Post Championship Career
Following the end his second title reign, Witherspoon would lose years warring with Don King in court. Avoided by numerous big name fighters, Witherspoon would fight scarcely, in varying shape and form. In 1991 won the USBA heavyweight title by defeating fellow contender Carl "The Truth" Williams but lost a dubious points decision to journeyman Everett Martin.
In 1993 Don King settled out of court and paid Witherspoon a million dollars. By 1994 a new and in shape Witherspoon was back, winning five fights in a row by knockout. Aged 38 he was inked by HBO and matched in high profile fights with cruiserweight champion Al Cole and the Cuban amateur legend Jorge Luis Gonzales, both of whom he defeated comprehensively. Later in the year he was matched with Ray Mercer but lost a disputed 10 round decision.
After that loss Witherspoon laid off a year, and when he came back he had lost his edge. The ageing, out-of-shape fighter was outpointed convincingly by the slick Larry Donald on HBO, and, in 1998, lost a close decision when outworked by New Zealand muscleman Jimmy Thunder before travelling to Poland to be outpointed by Andrew Golota.
Surprisingly, a 43 year old Witherspoon resurfaced in 2001, knocking out the usually durable prospect David Bostice in one round, outpointing Cuban southpaw contender Eliecer Castillo and huge Syrian Ahmed Abdin, before his revival was ended by hard hitting heavyweight Lou Savarese who stopped him in five rounds.
Witherspoon also competed in Cedric Kushner's 2003 Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament, "Fistful of Dollars," but at 45 looked his age and lost in the opening stages.
Tim now resides in an area around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he trains boxers, including his son, lightweight Tim Witherspoon Jr.; a heavyweight prospect named Robert Atkins; and many others. He has also trained Light Heavyweight champion Clinton Woods in the U.K.
Read more about this topic: Tim Witherspoon
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