Columnist Dean Juipe: Witherspoon’s hungry — and so are his kids

Dean Juipe

Thursday, March 7, 2002 | 10:15 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

As a single parent providing for four children, three of which still live at home with him, Tim Witherspoon had more immediate concerns as he answered the phone Tuesday evening in Philadelphia.

"I've got my hands full," he said, sounding bemused about the ruckus behind him. "After I hang up with you, I've got to go to the market and buy dinner and then get back here and cook it."

At 44 years old, the two-time former heavyweight champion doesn't see his homemaking duties as a chore.

"I get to be the boss now," he said with a laugh, "so anything I have to do for the kids is worth it."

But it's what he's doing for himself that makes Witherspoon newsworthy these days. Despite his advancing age and the 11 losses on his professional record, he's committing himself to one final charge toward a prominent, if not championship, fight.

Toward that goal, Witherspoon is headlining a Sunday afternoon card at the Green Valley Ranch. Promoted by the newly aligned Goossen-Tutor Promotions, Witherspoon, 52-11-1 with 36 knockouts, meets Darroll Wilson, 25-5-2 with 19 KOs, in a 10-round bout to be televised by Fox Sports Net.

"I'm going to give it a go," Witherspoon said of resuscitating his career. "Everything was in turmoil throughout my career and I didn't get a chance to fulfill all of my goals.

"I mean, I feel like I left a good mark. But now I'm moving on and representing all the older people."

Witherspoon had a pair of significant victories last year, stopping David Bostice in one round and taking a decision over Elicier Castillo. With a renewed emphasis on proper training, he's hoping to stop Wilson and take a step up the heavyweight ladder.

"I wish I could have felt this good five years ago," Witherspoon said. "But I had a lot of personal problems and TV certainly wasn't calling.

"But now it's just me and my kids, and I can't ask for more than that."

His manager, Tom Moran, has noticed the difference and adds that he wouldn't approve of Witherspoon still fighting if he wasn't giving it his all.

"As recently as two years ago Tim was taking fights just to take them," Moran said. "But then he started training at a level he hadn't trained at in many years and now I can say I've never seen him so dedicated.

"There wouldn't be any reason to keep doing this if he wasn't going to be in shape."

Witherspoon called himself "a little heavy" at his current 242 pounds, yet during his championship reign he routinely came in at 234. Always known as an elusive fighter with a decent punch, his career has consistently mimicked his frame of mind at the moment.

Five times Witherspoon took part in heavyweight title fights, starting with a 1983 split-decision loss to Larry Holmes at the old Dunes hotel in Las Vegas.

A year later, in March of 1994, he won the World Boxing Council title by taking a decision over Greg Page in Las Vegas. But that August he was upset with the $400,000 purse he was receiving and was upset in the ring by Pinklon Thomas by majority decision at the Riviera.

He rebounded with a stellar performance in July of '86 in front of 40,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London, stopping Frank Bruno in the 11th round with the World Boxing Association title at stake. But in December of that year he was stopped in the first round by late sub Bonecrusher Smith, and he eventually slipped into a journeyman's role.

"I didn't make millions," Witherspoon said, when asked if he had any regrets from his championship era.

He's not apt to make millions on this comeback either, unless, of course, it's truly one for the ages.

"I don't hold the illusion that Tim beats Lennox Lewis," Moran said. "But he beats a lot of guys in the top 10 and he's the kind of guy that could beat a Mike Tyson."

Moran is pursuing a fight with another former champion, Michael Moorer, and has talked to Showtime about it.

In the meantime there's Wilson to deal with. Regarded as a passable although limited heavyweight, he has fought a number of decent men and holds a win over Shannon Briggs.

"Wilson maybe feels he can outwork Tim or land a big punch, and he's a hard guy to gauge," Moran said. "But Tim has to beat the Darroll Wilsons of the world and he has to do it impressively.

"He can't just win, he has to win and look good doing it. If he can't, then we're just fooling ourselves."

Witherspoon has accepted that challenge.

"I know I have to look good," he said. "But I feel good these days and I still feel I have a lot of talent.

"I'll go in there without any butterflies and give it my best shot. I don't know about Darroll Wilson, but I'm coming to fight."

Six other fights are scheduled on the Green Valley Ranch card, including a 12-round flyweight bout for a minor title between Gerson Guerrero, 23-4 with 17 knockouts, and Mariano Gonzalez, 17-5-2 with 11 KOs. First bell is 2:15 p.m. and tickets are $35 to $100.