Riddick Bowe could have been a top 3 ATG.

I would say Holyfield is top 3 ATG at HW. Bowe isn't because Bowe didn't fight everybody. Holyfield fought everybody and is still fighting everybody, and he beats them most of the time even today.

I think Holyfield would be competitive against Wlad even today, even if he probably would be outboxed I don't think Wlad could knock him out or intimidate him and there is a chance he could catch Wlad.

 

:huh to the first

:verysad to the second

 

It was published in news papers that Bowe admitted he was in the best shape of his career in the 2nd golota fight. If you are considering Bowe to be ATG, you should consider Golota to be ATG as well.

 

Bowe was good

 

And4 Buster douglas too

 

Bowe was mentally weak and had no impulse control. He kidnapped his own wife and threw his boxing championship belt into a garbage can. He would lose badly to any strong-minded gifted fighter he ever faced who had likewise size and power. He went life and death with a bulked-up cruiserweight for goodness sake.

 

Even if Bowe had remained fit and in shape during the 90's he still would have had a very short career. He was very immobile and easy to hit, had he stayed at the top of the game and fought Lewis and Tyson it would have just meant he would have taken even more punishment than he already did. Guys that get hit this much rarely have overly long careers especially at heavyweight.

Personally Bowe's reputation seems to be based upon one fight and one fight alone. He beat Holyfield who was quite frankly tailor made for him. A smaller fighter, who's power wouldn't be enough to take advantage of his poor defence and who would brawl with him. The fact that Holyfield was able to outbox Bowe in the 2nd fight shows how limited Bowe was when being forced to face a boxer who used movement.

Bowe while close to being prime struggled with Tubbs and Hide which once again showed his lack of mobility being a big weakness in his game, he was for from being a complete fighter and was actually quite one dimensional.

Personally I have always favoured Lewis over Bowe, his power and his long range style would be too much for him and make him pay for being so easy to hit. The Lewis who beat Ruddock would beat the Bowe who beat Holyfield based on styles.

Tyson would be a closer fight but once again being so easy to hit would be his undoing against another ATG puncher. A past prime Bowe was ruined in 2 fights against Golota, a past prime Tyson made Golota quit in 2 rounds, that for me shows the difference. Bowe may have been able to trade with a 205lbs Holyfield but against a puncher like Tyson it would have been only a matter of time before Tyson landed the kind of blows that would inevitably shorten his career and get him KO'ed.

 

Bowe made his name off beating Evander Holyfield (who has always been an inconsistent fighter at HW, **** he lost to a LHW), he didn't know how to fight at distance and Lewis would have killed him, too bad the fight never happened.

 

If calzaghe is number 1 and bowe was no.3 who would no.2 be ?

 

IMO Bowe>Tyson