Tim Witherspoon


Tim Witherspoon is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2003. He was a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBC title in 1984, and the WBA title in 1986. Witherspoon also worked as a regular sparring partner for Muhammad Ali.

Professional career

Early years

Witherspoon had six amateur bouts, losing the last to Marvis Frazier on decision after getting knocked down.
Making his professional debut with a first-round TKO over Joe Adams on October 30, 1979, Witherspoon quickly rose through the ranks. In 1981, he participated in his first high-profile fight, knocking out future world cruiserweight champion Alfonzo Ratliff, after which he was signed by Don King. Witherspoon was a sparring partner of Ali as he was training to fight Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick. Ali also gave Witherspoon his complimentary ring alias of "Terrible" Tim Witherspoon.
In 1982, he was matched with Renaldo Snipes, who had just given champion Larry Holmes a fair challenge, and outpointed him over 10 rounds, setting up his own challenge to Holmes.

Witherspoon vs. Larry Holmes: WBC heavyweight title

On May 20, 1983, Witherspoon would have his first attempt at earning a world title by taking on the recognized top man in the division World Boxing Council champion Larry Holmes at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Witherspoon gave Holmes all he could handle, including rocking him badly in the ninth round, before losing a disputed twelve round split decision.
He returned later in the year to outpoint Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings, who had drawn with Joe Frazier in Smokin' Joe's last fight, and win the NABF title with a first-round knockout of James "Quick" Tillis.

First title reign: WBC heavyweight champion

In December 1983, Holmes relinquished his WBC title rather than defend against Greg Page, and chose to accept that of the newly formed IBF.
Witherspoon was matched with Page for the vacant title on March 9, 1984. Page, in constant war with promoter Don King, turned up overweight and was outpointed.
Witherspoon's reign as champion would not be long however, as soon he himself was in constant war with King, and on August 31 of that year he was outpointed by Pinklon Thomas via majority decision.

Second title reign: WBA heavyweight champion

In 1985 Witherspoon regained his NABF belt by beating James Broad in two rounds and made a successful twelve round defense against James "Bonecrusher" Smith in his first defense of the belt. This earned him another chance at a heavyweight title and he signed to fight reigning WBA champion Tony Tubbs on January 17, 1986 in Atlanta. Witherspoon won a close fight by majority decision, winning by only one point on one of the scorecards and three on another with one even, to become champion for a second time.
In his first defense of his newly won championship, Witherspoon traveled to London and fought a young up-and-coming English heavyweight and future world champion Frank Bruno at Wembley Stadium, as part of the heavyweight unification series. In the eleventh round of a scheduled fifteen, Witherspoon recorded a technical knockout and did something he had not done when he was champion the first time: make a successful defense of the title after winning it. After defeating Bruno, a rematch with Tony Tubbs loomed but Tubbs pulled out of the fight.
Needing to make a title defense, Witherspoon accepted a second fight with Bonecrusher Smith. Since dropping a lopsided decision in their first matchup Smith had fought four bouts and recorded three wins, all against fringe contenders and journeymen. The fight was scheduled for December 12, 1986 at Madison Square Garden and Witherspoon a heavy favorite against the 17-5 Smith. With fifty seconds remaining in the first round, Witherspoon hit the canvas a third time and Rivera ended the proceedings. At ringside, HBO commentators Barry Tompkins, Larry Merchant, and Sugar Ray Leonard expressed disbelief at the outcome, with all three calling the bout a major upset.

Post-championship career

Following the end his second title reign, Witherspoon spent years in litigation against Don King. In 1991 won the USBA heavyweight title by defeating fellow contender Carl "The Truth" Williams but lost a points decision to Everett Martin. Ring magazine called this inexplicable loss the low point of his career.
In 1993 Don King settled out of court and paid Witherspoon a million dollars. By 1994 Witherspoon had won five fights in a row by knockout. Aged 38 he was signed by HBO and matched in high-profile fights with cruiserweight champion Al Cole and the Cuban amateur Jorge Luis González, both of whom he defeated. Later in the year he was matched with Ray Mercer but lost a 10-round decision.
After that loss Witherspoon laid off a year, and when he came back he was outpointed by Larry Donald on HBO, and, in 1998, lost a close decision when outworked by New Zealander Jimmy Thunder before travelling to Poland to be outpointed by Andrew Golota.
The 43-year-old Witherspoon resurfaced in 2001, knocking out the prospect David Bostice in one round, outpointing Cuban southpaw contender Eliecer Castillo and Syrian Ahmed Abdin, before his revival was ended by Lou Savarese, who stopped him in five rounds.
Witherspoon also competed in Cedric Kushner's 2003 Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament, "Fistful of Dollars," but lost in the opening stages.

Life after boxing

Witherspoon resides near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he trains boxers, including his son, lightweight Tim Witherspoon Jr and many others. He has also trained Light Heavyweight champion Clinton Woods in the U.K.
In 2014, Witherspoon published his book with the help of British entrepreneur Kevin Baker and ghost writer Ryan Danes.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
69Loss55–13–1 Brian NixSD10Mar 15, 2003 Grand Casino, Gulfport, Mississippi, U.S.
68Loss55–12–1 Lou SavareseTKO5, 2:42Sep 22, 2002 Table Mountain Casino, Friant, California, U.S.For vacant WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title
67Win55–11–1 Ahmed AbdinUD10May 18, 2002 Silver Star Hotel & Casino, Choctaw, Mississippi, U.S.
66Win54–11–1 Darroll WilsonKO2, 1:02Mar 10, 2002 Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Nevada, U.S.
65Win53–11–1 Ed WhiteTKO1, 1:10Jan 18, 2002 Entertainment & Sports Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
64Win52–11–1 Cleveland WoodsKO1, 2:30Jul 29, 2001 Palace Indian Gaming Center, Lemoore, California, U.S.
63Loss51–11–1 Monte BarrettSD10Jun 28, 2001 Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York, U.S.
62Win51–10–1 Danny WoffordTKO3 Apr 13, 2001 University, Hampton, Virginia, U.S.
61Win50–10–1 Elieser CastilloMD10Mar 31, 2001 Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
60Win49–10–1 David BosticeTKO1, 2:21Feb 22, 2001 Zembo Shrine Building, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
59Win48–10–1 David SmithTKO2, 2:12Jul 8, 2000 Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
58Draw47–10–1 Mike Sedillo12Apr 29, 2000 St. John's, Antigua and BarbudaFor NBA heavyweight title
57Win47–10 Joe BallardKO1Feb 25, 2000 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
56Loss46–10 Greg PageRTD7, 3:00Jun 18, 1999 Cumberland County Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
55Loss46–9 Brian NielsenTKO4 Apr 16, 1999 K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
54Loss46–8 Andrew GolotaUD10Oct 2, 1998 Centennial Hall, Wrocław, Poland
53Loss46–7 Jimmy ThunderUD10Apr 7, 1998 Harrah's Hotel and Casino, Cherokee, North Carolina, U.S.
52Loss46–6 Larry DonaldUD12Dec 13, 1997 Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S.For WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title
51Win46–5 Levi BillupsTKO1, 1:44Nov 4, 1997 Grand Casino, Tunica, Mississippi, U.S.
50Loss45–5 Ray MercerUD10Dec 14, 1996 Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
49Win45–4 Jorge Luis GonzálezTKO5, 2:54May 10, 1996 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
48Win44–4 Al ColeUD10Jan 12, 1996 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
47Win43–4 Tim PullerTKO2, 0:45Nov 14, 1995 Casino Magic, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, U.S.
46Win42–4 Everton DavisTKO7, 1:34Oct 31, 1995 Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
45Win41–4 Jesse ShelbyTKO1 Mar 24, 1995 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
44Win40–4 Nathaniel FitchTKO6 Dec 17, 1994 Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
43Win39–4 Sherman GriffinTKO3, 2:58Aug 12, 1994 South Padre Island, Texas, U.S.
42Win38–4 Tony WillisUD10Aug 25, 1992 Harrah's Marino Resort, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
41Loss37–4 Everett MartinSD10Jul 21, 1992 The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.
40Win37–3 James PritchardUD10Mar 23, 1992 Harrah's Marina Resort, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
39Win36–3 Jimmy Lee SmithKO1, 2:27Feb 4, 1992 Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
38Win35–3 Art TuckerTKO3, 1:33Sep 10, 1991 The Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.Retained USBA heavyweight title
37Win34–3 Carl WilliamsSD12Mar 8, 1991 Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Won USBA heavyweight title
36Win33–3 José RibaltaMD10Jul 19, 1990 Kingdome, Seattle, Washington, U.S.
35Win32–3 Greg GorrellTKO3, 1:00Mar 12, 1990 Gelora Senayan Main Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
34Win31–3 Jeff Sims5, 3:00Jan 11, 1990 Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
33Win30–3 Anders EklundKO1, 1:11Oct 19, 1989 Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
32Win29–3 Larry AlexanderSD10Jan 27, 1989 Bally's Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
31Win28–3 Mauricio VillegasTKO9 Feb 17, 1988 York Hall, London, England
30Win27–3 Mike WilliamsSD10Oct 14, 1987 Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
29Win26–3 Mark WillsTKO1, 1:15Aug 4, 1987 Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
28Loss25–3 James SmithKO1, 2:12Dec 12, 1986 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Lost WBA heavyweight title
27Win25–2 Frank BrunoTKO11, 2:57Jul 19, 1986 Wembley Stadium, London, EnglandRetained WBA heavyweight title
26Win24–2 Tony TubbsMD15Jan 17, 1986 Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.Won WBA heavyweight title
25Win23–2 Sammy ScaffTKO4, 1:04Oct 12, 1985 National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England
24Win22–2 Larry BeilfussTKO1, 1:35Sep 6, 1985 Tamiami Park Auditorium, Miami, Florida, U.S.
23Win21–2 James SmithUD12Jun 15, 1985 Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Retained NABF heavyweight title
22Win20–2 James BroadKO2, 2:35Apr 29, 1985 Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.Retained NABF heavyweight title
21Win19–2 Mark WillsTKO9, 1:13Mar 25, 1985 The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S.
20Loss18–2 Pinklon ThomasMD12Aug 31, 1984 Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Lost WBC heavyweight title
19Win18–1 Greg PageMD12Mar 9, 1984 Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Won vacant WBC heavyweight title
18Win17–1 James TillisTKO1, 2:16Sep 23, 1983 Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio, U.S.Won vacant NABF heavyweight title
17Win16–1 Floyd CummingsUD10Jul 16, 1983 Dunes, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
16Loss15–1 Larry Holmes12May 20, 1983 Dunes, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.For WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles
15Win15–0 Renaldo Snipes10Jun 5, 1982 Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
14Win14–0 Luis AcostaKO2, 0:42Mar 30, 1982 Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
13Win13–0 Alfonzo RatliffTKO7, 2:25Dec 5, 1981 Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
12Win12–0 Curtis GaskinsKO2 Nov 17, 1981 Playboy Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
11Win11–0 Jerry WilliamsTKO8 Jul 30, 1981 Martin Luther King Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
10Win10–0 Bobby JordanKO4 Jun 17, 1981 Martin Luther King Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
9Win9–0 Dave JohnsonUD8Apr 11, 1981 Concord Resort Hotel, Thompson, New York, U.S.
8Win8–0 Marvin Stinson10Feb 7, 1981 Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
7Win7–0 Ed BednarikTKO1, 2:06Jan 24, 1981 Martin Luther King Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
6Win6–0 James ReidTKO6 Dec 11, 1980 Martin Luther King Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
5Win5–0 Oliver WrightTKO2 Oct 24, 1980 Martin Luther King Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
4Win4–0 Charles CoxKO5Jul 20, 1980 The Great Gorge Playboy Club Hotel, McAfee, New Jersey, U.S.
3Win3–0 Robert Evans6May 9, 1980 Long Island Arena, Commack, New York, U.S.
2Win2–0 Robert Ritchie1Apr 26, 1980 Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.
1Win1–0 Joe Adams1, 1:58Oct 30, 1979 Forum, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, U.S.