Holmes vs Lewis resume

[juggernaut666]

Witherspoon is definitely ahead of Spinks who has a paper thin resume ay HW.



I imagine you aren't too knowledgeable on Witherspoons career, because his resume blows most of Lewis opponents out of the water.

He beat Snipes and gave Holmes a good tussle in his 15th pro fight. He beat Tillis, and then Page for the WBC title. He easily decisioned Smith and beat Tubbs for the WBA title. Defended the title against Bruno and destroyed him.

Then it was all downhill for him. He had a feud with Don King and allegedly agreed to take a dive against Smith and give up his belt, to relinquish his contract with King. This makes sense as he easily beat Smith the first time around.

At this point it was pretty much over, Don King isolated him from title contention and he lost motivation, turning in one mediocre performance after another.

He had somewhat of a renaissance in the mid 90s when he destroyed CW champion Alfred Cole and Jorge Luis Gonzalez which got him back into the top 10. He fought Mercer and lost a decision, although Ray admitted he got a gift.

One of the biggest what ifs in heavyweight history.



I don't see the Byrd comparison. Witherspoon was one of the most complete fighters I've ever seen. He had a strong offense, cagey defense and good boxing skill. He could do a bit of everything. Watch him in the first Smith fight, the way he shuts him out, slips most of his shots and nearly KOs him with his trademark overhand right. Or just watch the way he cold-****ed 250 lb Anders Ecklund.

Witherspoon never beat anyone as good as Cooney. He wasn't remotely close to beating Holmes as many wish to think either. Spinks would handle withspoon easy I think and the few Hw's Spinks fought show that ,though theres not much to go in,i'll take the spinks who fought Holmes over him win or lose though its competitve.

How can you tell me a guy who gets crushed by bonecrusher something you left out and ignored the rematch has better resume than Lewis or the majority of his top level ones ? lol The Byrd comparison he is was a very small HW like witherspoon and relied on elusiveness. Except Byrd had to face the Golotas and Klitchkos ,guys Witherspoon would have no chance against is the difference.Byrd has wins over Holyfield and was really only ever battered twice once by Wlad and the other Ike,two other guys much better than Smith. Frank Bruno is actually is his best win which isn't saying much because in all his fights except Tyson he was always winning before losing stamina.

[Ray Corso]

With a half a dozen amateur bouts under him Tim fought Holmes at 15-0
prior he won over Rattliff, Acosta and Snipes these men were very good tests for an inexperienced Witherspoon.
Tillis
Page
Thomas
Broad
Smith
Tubbs
Bruno
all were good competitors and contenders at one time or another. Smith did come back to stop Tim but **** happens in the big boy division.
Williams
Big Foot Martin
Al Cole
came after he did well when he was training properly and not mis managed.
After 17 years he began to fall into the opponent roll because everyone knew when he wasn't prepared so they used him accordingly.
Mercer was a legit competitor!
Donald
Thunder
Golota
Neilson
Page
all get beat by Tim if he were at his best! Barrett doesn't come close to beating him. Big Lou and Nix get KO'd!
When you don't know the inside of a fighters career it's impossible to define their career as to what could have and should have been.
Then again if you knew how to evaluate skills you could come up with a more intelligent opinion of what might have been.
Not sure how Tim would be considered small in size;
6' 3 1/2" 225lbs. 79" reach isn't exactly a small man.
Tim had a tough ending in his career being taken advantage of by King!
When the hand that feeds you steals from you too it's not an easy situation when contracts tie you in knots!
Ray

[juggernaut666]

With a half a dozen amateur bouts under him Tim fought Holmes at 15-0
prior he won over Rattliff, Acosta and Snipes these men were very good tests for an inexperienced Witherspoon.
Tillis
Page
Thomas
Broad
Smith
Tubbs
Bruno
all were good competitors and contenders at one time or another. Smith did come back to stop Tim but **** happens in the big boy division.
Williams
Big Foot Martin
Al Cole
came after he did well when he was training properly and not mis managed.
After 17 years he began to fall into the opponent roll because everyone knew when he wasn't prepared so they used him accordingly.
Mercer was a legit competitor!
Donald
Thunder
Golota
Neilson
Page
all get beat by Tim if he were at his best! Barrett doesn't come close to beating him. Big Lou and Nix get KO'd!
When you don't know the inside of a fighters career it's impossible to define their career as to what could have and should have been.
Then again if you knew how to evaluate skills you could come up with a more intelligent opinion of what might have been.
Not sure how Tim would be considered small in size;
6' 3 1/2" 225lbs. 79" reach isn't exactly a small man.
Tim had a tough ending in his career being taken advantage of by King!
When the hand that feeds you steals from you too it's not an easy situation when contracts tie you in knots!
Ray

'Weight problems? The 6-3 Witherspoon has not always been zealous in his approach to training. He has fought at a chubby 234 pounds and at a relatively svelte 217, his proficiency rising or falling in inverse proportion to the reading on the scale." Bernard Hernandez Daily News

Tim Withspoon fought Holmes at 213 pounds.That is not a big Hw and that's what we are comparing here both opponents when they fought them .Lewis would never fight a 213 TOP guy of the 80's and struggle ...NO WAY. Even if its Holmes. Wishful thinking that little Timmy beats those 90's guys,he wasn't built to be over 220 really, he started his career at actually around 190 pounds..though he has a win at nearly 240 with Bruno,who was outweighed then and not filled out and gassed as he did in some big fights he was winning..

You have absolutely no proof of Witherspoon would defeat any top guy that Lewis fought really. His record is sub par and he would get k.od by the majority of the top guys who fought lewis. Then again RAY you still haven't came to the conclusion that they don't have height classes and Liston was not in his prime in 1964 yet are foolish enough to tell anyone they don't know boxing..Bruno is his sole win that Lewis has fought also who was a top guy at the time...Bruno also out weighed Lewis who wasn't even in the 230's at that point ,Bruno was nearly 240 pounds and was much stronger then when Withspoon had fought him..Timmy knocks out all those guys with a 55% k.o record ?.

[Pugilist_Spec]

You have absolutely no proof of Witherspoon would defeat any top guy that Lewis fought really. His record is sub par and he would get k.od by the majority of the top guys who fought lewis. Then again RAY you still haven't came to the conclusion that they don't have height classes and Liston was not in his prime in 1964 yet are foolish enough to tell anyone they don't know boxing..Bruno is his sole win that Lewis has fought also who was a top guy at the time...Bruno also out weighed Lewis who wasn't even in the 230's at that point ,Bruno was nearly 240 pounds and was much stronger then when Withspoon had fought him..Timmy knocks out all those guys with a 55% k.o record ?.

Dear lord, his record is subpar? Snipes, Page, Tubbs, Thomas, Smith, Bruno. All of them rated contenders in their prime. Who of Lewis opponents has a better resume? Ruddock? Nope, he pretty much beat up on washed-up guys from Spoons era. Bruno? No. Tucker? No. Morrison? Hell no. Golota? No.

You have NO IDEA what you are talking about. Right after Mercer gave Lewis the hardest fight of his career, he foguht an old, fat Witherspoon and LOST on Harold Ledermans card...and Ray himself admitted that Witherspoon got robbed.

Spoon at 6'3 and 220 vs Holmes was NOT a small HW and he could crack. On top of that he was more skilled than the guys Lewis beat up.

[Ray Corso]

Once again its time to let this lil punkazz ***** drown on dry land!
He reads boxrec and actually tries to "fill in the blanks" to suit his needs. Problem is he wasn't even born then and obviously only knows weights & heights.
Let him fall........................good ridden's once and for all.

Ray

[juggernaut666]

Dear lord, his record is subpar? Snipes, Page, Tubbs, Thomas, Smith, Bruno. All of them rated contenders in their prime. Who of Lewis opponents has a better resume? Ruddock? Nope, he pretty much beat up on washed-up guys from Spoons era. Bruno? No. Tucker? No. Morrison? Hell no. Golota? No.

You have NO IDEA what you are talking about. Right after Mercer gave Lewis the hardest fight of his career, he foguht an old, fat Witherspoon and LOST on Harold Ledermans card...and Ray himself admitted that Witherspoon got robbed.

Spoon at 6'3 and 220 vs Holmes was NOT a small HW and he could crack. On top of that he was more skilled than the guys Lewis beat up.

His record is sub par compared to either Holmes or Lewis its on RECORD who he actuall defeated......it amounts to bone crusher smith who whacked him out in ONE round in a rematch? mercer did not give Lewis the toughest fight...lol...If you actually studied the fight you would see just how many missed punches Mercer threw and how easily Lewis controlled that fight.Had Mercer not had a chin he would have got crushed.Mercers crowd cheering for him ios the only reason it SEEMED close....but that's what happens when ppl like you don't actually look at every punch as well as the judges who were persuaded by the crowd...please give more than 3 rounds Mercer won? a TWO HUNDRED THIRTEEN POUND HEAVY is NOT big...are you that far out there? I evem outlined everything for you,and tyou still rebutted like an idiot trying to up one me.....:Pugilist spec..huh?

[juggernaut666]

Once again its time to let this lil punkazz ***** drown on dry land!
He reads boxrec and actually tries to "fill in the blanks" to suit his needs. Problem is he wasn't even born then and obviously only knows weights & heights.
Let him fall........................good ridden's once and for all.

Ray

Tell everyone ray what Listons prime was ?Tell us all how lewis was a mere AVERAGE fighter? Hey ,how BIG is a 213 pound HW opposed to the average 230 pounders Lewis fought? Tell us how Witherspoons 55% k.o record shows he k.os the 90's top era guys?I can keep going...this is actually fun,but i'll stop since I actually feel a LITTLE sorry for you...NOT REALLY...

[Pugilist_Spec]

His record is sub par compared to either Holmes or Lewis its on RECORD who he actuall defeated....

Agreed. But for a non-ATG Witherspoon had a really good resume.

it amounts to bone crusher smith who whacked him out in ONE round in a rematch?

Look man, we went over this. There was a lot of shady business going on behind the curtains for that fight and Witherspoon admitted he took a dive to break his contract with King.

mercer did not give Lewis the toughest fight...lol...If you actually studied the fight you would see just how many missed punches Mercer threw and how easily Lewis controlled that fight.Had Mercer not had a chin he would have got crushed.Mercers crowd cheering for him ios the only reason it SEEMED close....but that's what happens when ppl like you don't actually look at every punch as well as the judges who were persuaded by the crowd...please give more than 3 rounds Mercer won?

Yeah he did. I agree Mercer won 3 rounds, 4 at best but he gave Lewis a pretty bad physical beating...nobody else pummeled Lewis as much as Mercer except for Vitali...and if Mercer wasn't out of shape at 240 pounds he may have been able to press the action in the late rounds more...

a TWO HUNDRED THIRTEEN POUND HEAVY is NOT big...are you that far out there? I evem outlined everything for you,and tyou still rebutted like an idiot trying to up one me.....:Pugilist spec..huh?

First of all, Witherspoon was not 213. He was 220 in his best performances against Holmes and was generally around the 220-230 mark throughout his career. And I never said he was a big HW, but he isn't a small one either. A 6'3'' 220 lb guy that can whack is not "small"...

[Kiwi Nick]

Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis were both class acts.
When Lewis was asked where he fitted into the pantheon of heavyweights he said he was never as good as Ali, but he would be proud to be mentioned in the same company as Larry Holmes.