James ”Bonecrusher” Smith was supposed to be home in North Carolina this weekend to engage in what figured to be a desultory boxing match for about $20,000 against one Mitch Green.
Instead, he`s on Cloud Nine thanks to one Tony Tubbs.
When Tubbs withdrew from his heavyweight title rematch with Tim Witherspoon, Smith became a last-minute replacement. And Friday night he took a little more than two minutes to dispose of World Boxing Association champion Witherspoon in Madison Square Garden and earn a March 7 meeting with World Boxing Council champ Mike Tyson for $1 million.
In a major surprise, Witherspoon (25-3) went down for the third time in the first round under a furious attack by Smith, who had lost badly to Witherspoon just 18 months before. Under New York State rules, the third knockdown ended the fight at 2:12.
”I could have continued,” insisted Witherspoon, who lost his chance to meet Tyson in the HBO elimination tournament, ”but that`s the rule. He caught me a real good shot, but I really didn`t care.
”I had a no carin` feeling. I wasn`t ready mentally. I came into the fight under tough circumstances, under a lot of pressure. There was too much on my mind.”
The prefight controversy included not only Tubbs` withdrawal, but Witherspoon`s threat to bolt the fight. He was upset with his pay and the management of the King family, Don as promoter and son Carl as manager. He eventually settled for $300,000 to $200,000 for Smith.
Smith, believed to be the only heavyweight champion who is a college graduate, read the newspapers and knew Witherspoon might be distracted.
”I knew his mind couldn`t be on the fight,” said Smith, 31, who lost not only to Witherspoon but to Tubbs and Marvis Frazier as well as to Larry Holmes in a 1984 title fight. ”He embarrassed me a year and a half ago, and I wanted to pay him back. And I did.”
But no one figured it would be in such spectacular fashion.
Ringside observers counted four knockdowns, with Witherspoon`s knee touching the canvas after Smith`s first overhand right had stunned him.
Referee Luis Rivera ignored that one, but couldn`t miss the next three. Witherspoon, 29, was knocked through the ropes with a left-right combination and went down for the last time from still another overhand right.
Coming out throwing rights and pressuring from the beginning, Smith
(19-5) caught Witherspoon by surprise.
”I thought he would be cautious because of our first fight,”
Witherspoon said.
But Smith had other plans. ”I felt if I came out and hit him with my best shot early, I could take him out,” he said. ”And I was right. My trainer (former middleweight champion) Emile Griffith said, `Let`s go home early.` ”
That gave Smith a little extra time to think about Tyson, who was watching at ringside. He and Witherspoon both think the ”Bonecrusher” will be a worthy opponent for Tyson, the tourney favorite who advanced with his own devastating win over Trevor Berbick last month.
Witherspoon, who had a front tooth knocked out by Smith`s assault but promised he was coming back in search of a third heavyweight title, said: ”I think Bonecrusher can walk right through Mike Tyson.”
Smith, who knocked out Mike Weaver in the first round last April, also was unimpressed with Tyson.
”Mike Tyson is a good puncher, but he hasn`t been fighting the caliber of guys I`ve been fighting,” said Smith. ”In my opinion, he hasn`t fought a puncher yet. When we fight, I`ll promise you one thing: Somebody`s going to sleep.”
In another heavyweight bout, Renaldo Snipes, the former contender from Waukegan, lost a 10-round decision to 1984 Olympic super heavyweight champion Tyrell Biggs, now 13-0.
Biggs, criticized for lacking a knockout punch, was able to floor Snipes
(26-6) in the third round. He tried to finish Snipes in the fourth, but Snipes recovered and fought back.
Snipes fought bravely and, despite being tired after a two-year layoff, was throwing looping right hands until the end hoping for a knockout.
”He`s an awkward fighter,” said Biggs, ”and I fight to the level of my opponent. I`m sure there`ll be some criticism because I didn`t knock him out, but he`s strong.”
Biggs won 7 of the 10 rounds on two of the judges` cards and split 5-5 on the third card.
His knockdown of Snipes showed his punching ability is improving. But he was most effective with his jab and didn`t appear to seriously hurt Snipes.
”I`ll continue trying to get the title,” said Snipes, who returned to the ring in July. ”I thought it was a close fight, and I thought I won.”
But Biggs, aiming to meet the winner of the Tyson-Smith showdown, said:
”I rose to the occasion against a tough fighter. I`ll be here for a long time.”
Also on the card, Chicago`s Willie Clayton was knocked out by Matthew Hilton at 1:41 of the second round of a scheduled 10-rounder. Hilton (25-0), the No. 1 junior middleweight in the International Boxing Federation ratings, floored Clayton in the first and twice in the second.
Julio Cesar Chavez (51-0) of Mexico retained his World Boxing Council super featherweight title with a unanimous 12-round decision over Juan LaPorte (27-7) of Puerto Rico.
