I like Foreman via early rounds KO. Both will throw bombs and go all out. Both will get buzzed, but Foreman hits harder and he could take Bowe's best stuff. Foreman KO 4
Bowe's defense is too crappy, I think Foreman lays him out here. Bowe seemed to have a good chin, but he also didn't exactly face many big punchers.
Bowe sucked. He had one of the worst levels of comp of any fighter considered to be the best in his time. He beat up Holyfield who was much smaller. Foreman would have killed Bowe. Bowe ducked anyone his size with any skill. Foreman wasn't skilled, but he had one dimension. Andrew Golota exposed Bowe. That marks the only time that scrub ever fought a guy who was big and had some skill and some power and he got the shit kicked out of him. Foreman knocks him out or makes BNowe quit like he did against Lewis in the olympics and then in the pros by ducking him 10 out of 10 times.
Well I agree that Foreman knocks him out, but anyone who says that a prime Bowe "sucked" is a idiot. Bowe was a tremendous talent, and a tremendous fighter at his best, too bad he was only at his best a handful of times in his career, the biggest obviously being the first Holy fight, which he was brilliant in. By time he fought Golota not only was he fat and unmotivated, but shop worn as well. I personally believe that the 92 Bowe would have kicked Golota's ass. But having said that, his defense was too leaky to beat a prime Foreman.
No only an idiot doesn't realize Bowe was never anything. Look at his level of opposition. He barely beat Tony Tubbs and was booed once the decision was read. He was big and overrated. He made his career beating up smallish heavyweights. You cannot dispute that the first big heavyweight he ever faced, meaning tall and skilled, not like Tubbs a big tub of goo, he got the shit beat out of him. His loss to Holyfield is far more telling than his victories. How is a guy "tremendous talent" after he loses to a guy with no defense and his shorter, weaker and smaller, only a cocksucker would think so. I guess you think he is a "tremendous talent" because you wanted some Bowe gizz all over your face.
Dumbass I'm not even a Bowe fan. And I think Foreman would have KO'd. But you saying Bowe "sucked" simply makes you look like the simpleton you are. If you cant see Bowe had talent I dont know the fuck you can see. Bowe was one of the most talented "big" heavyweights ever. He had power, above average handspeed, a wicked jab, very good stamina, and excellent in-fighting ability. Name a heavyweight today who has all those attributes. You are simply a fool.
Bowe is said to be one of the most talented "big" heavyweghts which is simply not true. Who did he beat to justify his hype? He went two and one with Holyfield. Lennox Lewis was a talented big guy and he lost maybe 8 rounds in 24 at worst. Bowe Holy all three were pretty competitive and the third Bowe was nearly stopped before Holyfield faked a heart injury and quit. What justifies your statements except your love of creme de Bowe?His win over Jorge Luis Gonzalez, the ass kicking Golota gave him, his controversial decision over Tubbs, his victory over Herbie Hide? Who? Bowe would go life and death with even the mediocre heavies today. He might win, but he would struggle. I think he'd beat Wlad, but he has half the talent Wlad has. Vitali would either knock Blowe out or make him quit. Actually, Bowe would throw the belt in the trash can because he was scared of anyone decent his size.
74 Foreman was hard to beat. I would give Chris Byrd a better chance than Bowe.(Think Jimmy Young) To top it off, I think Bowe could beat Byrd. Styles can and often do make fights.
Bowe was a good talent. Its just that he had too much heart and courage for his own good. He never clinched when he got hurt, always fighting back and taking too many on the chin. Also what hurt Bowe was his losing motivation to stay at the top. After that 2nd fight with Holyfield, he just kinda drifted towards not being hungry anymore. That said, a PRIME Bowe destroys both Klitchsko brothers. And say what you want about Bowe, but he NEVER quit. Too much heart and too much willingness to trade. A short prime yes it was. But Bowe was an undeniable talent during that very short time.
Ridiculous. Did you guys actually see him fight or just listen to the HBO hype machine? Do you think it is courageous to throw your belt into a trash can rather than honor an agreement to fight not only a guy with talent, but a guy who beat and humiliated you already on the world stage. Make no mistake about it. Bowe quit in the olympics. He was told not to duck and he ducked 50 times so the ref could dq him instead of fighting and losing. It is easy not to clinch and fight when you fight the wretched level of competition Bowe did. You guys who think Bowe was a great talent enjoy speculation. He never showed it. He should have been able to beat Holyfield easily. Holyfield was an overachiever. A great fighter, a dirty fighter, but an overachiver. Lewis handled Holyfield easily. That is what a great big man does.
This is one of the major reasons I never listen to old time guys or trainers. It was Eddie Futch who said Bowe was the most talented Heavyweight he'd ever seen. Which is simply absurd
Half as talented as Wlad? All Wlad really has over Bowe is that he's a bigger puncher(and not by much). Wlad didnt have NEARLY as good a chin as Bowe, not HALF as good as stamina, Wlad cant fight inside for shit(unlike Bowe) and Bowe had an equally good jab. A prime Bowe would have wiped his ass with BOTH the Klithoe brothers. What other heavyweight of today would you pick over Bowe? Sam Peter? Toney? Brewster? Rachman? Please! I would have probably picked a prime Lewis over Bowe, but that wouldnt have been a sure thing either. The pre-prison Tyson would have stopped Bowe for the same reason Foreman stops him, but Bowe at his best is not an easy fight for ANY heavyweight in history.
I think it was a question of the money. From what I remember, neither Lewis nor Bowe were satisfied with the purses for that fight and as such, both camps broke negotiations, and thus Bowe relinquished the belt. As far as the Olympics go, Bowe just got beat. And we have to remember that at that time he was going through a tragedy in the family(I think his sister was killed or something). As far as the Holyfield trilogy, I don't think anybody had an easy time with a PRIME Holyfield. Its true that Lewis handled Holyfield and I do think that Lewis would have beaten him in his prime too, but Holyfield was competitive in the rematch against Lewis, lets not forget. Again, Bowe was a pretty good talent. He had size, good handspeed, punching power, good skills(Could fight inside and outside), and he could take a shot. Just lacked the discipline of a true pro.
You think wrong. Bowe was terrified of Lewis. Lewis wanted the fight and Bowe wanted to have a belt and fight bottom feeders of the division. Bowe quit in the olympics. He didn't even care when the ref stopped it. As for people having an easy time with a prime Holyfield that is true and misleading. Holmes and Foreman gave Holyfield a good go and they were both old and shot. In fact, Holyfield struggled with the same cats Tyson gets riddiculed for knocking the fuck out. You can list all this attributes Bowe supposedly had, but the fact is he only fought one decent fighter in his career and that fighter was significantly smaller and he still got outboxed, read that again, Holyfield OUTBOXED a guy much bigger than he was.
Who are we to say that he was "terrified"?... I just think that due to it being a big fight, he wanted as much money as he could get and couldn't get it and thus decided to not take the fight. As far as Holyfield goes, the first time Bowe was in shape and beat him convincingly. The 2nd time, Bowe was clearly out of shape and got outhustled. But when both were at their best, Bowe would win. That shows his superiority over Holyfield.
It is called reason. I don't know if he is was terrified, scared, nervous, but any adjective you use it was objectively cowardly no matter how you spin it. He argreed to the fight if he beat Holyfield and if Lewis beat Ruddock. Lewis destroyed Ruddock and Bowe outpointed Holy. Then he calls a press conference and throws the belt into the trash so he didn't have to fight Lewis. It was easily the most cowardly act in heavyweight boxing history. Obviously, you started watching boxing last year. Bowe/Lewis was the biggest money fight out there; it was the fight everybody wanted to see. It wasn't about money. It was about Rock Newman and Riddick Bowe knowing that Bowe was a not what they hype said he was.
Actually no I do remember that. I was a young kid, but I very much remember Bowe throwing the belt into the trash. And yeah I was disappointed because I wanted to see the Lews/Bowe fight. But from what I remember, it was just another case of two camps getting together to negotiate and NEITHER guy was satisfied with the deal. Surely Bowe must have been itching for revenge. I don't think he would have beaten Lewis. But I can't see a reason why he wouldn't have wanted the fight. I just think that it was another case of egoes clashing and both guys being to proud to take less money than the other.
Bowe and Newman wanted easier fights where they could pimp HBO and get easy money for overmatched guys like Dokes and Ferguson. And they probably thought Holyfield was done when they gave him a rematch.
Riddick Bowe is a weird one for me: he has all the tools needed for what makes a great Heavyweight but never really fulfiulled any of the potential. Plus, he got hit far, far more times than a great boxer should.
