Would Bowe have battered Witherspoon?

It’s a fair fight. I don’t think Bowe deserves to be considered to be on a greater echelon. He has a lot in common with the lazy ass 1980s fat boys.

 

That’s a bit of revisionist view. When Bowe beat Evander the former cruiser was then regarded as this little guy who went life and death with a faded junkie mike dokes, hit the jackpot against a disillusioned Douglas, laboured with old timers Larry and bald George ..and still failed to impress against substitute Cooper!

What exactly changed this view? The rematch Bowe was a whopping 10lb out of shape when Evander outpointed him and then he lost to moorer.

I give Evander credit for being able to compete with a guy 30lb heavier, but that’s a mark against the guy who has the 30lb advantage isn’t it? We can’t have it both ways. If a guy is great winning with a 30lb advantage what does it say when he loses with a 30lb advantage?

I imagine Greg Page and Witherspoon might have relished a 30lb advantage in their title fights. I also imagine they were just as likely to lose rematches as Bowe was. And that is why I rate Bowe level with that kind of fighter.

 

A sloppy fight between the two in 1995 would’ve been great.

 

I'd favour Bowe. His size, strength and uppercut might be the decider here. Witherspoon at his best would push him hard but I think he falls short and loses a decision.

 

A whole lot of huffing and puffing, swinging man boobs and hugging...

I miss those days..

 

I could have mentioned the jiggle of bingo wings and bouncing bellies but thought better of it..

 

Ill take the Spoon,,,,,by a whisker

 

Did Bowe beat ATG avarage 212lb Evander Holyfield two out of three times yes or no? What makes Witherspoon looking better H2H than Riddick Bowe? Losing to Larry Holmes? Winning the WBA from Tubbs in one of the most boring meetings I´ve seen in a long time? I have to admit I didn´t watch the Page fight. What makes you think Spoon is better H2H than Bowe? Getting KTFO1 vs. Smith? Did that happen to Bowe too?
Bowe didn´t look good vs. Tubbs either, but was more dominant than Spoon in other fights.
Destroyed Cooper, Seldon, Coetzer, Dokes, Ferguson, Hide and tall big Gonzales.
The only one stopping a still young Holyfield on the canvas in the whole career! He could maul fighters down with rough agression alone.
What Spoon has on him is staying with a elaborated gameplan and boxing clever. Bowe has nearly everthing else on his side: Physical strength, weight, height, reach, jab, power, chin. Better fighter H2H.

If Witherspoon boxes clever he can look good at times vs Bowe, but I don´t see winning Spoon this one.

 

I don’t think Spoon is better. They’re probably no better or worse than each other. I think both guys are good fighters. Very capable yet share enough similarities in motivation to eliminate both from true greatness.

Spoon was just as impressive against Gonzalez. He was more impressive against Tubbs. Cooper, Seldon, Coetzer were nothing much and no better than countless guys Witherspoon beat.

yes Bowe beat 30lb smaller Holyfeild two out of three times. but Holyfeild was never dominant either was he? He went 1-1 with Moorer. He lost to Ruiz and lost a series to Lewis.

Witherspoon was not dominant in his era either. It is all a much of a muchness.

 

You don´t hold much of Holyfield don´t you?
Witherspoon was one of the Tubbs, Thomas, Dokes, and Berbicks of the 80s. He seems to become a star here for fighting Holmes to a near standstill.
On the other hand, a 37 years old Holyfield went 24 rounds! with a prime Lennox Lewis.
Bowe was the only one knocking him out. He was by many considered as the best fighter of the mid 90s. He didn´t equalize to one of the Tubbs, Thomas´and Berbicks (who were top fighters).
Thats why many consider Riddick Bowe to be on ATG H2H level by matching him successful with Lewis and others. I agree and think Bowe was just a level above Witherspoon H2H.

His problem was laziness. A trimmed Bowe on the level of Holyfields bodyfat was below 230. Is not 30lb difference. Holyfield was always trimmed at his weight, Bowe was not.

 

I think it is a good matchup and Bowe would be looking at a very good big man with good all around ability.....I think Bowe beats that Witherspoon who was still not a well seasoned talent against top fighters though very capable.....Tim had problems with good jabbers period if you remember the Thomas bout he was beat by that jab in that fight.

 

yes I agree, it seems silly to put faith in a guy who still lost to Larry Holmes. It’s like holding a candle for Tommy Farr who lost to Joe Louis in a similar fight as Tim had with Larry. But that said, Evander stillhad a hard a fight with a much more faded Larry Holmes than the version Tim fought. And that guy beat Bowe.

yes Holyfeild went 24 rounds with Lewis. Took him close. And Bowe would never fight Lewis. I’m not so sure Lennox was light years ahead of a prime Larry actually. I rate Larry above Lennox. I just don’t see prime Larry losing to Mcall or Rahman.

it took Bowe three fights to knock a 30lb smaller guy out though.

Bowe fought in a much more clearer time. Undisputed title period. And he had a lot of physical advantage over his peers. I don’t think Bowe is so far ahead of Buster Douglas, another big guy with a lot of talent and a penchant for being Lazy, and Douglas never really would have stood out from the Tubbs, Witherspoon, Page kind of guys either.

well how many good guys did Bowe beat his own size? Gonzalez? Witherspoon beat him too. Bowe failed against Lewis as an amateur and he certainly did not shine against Golata did he? We never saw him beat Grant or Tucker or Ruddock. He never fought Mercer or Moorer or Tyson. He only really beat Holyfeild when it comes down to it. Moorer beat him.

so you think Bowe wasn’t 30lb bigger than Holyfeild, it’s just that Bowe was always out of shape? Well Evander was a manufactured heavyweight who built up from 185lb wasn’t he?. If Bowe is supposed to be 220 that still puts him 35lb bigger than a trimmed down Evander. Holyfield was one of those guys who’s walking around weight was lower than his fighting weight. He was puffed up.

 

Tim at his best had it all, defense, offense and a chin, and ring smarts, I think a better boxer than Bowe. Dec. or KO for Tim