Riddick Bowe vs Vitali Klitschko

[Jaws]

A prime Bowe defeats Vitali. He has a better and more varied skill set.

[MRBILL]

Fuck me raw................... Look............. All I'm stating is, Buster D. had the damn fight going his way in '87......... Tony Tucker looked clueless and ordinary against Douglas on the undercard of "Tyson-Thomas." Buster Douglas had the tools to beat Tucker, but his conditioning and stamina betrayed him once again......... Douglas was a lemon / flop, cuz he was a lazy slob for the most part of his career but, the guy had talent / skill....... Deep down, Douglas was better than Tucker....... But Tucker did have better training habits......... Cheers...........

MR.BILL

[lefthook31]

Originally Posted by MRBILL

Fuck me raw................... Look............. All I'm stating is, Buster D. had the damn fight going his way in '87......... Tony Tucker looked clueless and ordinary against Douglas on the undercard of "Tyson-Thomas." Buster Douglas had the tools to beat Tucker, but his conditioning and stamina betrayed him once again......... Douglas was a lemon / flop, cuz he was a lazy slob for the most part of his career but, the guy had talent / skill....... Deep down, Douglas was better than Tucker....... But Tucker did have better training habits......... Cheers...........

MR.BILL

Thats kind of part of being a top fighter though. Its not all about talent. Toughness, training, discipline, etc all part of it. Douglas didnt have what it took in the trenches most times, he just wasnt interested in getting into a deep tough brawl. If he was, I believe your right he would have acomplished a lot more, because he did have real good skills, and you saw what he could do when he was willing to fight against Tyson.

[MRBILL]

Originally Posted by lefthook31

Thats kind of part of being a top fighter though. Its not all about talent. Toughness, training, discipline, etc all part of it. Douglas didnt have what it took in the trenches most times, he just wasnt interested in getting into a deep tough brawl. If he was, I believe your right he would have acomplished a lot more, because he did have real good skills, and you saw what he could do when he was willing to fight against Tyson.

I already said Buster was a lazy slob............... That was his problem........ Still, like others such as: "Tubbs, Page & Dave Bey," Douglas had talent, but no real eye of the tiger................. The "Tyson" fight of '90 was Buster's BEST and ONLY great showing.............. Peace....

MR.BILL

[lefthook31]

Originally Posted by MRBILL

I already said Buster was a lazy slob............... That was his problem........ Still, like others such as: "Tubbs, Page & Dave Bey," Douglas had talent, but no real eye of the tiger................. The "Tyson" fight of '90 was Buster's BEST and ONLY great showing.............. Peace....

MR.BILL

Your right. I wonder why that group was so dam lazy, with the talent some of them had.

[JohnThomas1]

Originally Posted by MRBILL

Fuck me raw................... Look............. All I'm stating is, Buster D. had the damn fight going his way in '87......... Tony Tucker looked clueless and ordinary against Douglas on the undercard of "Tyson-Thomas." Buster Douglas had the tools to beat Tucker, but his conditioning and stamina betrayed him once again......... Douglas was a lemon / flop, cuz he was a lazy slob for the most part of his career but, the guy had talent / skill....... Deep down, Douglas was better than Tucker....... But Tucker did have better training habits......... Cheers...........

MR.BILL

Douglas fought well vs Tucker but Tucker hung in and wore him down.

This is what you said

Tony Tucker WAS LOSING to Buster Douglas before Douglas ran outta gas and haired out in 1987......... Lucky win.......

Wrong, plain and simple. I agree Buster had more talent, but he sure lacked that x factor excepting mainly for one mysterious night where all the stars seemed to align his way, both via himself and Tyson.

[MRBILL]

Originally Posted by JohnThomas1

Douglas fought well vs Tucker but Tucker hung in and wore him down.

This is what you said



Wrong, plain and simple. I agree Buster had more talent, but he sure lacked that x factor excepting mainly for one mysterious night where all the stars seemed to align his way, both via himself and Tyson.

Johnny Boy,

GODDAMMIT! Yes, Douglas had the talent and skill to win, but he was a slob and lost to Tucker in '87............ I know that................ BUT! If Douglas had better drive and focus in 1987, he'd have been the IBF chump back then instead of 1990............... Tucker did NOT beat Douglas; Douglas LOST!!! Douglas PISSED me off hard on that night............ I have the fight on tape.............. Fuckin' Buster simply had no more gas after round 6 and fizzled in the middle of the road............ Why? Cuz he was a lazy slob and trained like a wussy for Tucker.............. BUT!! The Sum Bitch had the talent and skill to win, just not the drive or focus............. ARGH!!!


MR.BILL

[ChrisPontius]

I recently watched that fight on YouTube. To me it didn't seem like Douglas gassed, but Tucker simply caught him with a very good combination that made his body say "Fuck this, i'm out of here", even if he was still standing. For instance, in the beginning of the round when he suddenly deteriorated, he was still pretty quick with the jab and defensive reflexes. He didn't look like he was staggering around the ring from tiredness, to me.

It seems to me that the "Douglas running out of gas" has become urban legend over the decades since, but in my opinion, Tucker genuinely TKO'd him (as much as i like Douglas to win).

[lefthook31]

Originally Posted by MRBILL

Johnny Boy,

GODDAMMIT! Yes, Douglas had the talent and skill to win, but he was a slob and lost to Tucker in '87............ I know that................ BUT! If Douglas had better drive and focus in 1987, he'd have been the IBF chump back then instead of 1990............... Tucker did NOT beat Douglas; Douglas LOST!!! Douglas PISSED me off hard on that night............ I have the fight on tape.............. Fuckin' Buster simply had no more gas after round 6 and fizzled in the middle of the road............ Why? Cuz he was a lazy slob and trained like a wussy for Tucker.............. BUT!! The Sum Bitch had the talent and skill to win, just not the drive or focus............. ARGH!!!



MR.BILL

Is there hidden messages in all those dots? Some sort of boxing morse code?

[MRBILL]

Jesus, I'm going back on memory, and I MIGHT need to pullout the tape for review, but I think I recall where Douglas did complain in the corner prior to the stoppage that he, QUOTE: "I Got Some Shit In My Eye." UNQUOTE...... Douglas did say that...... Now, what was wrong with his eye??? Was it a hair, vaseline or Tucker's jab / thumb???

MR.BILL

[Rubber Warrior]

Originally Posted by rekcutnevets

I am really having trouble of thinking of a 90's heavyweight that I could say, with little doubt, would be a safe pick to defeat Vitali Klitschko head to head.
Other than Lewis, and Riddick Bowe, that is.

Holyfield did not look good as an aggressor. Though Vitali is larger, I still think he would make Holyfield come to him.

Vitali would be a TALL order for Mike Tyson, and I think a fight featuring the two would go the distance. I can't see a 90's Tyson getting the decision.

I think Andrew Golota would stand a real chance stylistically. I think Golota had the better jab, but he is too much of a head case to pick over a top notch opponent. I thought people were crazy to pick Michael Grant to beat Golota, and look what happened.

Riddick Bowe had trouble against opponents that could out jab him. Riddick Bowe only has one official loss, but he looked like the losing fighter on three occasions. On those occasions, he was in the ring with fighters that were capable of out jabbing him at times. Bowe was out of shape when he first faced Golota, but I don't think he was shot in the rematch. I believe Golota made him look so bad because he could out jab Bowe. Golota's jab was straighter and snappier, and that wasn't just because Bowe was all of 29 years old.

Vitali's jab looks to be more pesky than great to me, and I think Bowe may be able to win in this department. Bowe was a couple inches shorter than Vitali, but he has an inch in reach. Bowe also had a high punch output for a big man, and he throws far fewer arm punches than Vitali.

I think this could be a great fight. What do you think?

Stylistically, Bowe matches-up poorly with what we have been seeing from Lurch on his comeback. His arching overhand right would be deflected by Vitali's well-timed left arm as we saw over and over again with Arreola. Bowe never had a straight, short right hand....and even if he did it wouldn't help him with Vitali....again given the styles at play.

Bowe often shuffled forward behind his left jab and then threw that arching right. His left jab would be his best weapon with Vitali. His inside game wouldn't even be a factor.

For Klitschko's part, he likes to throw combinations, and I think after the first three or four rounds as Bowe becomes more frustrated he'd be landing them.

I'd bet the farm on the 38 year-old I saw a few months ago over Riddick Bowe.

[The Mongoose]

Originally Posted by Rubber Warrior

Stylistically, Bowe matches-up poorly with what we have been seeing from Lurch on his comeback. His arching overhand right would be deflected by Vitali's well-timed left arm as we saw over and over again with Arreola. Bowe never had a straight, short right hand....and even if he did it wouldn't help him with Vitali....again given the styles at play.

Bowe often shuffled forward behind his left jab and then threw that arching right. His left jab would be his best weapon with Vitali. His inside game wouldn't even be a factor.

For Klitschko's part, he likes to throw combinations, and I think after the first three or four rounds as Bowe becomes more frustrated he'd be landing them.

I'd bet the farm on the 38 year-old I saw a few months ago over Riddick Bowe.

Excellent observations. I agree completely. Bowe was often very sloppy with his right hand and Vitali won't give him the chance to go wild on the inside. Unlike the streaky Golota, Vitali can also keep that frustrating 80 punch output up round after round and finish the fight.

[lefthook31]

Originally Posted by Rubber Warrior

Stylistically, Bowe matches-up poorly with what we have been seeing from Lurch on his comeback. His arching overhand right would be deflected by Vitali's well-timed left arm as we saw over and over again with Arreola. Bowe never had a straight, short right hand....and even if he did it wouldn't help him with Vitali....again given the styles at play.

Bowe often shuffled forward behind his left jab and then threw that arching right. His left jab would be his best weapon with Vitali. His inside game wouldn't even be a factor.

For Klitschko's part, he likes to throw combinations, and I think after the first three or four rounds as Bowe becomes more frustrated he'd be landing them.

I'd bet the farm on the 38 year-old I saw a few months ago over Riddick Bowe.

The overhand right that Bowe throws works even better on tall opponents. Its easier to land. has Vitali ever faced a 6'5" guy that comes forward and throws bombs and does it pretty good? Why yes, it was Lennox Lewis... Bowe's game was exactly the fight that Lewis instituted against Vitali. Vitali doesnt have a good pumping jab that keeps fighters at bay either. Bowe would be up in his chest quicker than Lewis was, and then Vitali would fall apart.

[MRBILL]

Well, Bowdacious looked great against Jorge L. Gonzo in 1995 on HBO, but Gonzo was merely a hulking amateur with many flaws............ R.B. looked great cuz of the match-up............

I doubt Bowdacious would find Vitali Klit that easy to find and reach........ Vitali Klit has more skill and determination than Gonzo ever had............ That also goes for Golota too......... Klit eats BOTH "Gonzo & Golota" for supper............

I see Bowe as dead meat against V.K.

MR.BILL

[Rubber Warrior]

Originally Posted by lefthook31

The overhand right that Bowe throws works even better on tall opponents. Its easier to land. has Vitali ever faced a 6'5" guy that comes forward and throws bombs and does it pretty good? Why yes, it was Lennox Lewis... Bowe's game was exactly the fight that Lewis instituted against Vitali. Vitali doesnt have a good pumping jab that keeps fighters at bay either. Bowe would be up in his chest quicker than Lewis was, and then Vitali would fall apart.

That arching overhead right only gets there if it isn't blocked....and Vitali WOULD block it.

Shall we take this the whole distance?

The fight would never have happened. Vitali's KO percentage is too damned high. Riddick left the punchers for Lennox to handle.