Biggest duck jobs ever

What I don't understand is how this situation is much, if at all different than the Bowe-Lewis situation. Bowe dumped a title to take the easier path than fighting Lewis (because of the money from HBO) and you said you couldn't defend that decision (I agree with you). But it was a smart business decision for Bowe...getting much easier fights for good money. Why does Holmes get a pass for doing the same?

And as for Holmes-Spinks. I remember reading an interview with Holmes from around that time. I don't remember the exact quote, but it was along the lines of "I don't want any more big guys like Witherspoon who can hurt me, I want nothing but little guys who can't". And to me, a heavyweight champ planning to fight the Lightheavy and Crusier champs back to back is choosing the path of least resistance. Unfortunately for Holmes, he took Spinks a little too lightly and didn't realize how far he his own skills had slipped.

 

I think it's fair to say Bowe stood to make a lot more fighting Lewis than he did make fighting Dokes.

 

Here's how it's different:

Holmes made more against Frazier than he would have against Page.

Bowe left approximately $16-20 million on the table in avoiding Lennox Lewis, for far lesser paydays against Dokes and Ferguson.

 

Probably...but HBO had signed Bowe to a then record contract, which I'm sure wasn't chump change. AND..he was getting that money to fight opponents with zero chance of winning. Even the Holyfield rematch was looked at much differently going into the fight than it is looked at now. It was expected to be pretty much the end of Evander's career, especially at that level.

 

Like Jake said...Bowe was offered a huge sum. I believe the number was something like $15-17 million that the Lewis side offered him and that Newman/Bowe wanted $20 or more.

The Holyfield rematch was a ways off at that point.

And besides, the fight was supposed to be the culmination of a tournament.

Bowe's actions ended the tournament, and they tried to put the best face they could on it with the rubbish bin.

 

Yep. Bowe actually wanted something like 90% of the purse offered for a Lewis fight. Basically they did everything in their power to price themselves out of the fight or at least lowball Lewis. When none of that worked, he dumped his belt in the trash.

Where Newman fucked up (aside from ever getting in boxing in the first place) is believing that after Dokes, he was going to get George Foreman in the ring and then somehow magically spring Tyson out of jail two years before his parole hearing.

The only guarantee he was left with was the HBO contract.

Had Holmes rejected, say a $2 million payday against Page, and wound up facing Frazier for chump change, then there would be a valid complaint that he ducked his top challenger.

But he already had the $3 million guarantee on the table, which is why in and out of the ring Holmes was and still is a far better business man than Rock Newman (or Riddick Bowe, for that matter)

 

Out of curiosity, do you know much Bowe received for the Dokes and Ferguson fights? And also the Holyfield rematch?

The Holyfield loss is what caused Bowe's plan to backfire in his face. I could easily see his see his next few title defenses being against the likes of Joe Hipp, George Foreman, Alex Garcia and Tommy Morrison? And then when Lewis lost to McCall...he could say "see...I told you so." ::

 

Well, actually I wasn't trying to be a dick or start a debate. I was curious if avoiding a more dangerous fighter because it offered a smaller payday is considered ducking. I'll admit, I don't unless there is legitimate fear of losing involved.

With Page, I absolutely never got the sense at the time that he was someone Holmes feared. Page was a good fighter but as Jake mentioned, he had lost and did lose to fighters Holmes bested including Witherspoon and Berbick.

Pinklon Thomas, on the other hand, was someone because of the combination of youth, speed and power that I don't think Holmes thought he could beat. This was especially true after how Thomas had basically out jabbed Witherspoon and then physically handled Mike Weaver before droping him with that beautiful right hand bomb. Oh, and I remember Thomas calling out Larry Holmes in the ring after the Weaver. He called Holmes a peanut head. LOL.

At the time, Pinklon Thomas seemed like the real deal.

However, where I become a hypocrite with the whole not fighting guys due to money is if we talk about McCallum not getting a shot at the big three because he honestly didn't offer the right risk/reward ratio. Actually I can see the logic and business sense behind that as well, but it sucked.

 

For the Dokes fight, he/Newman received a $10 million package, which included a signing bonus and whatever they had to pay Dokes and took place at the Garden.

The Ferguson fight was a $7 million package, less whatever Ferguson made. The crowd was a huge letdown and HBO didn't hesitate to let Newman know.

Holyfield rematch, I believe he cleared $12 million total after the PPV upside kicked in. They were hoping for $15 million, but that was contingent on it surpassing the PPV totals of the first fight, which it didn't.

 

Exactly.

 

Pacquaio ducking Olympic Drug Testing.

 

Wow, great stuff Jake! Bowe made a fortune and never had to face Lewis. What a deal.

 

I heard the press made fun of Holmes for defending against the LHW champ Spinks and I believe somebody said "So when are you gonna fight Hagler next?"

 

Lewis had, at one time, dropped his price down to around $3 million...Bowe needed 2+ fights to make what he would have made in one against Lewis.

But I agree, when the other guy's already stopped you inside the distance - when you were wearing head gear, no less - take as many fights as you need to make up the money.

I've devised a plan to duck Lennox Lewis. Brilliant!

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Credit to HBO for rewarding Bowe and Newman...almost feel like this belongs in the other HBO thread.