Is Riddick Bowe an ATG Heavyweight? If he's not ,neither is Vitali.

I don't know how anybody who has actually seen a Riddick Bowe fight can feel comfortable calling him a coward or question his heart in any way. The man was 100% fearless & relentless in the ring. I mean it's not like he was ever backed up, walked down and chased around the ring by a blown up middleweight who had pillows for fists and eventually made to quit on his stool. :rofl:rofl

If Bowe had a stain like this on his career, THEN maybe you can raise questions about his heart.

And implying Bowe is somehow to blame for Lewis pricing himself out? :nono

Unless someone here can provide some insider info showing that Bowe coerced Lewis into turning down a career high payday, and a shot at the most coveted crown in the sport... then dead that ****.

 

Holyfield is a definite ATG anyone will agree with that.

 

Bowe had all time great potential
but going 3-1 in heavyweight title fights and 2 of the wins being against a shot to **** michael dokes and 19-9 Jesse Fergeson who had lost 4 of his last 6 fights

big time NO

 

Hi felixtrinidad

 

i watched bowe from the Olympics on up. always liked him. but however you want to label or whatever excuse is put in place for his blatant pulling out of that HBO tournament is just that, an excuse. he bitched out and went on to fight 2 of the weakest defenses known to man he could possibly have made at the time. he didnt do himself or his image any favors and it still looks bad on him to this day...no one buys the "lewis out priced himself" theory.

 

Ridick hot humiliated by that polish dude to brutally to be considered ATG

 

What type of bull**** comparison is this? I'd rather be knocked clean by a range finding jab off a 90 year old man than be known for running scared and ducking the biggest fight of your life.

 

atsch

Do you realize he's being compared to a guy that is 0-1 in LEGITIMATE Heavyweight title fights?

It's well documented that it was Lewis that walked away from the negotiating table as well a career high payday if you actually look back and read up on the facts about their negotiations, instead of regurgitating fanboy propaganda.

How isn't it pricing yourself out, when you decline to accept a purse that was over 3x the amount as your previous career high purse? Especially when you consider the circumstances of a undisputed heavyweight crown being on the line.

 

Bowe was dodging Lewis like no other, he even dropped a belt.

 

He only trashed the belt only after Lewis refused to sign off on accepting his highest purse to date (at the time). And the WBC tried to force him to give up a bigger share of the purse. Even though what he originally offered was more than reasonable.

Both were being greedy though. Bowe's greed was a bit more justified seeing as though he was the A-side draw, and most people barely knew who Lewis was at the time.

 

If you buy that, just what top heavyweights did Bowe fight instead of Lewis? What did we the boxing fans get for matchups? This is even if you give him a free pass on those ultimate softie title defenses of his. What did he do after? That was no minefield.

Were you buying into Larry Donald back then? Nobody I knew was. How about another name you don't hear mentioned much--Buster Mathis jr. Yep--lots of folks couldn't wait for that one. Anyone you know picking Mathis in that? These type opponents not only were not top 5 opponents like top fighters should be facing, they were fortunate to be top 15.

And What was Lewis doing during the same timeframe? Fighting guys and going into the lions den with matches nobody else signs for---WBC title bouts against Don King fighters. Lewis fought Tucker. Then McCall. Then Butler. He even takes on Mercer and Morrison and they aren't even title bouts.

Do you actually think Donald and Mathis and Hide and those guys are even remotely the same risk as taking on the house fighters? Oh yeah--just how often did Bowe take on the house fighter anyway? How many times was Riddick the road warrior and take his act on the road to see him grind out victories?

 

Both men are defined by the cold, dark shadow that Lennox Lewis casts over them :deal .

 

I don't much like vitali but it appears that he hasn't lost many rounds during his entire career and is a model professional always in good shape.

Bowe on the other hand was quite lazy and although he had lots of class tended to try to rely on that at times and take short cuts in training, which ultimately cost him.

On their best nights I would back bowe but on generally I think vitali has more best nights than bowe due to superior preparation and commitment

 

Can somebody define ATG? Is it TOP 100 HW of all time? Maybe TOP 15? I don't get it.

 

Not in Vitali's league as a boxer or man.