Paul-John Ramos
23.09 - Friant, California - On this night, it was a case of forget the belt, look at the fighters. As Vladimir Klitschko waits for a shot at the legitimate heavyweight championship and the WBO version sits around his waist, Lou Savarese and Tim Witherspoon, two warriors sporting extensive resumes, squared off at the Table Mountain Casino on Sunday for the WBO's Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship, another belt created to rake in sanctioning fees. As the future of Lennox Lewis and that of the heavyweight division remain unclear, Savarese and Witherspoon went into their bout hoping to make one last championship run before pensioning. However extreme the hopes may be, fans can look upon this fight as a swan song for men who weren't legendary but always entertaining.
It appears from Savarese's fifth round TKO victory that the 37-year-old Houston native has a bit left in the tank, while the 44-year-old Philadelphian is on or past the "E." Savarese entered the bout with age and physical fitness on his side; Witherspoon, even at middle age, is as game as fighters come, but the LA Fitness shirt he wore during introductions did not square with his body, a frame no longer in shape to compete. Witherspoon (55-12-1, 38 KOs) looked ready to brawl when he connected with a stinging right hook to Savarese's head just after the opening bell. But Savarese (43-4, 35 KOs), always strong-chinned, weathered the pain and began to work on his older, heavier foe. When Savarese took control of the action, Witherspoon was unable to counter and barely able to protect himself from the younger, quicker assault. In round two, Savarese, 247, used his superior hand speed and landed effective hooks to Witherspoon's body. In the round's final minute, Savarese doubled Witherspoon over with a right hook to his gut and backed him to the ropes twice. Although Witherspoon, 245, was clearly in pain and not returning any of Savarese's punches, he was still up and about when the bell rang.
It seemed a matter of time for Savarese to land the knockout as Witherspoon remained discomforted and slow-moving. Savarese registered a knockdown in the last minute of round five with a right hook to the top of Witherspoon's noggin, which was an easy target above his idle legs. After Witherspoon got back to his feet, Savarese pressed onward and forced Witherspoon to cover up along the ropes. Once again, Savarese was throwing punches with nothing coming back. Referee Jon Schorle stepped in and ended it at the 2:42 mark, giving Savarese some bargaining power for a title fight, while Witherspoon, a two-time belt holder, looked permanently out of the heavyweight title landscape.
