Recently I talked with Philadelphia Legend and Former Professional Welter Weight Boxer, Gym Owner, and Fox Sports Radio Personality Tim Witherspooon Jr. aka Terrible Tim Two. We talked about his career as a Professional Athlete, his family life, how he helps his community among other subjects. Let’s dive in.
Q: I had read that you were not originally trained by your father. Your Uncle was the first to train you in the sport of boxing. I was curious was there a time where your Father (Tim Witherspoon Sr.)Â didn’t want you to be a Pro Boxer like he was?
A: Kind of yeah. It was not so much that he didn’t want me to fight as much as at the time he didn’t think there was much of a reason for me to be a fighter. We were pretty well off. Then I started to train on my own and he saw that my goal wasn’t money or fame. I developed my own passion and love for the sport. It got to the point where I was training anyway as a kid so he decided Ok I’m going to make sure I’d get trained the right way. So I went to train with my Uncle for a while then he trained me too.Â
Q: People obviously know who you are and who your father is but I think it’s safe to say that the average boxing fan hasn’t heard a whole lot about your Uncle. What are a couple of things you can tell us about him?
A: My Uncle was the first person training-wise that was in my corner. He was a fighter too, but more of a trainer. He was the first one in my corner and he’s still in my corner. When my Dad trained me too my Uncle was still there. We trained as a family throughout my career.Â
Q: What was your welcome to Pro Boxing Moment?Â
A: My first big fight against Dusty Harrison I really felt like the hard work had paid off in a really big way.Â
Q: Eagles first-round pick WR Jalen Reagor recently bought a very expensive sports car. I’m not saying that is a bad thing, but we here about a lot of Pro Athletes who don’t manage their money well, and wind up broke after their Pro careers are over. What’s your advice to young athletes in that regard once they become Pro Athletes?Â
A: My personal advice would be to not spend it if you don’t have to. A lot of young Pro Athletes don’t have the support system that I was blessed with throughout my career. I leaned on my family. I would say to all the young Pro Athletes out there you know don’t fall into the wrong crowd as Aaron Hernadez had done. Lean on your core support group, whether that is your family or the people you train with. Be smart about who you hang around. Be smart about who you’re
spending your time with. Some learn quickly who their real friends are in Pro Sports and some don’t, but if you have a good core of people who support you and don’t have their hand out once you have become someone those are the kinda people that are worth your time. You don’t need an entourage. You just need a good group of people that support you and really care about what is best for you to spend your time with.Â
Q: Very well said. I agree completely. Moving on now, did struggle with life after Pro boxing, or did you have a pretty good idea about what you wanted to do after your career in boxing as a fighter was over?
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A: That’s a good question. I would just simply say that for me I’ve been blessed. I didn’t really have to think about it. Things just kind of fell into place with the
opportunities I’ve had after my career. I was able to become a Fox Sports Radio Personality and run the family gym and now I train other fighters. I would like to get into some promotion, but we’ll see. I love going to work and training young new fighters, and I’ve enjoyed being on the air as a commentator as well. When this Pandemic is over I’m looking forward to doing both again very soon If it’s in God’s plan for me. It can be a little difficult to do both as in running the gym and also being a Fox Sports commentator, but I really enjoy doing both so we’ll see what God has in store in the future for me brother.
Q: Thank you for your time, Tim. God bless you. This will be my last question. Your Gym Witherspoon Boxing and Fitness Center is not your typical gym. Sure there are Pro Boxers and Semi-Pro Boxers, but your gym, unlike most boxing facilities, welcomes anyone who wants’s to learn about the sport of boxing no matter where they’re at, even if they have never picked up a pair of boxing gloves in their life. Why is that?
A: God bless you too man. We believe at our gym it’s not just about who can make a name for themself in the support. It is a great outlet for everyone in the community. People who struggle to find a good outlet struggle in life. You need to find your outlet and hey if It’s not boxing it can be anything. I encourage everyone to find a good outlet not just to stay out of trouble, but so they live a life that is fulfilling. Boxing is also great for self-defense. I just wanted to add that we have a lot of people come in to learn how to box so they can better protect themselves. Lastly, I would like to just say to everyone who reads this article that we will make it through COVID-19. Better days are ahead for us all. We will get through this as a country as will the whole world. Don’t let it get you down. Be safe until it’s over but keep your head held up high.Â
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