems with Don King and the fact (IMO) that Tyson's management were quite wary of the guy

If the fight did go the distance, I think it would be more in Tim's favor, but I don't see Tim stopping Mike, but Mike could flatten Tim by the mid rounds if he's not up to par.

I was a big Tyson fan abck in the 1980s. He came along at a time when there were a lot of unathletic, lethargic contenders around. Guys like Page, Tubbs and, to some degree, Witherspoon had a lot of talent but ddn't seem to be dedicated to the sport. Tyson started blowing out the old fighters and it was very very exciting.

During this time Witherspoon was the one guy I didn't want Tyson to face. Tim had a very decent chin, good defensive skills an excellent jab and had no fear. he was the one fighter I who thought could extend Tyson.

Tim got blown out by Smith on the 3 KD rule. I've wathced the fight (I mean the round) a number of times and Witherspoon doesn't look out of it as such. It was a big shock and credit to Smith for taking his opportunity.

Anyway, if Tim had trained hard, lost some of that siftness around the middle and had a game plan he could have beaten Tyson. I'd pick Mike in a match up but I think it would have been the most competitive fight he ever won.

Arsenal wrote:Why did this fight never take place? I suppose most people will say Tyson would have won easy but I'm not too sure. What do people think? I think the fight would have gone the distance!

They never let Tim fight him. Tim could have been an all time great.

I'd favour Tyson, but Tim could have beaten him.

Not a big puzzle to figure out Tim - slow left jab, followed by a looping, over-hand right. I'm surprised he really beat as many fighters as he did with that.
Tyson would have body-worked him into submission.

Actually this fight was ready to take place in March of 1988 over in Japan but Witherspoon backed out a few weeks before the fight as the opponent and Tony Tubbs was given the nod..

Witherspoon goes TIIIMMBEEER

cybox wrote:Actually this fight was ready to take place in March of 1988 over in Japan but Witherspoon backed out a few weeks before the fight as the opponent and Tony Tubbs was given the nod..

How did Tony manage to get the fight?

King had him on the shelf. Tubbs agreed to take the fight if King would let him out of his contract. Tubbs only had 2 weeks to train for Tyson

Tubbs looked great in the first round against Tyson.

Tony would have beant Tyson if he would have done every rounbd like the first. He got too comfy and let his balls take him into an inside fight. Tony wasn't affraid of Mike, he was willing to mix it up inside, which is not Tony Tubbs' fight. Tony would have defeated Tyson if he boxed him like he did in the first.

Arsenal wrote:Why did this fight never take place? I suppose most people will say Tyson would have won easy but I'm not too sure. What do people think? I think the fight would have gone the distance!

It would have happened in March 1987 if Spoon hadn't of had his buttocks spanked Boneclutcher Smith in Dec 1986.

I always felt that Witherspoon was the one guy that could have given the prime Tyson a decent scrap. His overhand Right was a peach of a punch & it was that same punch that Boneclutcher stunned Tyson with in the last 10 secs of their snorefest in '87. Tyson finished that fight tottering on his feet. If Witherspoon had of landed that punch, it might have shocked the world.

look at all the guys Tyson never got to fight because King put them on the back burner over being bitter towrds them.. Witherspoon, Dokes, Greg Page to name a few..

Tyson was a machine in his prime...not many could've beat him before he got arrested.

it dosent matter who fought tyson in his prime he would of still beaten them saying average heavyweights such as witherspoon and tubbs could of beaten tyson is absurd .

i just stated if Tubbs fought the whole fight like the first round is all

shyguy wrote:it dosent matter who fought tyson in his prime he would of still beaten them saying average heavyweights such as witherspoon and tubbs could of beaten tyson is absurd .

To say an average heavyweight like Buster Douglas would beat Tyson was probably absurd too... but crazy shit happens..

buster douglas that night would have taken tony tubbs to school

. Tony would have defeated Tyson if he boxed him like he did in the first.

cybox wrote:

shyguy wrote:it dosent matter who fought tyson in his prime he would of still beaten them saying average heavyweights such as witherspoon and tubbs could of beaten tyson is absurd .

To say an average heavyweight like Buster Douglas would beat Tyson was probably absurd too... but crazy shit happens..

Buster Douglas was far from an average heavyweight. He was immensely talented but lacked the dedication and motivation to become truly great. If Douglas trained for every fight like he did against Tyson, he would have sported an undefeated record.

Everyone saw the potential and the skill, but unfortunately everyone also saw his poor mindset.

FYI: Douglas whips Tubbs any day of the week. Tubbs was a poster boy for Weight Watchers even back then. He didn't get past the second round with Tyson because Tyson knocked him the hell out. Who cares how well he boxed in the first round? He couldn't take Tyson's punches and exited the fight early.

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:buster douglas that night would have taken tony tubbs to school

. Tony would have defeated Tyson if he boxed him like he did in the first.

Buster was scared shitless of Tony's skills. I've seen the 2 box each other before.

cybox wrote:

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:buster douglas that night would have taken tony tubbs to school

. Tony would have defeated Tyson if he boxed him like he did in the first.

Buster was scared shitless of Tony's skills. I've seen the 2 box each other before.

Yeah he was scared of Tony but not Tyson, very viable.

evndrbsn wrote:

cybox wrote:

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:buster douglas that night would have taken tony tubbs to school

Buster was scared shitless of Tony's skills. I've seen the 2 box each other before.

Yeah he was scared of Tony but not Tyson, very viable.

Dude do you have any idea how the game works. Sure Douglas is gonna climb into the ring for $1 million to fight Tyson, hell, you or I would but he wouldn't garner that much vs Tubbs and he knows Tony is too slick for him, It's been done to him before. It doesnt mean he's scared or not scared, it means he would fight whomever they threw in front of him for whatever money cause he was broke and bound to a contract with Johnson to fight. What else is he gonna do skip out on a 6 figure purse to tote carpet around and sit at home in Columbus and watch someone else take the fight. He wouldnt want to fight Tubbs becuase he knows he would get out boxed just like he had done to him before for the amount of money he would have made and risked a bigger purse. Hell, they tried to get Tubbs and Douglas to fight before. Tubbs was all for it but James bawlked pricing himself out...why?...cause he knew he would lose...