They were like Bubba and Forrest, goin' shrimpin' together, one alive, one only in spirit. It is worth noting that in the lead-up to the match with Holmes, Tim and Larry were the closest friends you could possibly imagine. He did have amazing courage and a big heart but styles make fights. Larry was lucky to get the decision that night and he knew it. I was taught how to do that by a great trainer called “Slim†Jim Robinson. In the ninth round, after I hurt him, it looked like he came firing back, but I was “rubbernecking†which means I slipped every bomb he threw. Larry never went to the body, he had no inside game and couldn’t slip a punch. He would just jab, throw the right hand and clinch. I’ll give him credit because of what he achieved, but Larry didn’t trouble me. I noticed that early so, when I needed breathing room, I would feint with the overhand and he backed off. I wasn’t in shape and would have been in trouble if he’d put pressure on me but anytime I loaded up on the overhand right, he stepped backwards. Golota was really strong but his game plan was stupid. Fans may expect me to say Larry Holmes, but he was lacking in key areas. Tony was intelligent but he lacked strength and a big punch. He stepped around you really fast and was clever at buying time. ![]() When we were boxing he was very nimble and even when I hurt him, he vanished the moment I followed up. I never looked at feet but if I had to pick someone it would be Tubbs. Tony was scared of nobody and was very under rated. If he had kept his weight down, he could have had a much better career. I had so much respect for his fight game because he could do everything in the book. He had me stumbling and, although I stayed calm, there were people who thought I looked in serious trouble. My defense was one of my best assets but Bruno hit me really hard early on. From the first round to the final round he took my best and just looked at me. In our first fight I hit him with absolutely everything and he stood up to it. You threw punches at him at him and he wasn’t there. Of all the guys I fought, Tony Tubbs was the hardest to hit. Williams’ jab was much harder to deal with than Larry’s, in my opinion. He had boxed Larry (Holmes) and a lot of people thought he came close to beating him. ![]() We went 15 rounds and I can honestly say that Tony was the best pure boxer I ever faced.Ĭarl “The Truth†had a very hard jab and what a reach. "We're talking about mentoring, we're talking about the academics, the physical activity that they do here, in getting these kids on a path for success in life," Chief Winstrom remarked.Ĭheck out our list of community resources available to help in West Michigan.He was elusive, smart and boxed really well. Those are just some of the many lessons taught at Blues Gym. And that's what I tell all the kids when I go speak- do not quit, and don't be scared of bullies." "Reach high as goals because you never know where you're going to end up. ![]() "These kids that we were talking to, we have to try to influence them to do the same," Witherspoon added. "I called my friends to come to Grand Rapids to help me speak to the kids about denouncing violence, guns, drugs, and who better to have than the champion," he explained.ĭino put Spinks and Witherspoon front and center as a shining example for what hard work and staying on the right path forward can accomplish. This Saturday was just a little more special. "Įvery week, Dino hosts kids from the community as a way to keep them busy and out of trouble. Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom is a big supporter of Blues Gym and its creator Dino Newville.Ĭhief Winstrom said, "It's a real honor for Grand Rapids to have these legends in the boxing world here today. Witherspoon was a two-time heavy weight champ of the world himself. A boxing hall of famer, Spinks was the heavyweight champ of the world from 1985 to 1988. There's a lot of hardware between the legendary boxers. "They said we had some kids to talk to so I said, 'all right,'" Spinks said.
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