Original Article: Max Boxing
By Gabriel Montoya
April 25, 2012
The modern boxing landscape is a brutal one. Undefeated records are the greatest of currency, even though they are a mirages that hide who a fighter truly is. Without tests or losses, a fighter never truly develops the depth of character to ascend to greatness. Only the rare remain undefeated while taking tough fights, hitting roadblocks and shooting through them. For the vast masses, losses are a natural part of the game that you either grow from and move on to success or succumb to and slide further down the boxing trough.
In the modern boxing landscape, heavyweight Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon, 30-2 (22), is thought to be done at 30 years old, at least by conventional thinking. But Witherspoon, managed by Jawbreaker Management, run by Steve Russo and Ken Norton (yes, that Ken Norton), is not a conventional man. A college-educated Philadelphia, Penn. native, with a degree in pharmaceutical marketing from St. Joseph’s University in his hometown, Witherspoon is set to face up-and-coming heavyweight Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell on Saturday night on the undercard to Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson II. Witherspoon is a seasoned opponent who has been stopped once. Mitchell is undefeated and signed by Al Haymon with the support of Golden Boy Promotions. He has the look, the punch and the promotion behind him.
That said, Witherspoon has a few things up his sleeve as well, coming into his bout. Not the least of which is a brain trust including his original trainers, science nutritionist and anti-doping guru Victor Conte, veteran trainer and warrior scholar Virgil Hunter along with legendary sprint coach Remi Korchemny.
