Two up-and-coming heavyweights clash in Memphis, Tennessee this Saturday night as Chris Arreola and Chazz Witherspoon enter the ring with identical 23-0 records, Arreola’s 21 KOs over Witherspoon’s 15 KOs being the only difference.
Both men are tall at around 6′4″ or 6′5″ but that’s just about where the similarities end. Arreola is the prototypical Mexican brawler who stands in front of his opponent and beats him down, while Witherspoon, cousin of the talented but underachieving ’80s heavyweight, Tim Witherspoon, is more the craftsman with his polished jab, rights, and hooks, as well as a good grasp of defensive fundamentals.
Since he is a 6′4″ Mexican heavyweight, Arreola is inherently more marketable than Chazz, a black man from Philly, and may well have the edge should the scorecards be close. Yes, that’s cynical, but it’s also real.
In the gym, Arreola doesn’t always overwhelm you with his work ethic, often leaving observers to wonder why he showed up in the first place. On the other hand, Witherspoon’s discipline, evident in his university degree as well as his advanced boxing skills, reinforces the idea that he takes his work seriously and is mentally, as well as physically, prepared to do his job come fight night.
That’s not to say that Arreola isn’t willing to work in the ring, he is, and then some, but it seems he relies a little too heavily on his volume punching style to make the difference in his fights. So far, against mostly soft touches, that strategy has worked out just fine, and it certainly is crowd-pleasing, but sooner or later, possibly this Saturday night, the lack of pugilistic subtlety could become a glaring lack of skills. It’s Witherspoon’s job to make sure that happens.
The fight will be featured on HBO Boxing After Dark.
