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Sunday, March 10, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Witherspoon still chasing world title

Ex-heavyweight champ continues quest at 44

After suffering through years of the agony of the feet, Tim Witherspoon is once again looking forward to the thrill of victory.

Witherspoon, though, knows he doesn't have a lot of time to gain the wins he seeks.

The 44-year-old heavyweight, who twice held a version of the world championship, will continue his quest for a final shot at a big payday this afternoon, when he meets Darroll Wilson in the main event at Green Valley Ranch at 2:15 p.m.

Witherspoon hopes for one more crack at the heavyweight title, but admitted he doesn't have a lot of time or margin for error. Even his manager, Tom Moran, admitted, "We're not foolish enough to say that Tim is going to knock out (World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation champion) Lennox Lewis."

Lewis, though, doesn't possess all the belts; Las Vegan Johnny Ruiz holds the World Boxing Association title and Wladimir Klitschko is the World Boxing Organization champion.

Witherspoon (52-11-1) is on a three-knockout winning streak, and aspires to earn a shot at Ruiz. The affable Philadelphian said he now can perform at a high level because he is free of back pain that bothered him in the 1990s, which, he said, was partly responsible for losses to fighters such as Brian Nielsen.

Witherspoon said he needs custom-made orthotics to place into his shoes. When an old pair wore down, he didn't bother to have a new pair made. He began to feel back pain, which he said kept him from being at his peak.

"It was stupid of me, really, not to have them in there, because I need them," Witherspoon said. "I was at my lawyer's office (recently) and I wasn't wearing them because they didn't fit in the shoes I had on and I could feel my back beginning to tighten. I won't go without them now."

Witherspoon weighed in Saturday at 249 pounds, which he admitted is heavier than he should be. He said if he gets a chance to fight for the title, he'll get down to the low 230s. But he is a single parent, and four children -- Tim Jr., 17; India, 16; Ayanna, 13; and Mecca, 11 -- still live with him.

Witherspoon said caring for his children has a negative impact on his conditioning.

"When I get home, I start cooking for them," he said. "The problem for me with that is that I'm around the food. You know how that goes. But if I get a chance (to fight for the title), I would be in camp and I'd come in in the kind of shape I'd need to be in to win a championship."