24.09 - It took Lou Savarese just five quick rounds Sunday to notify the heavyweight division that he was back and more motivated than ever. His fifth-round TKO of two-time heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon at the Table Mountain Casino in Friant, CA and televised by Fox Sports Net, was brutal and impressive, Savarese knocking Witherspoon down and then battering him in a corner with a dozen unanswered punches before the referee stopped the fight.
Ranked No. 9 by the IBF, Witherspoon rocked Savarese in the first round with one of his famous, devastating over-hand rights. Not too many heavyweights could withstand such a punch, but Savarese, in perhaps the best shape of his life and knowing what was at stake, just shook it off and came back fighting.
For the 44-year-old Witherspoon (55-12-1, 38 KOs) , who fought well enough to beat many of the top heavyweights, the loss might mark the end of his career.
For the 36-year-old Savarese (43-4, 35 KOs), who dominated the fight with hard-hitting combinations from the second round on, it marks a new beginning. In a division dominated by the knockout punch, he has one of the best and could be within one punch of winning a heavyweight title.
With the win, Savarese is the new WBO intercontinental champ. He hopes that could lead to a fight with WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko, especially since negotiations between Klitschko and contender Jameel McCline have apparently slowed.
According to promoter Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions, there has already been some talk with Klitschko's camp.
"Lou looked the best he's looked in years," Goossen said. "And with the heavyweight division so wide open, he's got to be considered a top contender, and more importantly, a top threat."
Like James "Lights Out" Toney, Savarese looks to be back at the top of his game, a smarter fighter with a new mental toughness that showed in his domination of Witherspoon.
"The majority of the top heavyweights today have fought their way back into title contention or to the championship when most observers counted them out: WBA champion John Ruiz, Hasim Rahman, David Tua, Vitali Klitschko and Evander Holyfield. Lou has followed the same path as these guys, fighting himself right back into the heavyweight picture," Goossen said.
