By James Slater: As those readers who saw my previous “an afternoon with Tim Witherspoon” piece will know, “Terrible” Tim is currently in the U.K, attending various after dinner talks and charity functions. Today, the 25th anniversary of the Philly warrior’s 11th-round KO of British hero Frank Bruno, will see the 53-year-old in Basildon attending a celebration of this fight.
Today, Witherspoon often lists the July 1986 win as his proudest moment, seeing as how he came to the challenger’s backyard and came through with an impressive, smashing KO. In truth, as those who have seen the fight will know, the bout is not a great one. A good fight with decent action, but no classic. Basically, though he was guilty of coming into the fight looking somewhat fleshy, Witherspoon had way too much for the chiselled challenger.
Not only was Tim far more experienced, he also knew how to relax in the ring (something the heavily muscled Bruno never really mastered throughout his entire, up and down career), and this, combined with his solid chin, his good engine and his pulverising right hand, was more than enough. Bruno cut a sad, beaten and bruised figure as he sat slumped in a corner after eating a nasty barrage of blows in that 11th-round.
Tim was entitled to feel proud and also be happy that night. He had retained his WBA belt for the first time, he had won over a hostile crowd (or so he thought, more about this later) and he had enjoyed the company of the great Muhammad Ali, who had inspired him to victory from ringside. Tim also thought he was soon to receive his biggest payday yet. Having put his belt on the line in front of a paying audience of over 40,000, in the challenger’s home country at that, ’Spoon knew he was going to reap the rewards. Again, or so he thought.
To a man, fans everywhere are surely in the know when it comes to what former street hustler and now promoter Don King did to Tim as soon as they both returned to the U.S. Stung by a pay cheque for a little over a paltry $90,000, Witherspoon was shocked, disgusted and demoralised. This (and the fact that loser Bruno received a reported $900,000) is old news, but Tim is still aggrieved about it – as he told his York audience this past Sunday and as he is sure to make clear to his audience today.
But Tim had some previously untold stories to tell about the Bruno fight; or it’s aftermath to be more precise. Witherspoon told of how King had spent a great deal of money (thousands of dollars per day) to ensure the loyalty of a number of huge, towering minders. Apparently fearing for his safety more than usual as he was in London, King’s fears almost proved prophetic – were it not for another man he betrayed, in Ali.
Witherspoon explained in detail how, after his KO of national treasure Bruno, he, King, his son Carl and his trainers, were inside the dressing room, with many, many angry fans doing their utmost to smash down the door and do God knows what once inside.
“I was scared, we all were,” Tim said on Sunday. “These fans were really trying to knock that door down and get at us. Some were drunk and real mad!”
With no escape and with the door’s protection fading by the second, Ali stepped forward.
“Open the door,” he demanded of the security men in attendance.
“No, sir! We can’t do that.”
“Open the door!,” Ali demanded.
Finally, according to Tim, the door was opened, but as the mob attempted to pile in, they were met with the sight of “The Greatest.” Ali raised his hands and simply asked the fans to stop. This they did. Instantly! All the love, respect and adulation they had for Ali ensured that all their anger and falsely placed patriotism vanished.
Witherspoon said he was awestruck at the absolute power of Ali’s presence. So, the WBA champ, King, Tim’s trainers and others were all spared what could well have been a nasty ordeal. Whether or not King was as grateful as Witherspoon was, we will never know!
It was on the way back to the hotel in London that Ali whispered into Witherspoon’s ear how he knew Tim was “getting robbed.” Witherspoon said he thought Ali was joking at the time, yet realized all too painfully that he wasn’t when his pay cheque arrived in the mail.
Witherspoon, who also received a call from the defeated Bruno after the fight (asking if Tim were okay after the hard fight), had experienced the best and worst in human nature in the space of a few days.
Enjoy the 25th anniversary of your fine win today, Tim!