Tim Witherspoon sparring at age 64

[ShoulderRoll]

Notice the layers of defense, sometimes he parries and sometimes he moves his head to slips punches. Then there is the switching between the “Philly Shell” and the old school cross arm guard.

No heavyweight today looks like this. This is what some of us are talking about when we say that the old timers had skills that the moderns simply do not. (Tim was taught by an old style Philadelphia trainer.)

[GhostofDempsey]

Still has that muscle memory and fighter’s instincts. It helped that he competed against far better boxers in his day than what we have today.

[QueensburyRules]

Notice the layers of defense, sometimes he parries and sometimes he moves his head to slips punches. Then there is the switching between the “Philly Shell” and the old school cross arm guard.

No heavyweight today looks like this. This is what some of us are talking about when we say that the old timers had skills that the moderns simply do not. (Tim was taught by an old style Philadelphia trainer.)

- - l'l floydy might chose him for an exhibition!

Nah, Spoon was never big gate and one of the handful WBA cokehead champs that Tubby Lar ducked.

[ShoulderRoll]

- - l'l floydy might chose him for an exhibition!

Nah, Spoon was never big gate and one of the handful WBA cokehead champs that Tubby Lar ducked.

His popularity and drug use have nothing to do with what I’m talking about.

It’s his skill set.

[QueensburyRules]

His popularity and drug use have nothing to do with what I’m talking about.

It’s his skill set.

- - If you ain't in shape physically or mentally because of coke, your your skill set sufferers...yeah!!!

[ShoulderRoll]

- - If you ain't in shape physically or mentally because of coke, your your skill set sufferers...yeah!!!

Obviously. Drugs ruined the potential of many fighters in the 1980’s.

Point being, how many heavyweights do you see today who use the cross arm defense? Let alone that combine it with the Philly Shell. Talk about digging into the bag of old school tricks.

[QueensburyRules]

Obviously. Drugs ruined the potential of many fighters in the 1980’s.

Point being, how many heavyweights do you see today who use the cross arm defense? Let alone that combine it with the Philly Shell. Talk about digging into the bag of old school tricks.

- - Yet it did him little good save whooping Tubby Lar before being robbed by King.

[ShoulderRoll]

- - Yet it did him little good save whooping Tubby Lar before being robbed by King.

Don King and drugs ruined his potential. But the fact that he arguably beat Larry Holmes tells you that the skill was there.

[Marchegiano]

Kinda like fashion except all we get is fatter and fatter.

[QueensburyRules]

Don King and drugs ruined his potential. But the fact that he arguably beat Larry Holmes tells you that the skill was there.

- - Never doubted his skill, instead noting that skills take a beating when strung out on ******* and King.