By Jake Donovan

The old line to appreciate the efforts of an honorable man goes “You’re a gentleman, a scholar and a good judge of bad wine.”

Undefeated heavyweight prospect Chazz Witherspoon almost fits the bill to a T. He’s a gentleman (and there isn’t a more befitting nickname in the sport), a scholar and - considering his next bout - a good judge of B.A.D. opportunities.

The second cousin of former two-time heavyweight titlist Tim Witherspoon, Chazz looks to make his own name this weekend when he meets fellow unbeaten heavyweight Cristobal Arreola in the HBO Boxing After Dark co-feature (Saturday, Memphis TN, 10PM ET/PT).

At first glance, some will say “it’s about time” in regards to Witherspoon advancing the level of his competition. But once you dig a little deeper, you realize that he’s only 3 ½ years into his pro career. Chazz knows better than to expect too many to take that into consideration, as the bar has been raised the moment he decided to don boxing gloves.

“I got publicity in the beginning, when my skills didn’t warrant it,” acknowledges Witherspoon, the very definition of a cool customer. “People believe I have the easy road so to speak. I’m a cousin of a former two-time world champ. People have all of these ideas about who I’m supposed to be, but to be honest, I’m still trying to find myself in the ring.”

In the ring this weekend, Chazz finds himself facing the toughest test of his young career. Both he and Arreola boast identical win-loss records (23-0), but their styles couldn’t contrast any greater. Witherspoon is the patient boxer with deceptive power (15KO); Arreola (21KO) fights like he’s double-parked, having scored 11 straight knockouts, with none of his opponents lasting beyond the eight round.

Witherspoon is well up to the task, even though it comes earlier than he expected.

“I assumed I’d be fighting Chris by early 2009, but it is what it is. HBO gave me the opportunity and I wanted to jump on it. I’m prepared and I’m ready. It’s a good test for me. He’s the best I’ve fought, but it will be a good, exciting fight.”

For promoter Lou DiBella, the fight is right on time, if only because neither guy has anything to lose – even with a loss.

It's a lot more interesting to have two hungry fighters face each other,” theorizes DiBella, who plays host to this weekend’s festivities at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. “It makes so much sense for both guys, to gauge their skills against one another. Chazz has to stay himself and box. When someone puts pressure on, he steps it up. I expect it to be a real fight fans fight.”

And plenty of upside for the winner.

“For both fighters, there's a lot to gain. If my kid  wins and Arreola puts on a great fight, you lost to the next great American heavyweight but everyone still wants to see you again. And of course, the opposite is true, as a lot of people are excited about a puncher like Arreola.

“In this market, where you have unrecognizable foreign heavyweight champions taking up space in the division – it's just the right time for a fight like this.”

It’s perfect timing for Witherspoon, who makes his HBO debut. In fact, Saturday’s bout is only his fourth appearance on any network. Not exactly the makings of the spoiled brat label all too often given to boxers following in the footsteps of familiar kin.

If nothing else, it’s in line with his overall boxing background, having only begun to fight on the competitive level about five years ago.

“I won’t lie to people; I’m a work in progress. I know everyone’s searching for the next great American heavyweight. I’m working to get on that level. I work hard in the gym and am always in shape. But I started late, and I’m still learning. If people want to give me that label, now or after this fight, that’s them saying it. I appreciate it, but I don’t call myself that.”

It wasn’t long ago that Witherspoon wasn’t even calling himself a boxer. A student-athlete in high school, Chazz graduated from Paulsboro (New Jersey) High School in 1999 as an honor student and star basketball player.

Basketball scholarship offers came in from numerous universities, but Witherspoon decided to put academics first. Keeping it close to home, he attended St. Joseph’s University in nearby Philly, majoring in pharmaceutical medicine and holding down a 3.8 grade point average.

Then came the boxing bug.

“It wasn’t always what I wanted to do, but it just happened,” Chazz insists.

Witherspoon gave the sport a try in 2003, and discovered that he was just as gifted in the ring as he was in the classroom or on the hardwood. With just a year’s worth of experience under his belt, Witherspoon won the 2004 National Golden Gloves. All five wins en route to the top prize came by stoppage, the first fighter to turn that trick in the tournament’s history.

From there, it was on to the Olympic Trials, where he performed well enough to make the 2004 US squad as an alternate, despite his grand total of 26 amateur fights being about 150 or less than the average number of each team member.

Five months before he would receive his bachelor’s degree from St. Joe’s, Witherspoon turned pro. With each fight comes improvement, even if the learning curve is much narrower due to public expectations based on his familiar name.

“I knew from the beginning of my career that the bar would be raised,” admits Chazz. “As long as my last name is Witherspoon and I’m related to Tim, I know that there will always be pressure on me to get better faster than the average heavyweight newcomer.

“So, I’ll have to work twice as hard to maintain that level.” 

Hard work led to his landing the main event slot on a special edition of Shobox in July 2006. On a card loaded with familiar kin, Witherspoon faced another unbeaten heavyweight in Michael Alexander, winning the first scheduled ten-rounder of his young career.

Others seemed more pleased with his performance than Witherspoon himself, who would shrug off any compliments when the subject came up. It’s his grounded sense of who he is, along with his superior and rapidly advancing skill set - that has DiBella believing he has a hidden gem on his hands.

“If there’s a single word to describe Chazz, it’s that he’s just an adult. His head is always in the right place. He’s his own worst critic and demands so much of himself. He's a family man, and an altogether person. You lose sight of the fact that he's only been a pro for three years.”

Despite Witherspoon’s network debut opening to rave reviews, it would be another year before Chazz would again grace a television screen. Witherspoon fought for the first of two times on ESPN2 last July, stopping Talmadge Griffs early into the ninth round of the televised co-feature – coincidentally enough, on a card headlined by Andre Berto.

It was in that fight that Witherspoon proved there was much more to his game than being a poised boxer. Averaging upwards of 80 punches per round in just over eight rounds of action, Chazz believes it’s that type of fight that defines his fighting style, something fans will be in for a surprise when they tune in this weekend.

“Everyone talks about Chris (Arreola) and myself having such different styles. Our styles are different, but they’re similar in a certain extent. We both throw a lot of punches, and both expect to let our hands go on Saturday night.”

He proved in his last fight that letting the leather fly is a big part of his repertoire. Heavyweight trialhorse managed to extend Witherspoon the full ten-round distance this past February on ESPN2, but not without having to encounter a hailstorm of punches in return. Witherspoon’s punch output dropped from his previous televised performance; he averaged only 75 punches per round this time out, landing 360 in ten rounds.

Still, given his skills and the high standards to which he is held, Witherspoon still enters this weekend’s bout as the perceived underdog. No worries; it’s a role with which he’s not only familiar, but relishes.

“This is the first time in my pro career that I’m the underdog, but being the underdog has never mattered to me. Nobody believed I’d make the Olympic team after fighting as an amateur for less than two years; I made it as an alternate. I’m used to having people not believe in what I can accomplish; it only makes me work harder.”

Besides, if boxing doesn’t work out, he has a career to fall back on, right?

Guess again, wishful thinkers.

“While I’m boxing, this is first and foremost; it’s what I’m about. The other stuff is alternative, worst-case scenario. If God forbid something happens and I can’t box anymore, all that other stuff then comes into play. For now, though, this is who I am, full time and something I take very seriously, in the gym and especially in the ring.”

Even more so when people suggest the odds are stacked against him

“I started late in this sport. Chris has been a pro longer than I have, and has more amateur experience as well. On paper, he’s supposed to whoop my behind, but it will definitely fuel me to deliver the best performance of my career, and advance to the next level.”

You mean the next great American heavy…

“I know everyone’s looking for the next great American heavyweight. I’m looking to fill that void in the next 2-2 ½ years or so. It could happen sooner. When I’m in the ring, I don’t think as much; it’s starting to come together for me as a pro, but I still have a way to go.”

If there’s a facet of the sport that Chazz won’t engage in, much less perfect, it’s the art of smack talking. In an era where the typical mindset is “negative publicity is still publicity,” Witherspoon holds as much respect for his opponents as he does for the game itself.
 
“I usually don’t have much to say about or to my opponents,” admits Chazz. “But with Chris being a father and my not having spoken to him sooner, I’d like to wish him a belated happy Father’s Day.”

While Father’s Day has passed, graduation time is upon us for the young heavyweights this weekend. The winner will see his career advance to new heights, though even a win won’t go to Witherspoon’s head any time soon.”

“All I ask of my fans – boxing fans in general – is to watch me, and give me feedback. I’m a realist; I listen to what people have to say. I’m still learning, but I’m on my way.”

For those in search of a true credit to the sport, Chazz Witherspoon arrived long ago.

Jake Donovan is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Tennessee Boxing Advisory Board. Comments/questions can be submitted to JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.