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KEEPING THE LEGACY ALIVE
KEEPING it in the family - two-time world heavyweight champion Tim
Witherspoon is optimistic that his
son Tim Jr can emulate some of his own famed boxing success.
In an exclusive interview, the American giant who occasionally
visits
the North East of England to stay with friend Dave Wood, from Middlesbrough (pictured), told Fightnewz.net
he is quietly enthusiastic about his son’s abilities.
Witherspoon Jr is currently training in Sheffield, where
his dad has
long-held links with promoter Dennis Hobson.
The six-foot lightweight, 24, has won two of his first
three professional bouts and is hoping to box in England soon.
Witherspoon, whose 1986 knockout of Frank Bruno at Wembley
infamously sparked a riot, says it is still too early to predict exactly how far his son can go and admits he would
be just as happy if he was not a boxer.
But he is supporting him every step of the way, as long as he dedicates himself
completely to the hardest game.
“Tim Jr is a similar style to me,” said Philadelphian Witherspoon, who
is now 51 but looks exactly the same as in his fighting days save for a few wisps of grey in his beard.
“He
has a good defence and sometimes he does some things in fights, like certain shots that he pulls off, that I really didn’t
expect him to do.
“It leads me to believe that he can be all right. As long as he is in it I
will be in it
with him so he doesn’t get hurt.
“He has got the ability, all he has to do is get into really good shape.
“With
the right discipline and determination I can see it but if that
doesn’t happen I would say no.”
Witherspoon
added: “He has only had three fights up to now so I’m talking about winning fights first.
“After
a few more fights we can tell how far he can go.
“I never pushed him to box, I want people to understand that.
He did it
himself.
“I’ve said to him, ‘Look, we can do other things’.
“He has
to do the right thing, otherwise I don’t want to be a part of it.
“I don’t want any embarrassments
for him or me so let’s do it the right
way. That’s the bottom line."
Boxing is in the Witherspoon blood
so much that Tim Jr’s own two-year-old-son - also called Tim - is already showing signs of fistic promise.
“It’s
too late, we can’t stop him from being a fighter,” said Witherspoon.
“Every time he sees a pair of
gloves he will wobble over and put them on and put his hands up and do defence.
“If he sees hand pads he will
pick them up and hold them for me to hit
them.
“Before he could walk we would take him to the gym and he would
hold on to the ropes and look.
“He already puts his hands up in a stance and can do defence!”
Witherspoon’s
cousin Chazz is also working his way up the world heavyweight rankings, bouncing back from his first defeat to Chris Arreola
with a wild knockout win over Adam Richards in his last fight.
Witherspoon believes his relation has top level
potential and although he feels he would be further down the line if he had his expertise on board as a trainer, he wishes
him well regardless.
“People ask me all the time why I’m not in Chazz’s corner,” Terrible
Tim explained.
“I was originally supposed to train him but it’s his call, he is loyal to
his current
trainers.
“But I’m a two-time world heavyweight champion. I’ve been there in Wembley stadium with
50,000 people throwing chairs and coins at me.
“When we go into battle I’m the guy you want with you.
“I
thought the Chris Arreola fight was too soon for him because he lacks experience but if I’d have had him from his first
fight I know he would have gunned Chris down.
“But Chazz is a real nice guy and if he needs my help I’m
there to help him.
“If he and Tim Jr could achieve some of what I did I would be very proud. It keeps the legacy
alive.”
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