When did Riddick Bowe skills to start to decline

Did it start with the Herbie Hide fight in 1995?

 

I'd say immediately after Holyfield 2 they started declining but Golota sped the process up

 

Agree.

 

In the first round of the first Holyfield fight.

 

They never did decline. He could beat Lennox Lewis right now. Just ask him.

 

You must be joking.

Probably after the Holyfield. It just seemed as though winning the belt in the first place was really all he cared about, and the knockout of Holyfield was necessary because of the rubber match (it's on the books, Bowe was the better man 2 to a disputed 1).

I watched the second Golota fight for the first time and was astonished by Bowe's poor performance...I mean, he was never a defensive wizard, but dozens of Golota's punches would have been easily blocked by Bowe even two years earlier. And I do think it's possible irreparable damage was done to Bowe during that fight...the ref was at least a round late stopping it (I still see it as Bowe was stopped, where the first fight was more obviously a foul).

When I watched the Lewis-Golota fight...I was once again astonished I guess. I didn't know the result in advance and was stunned to see Andrew fall so fast. To me Bowe had better power in both hands than Lewis (Bowe had the superior left everything and right uppercut, while Lewis rocked the right straight and overhand). At the point of that LL kayo I guess I must concede that Lewis would have stopped Bowe...as much as I HATE to admit that, because to me Lewis pre-Steward was total Bowe-bait.

 

Probably after the first Holyfield fight, I don’t think he ever got back to the 235 lbs and fantastic shape he was in for that fight again. Like many before him he probably lost a bit of dedication and motivation for the sport after becoming heavyweight champ and definitely seemed noticeably softer round the belly for the rest of his career.

 

I wasn't joking but may have been exaggerating somewhat. The seeds of Bowe's destruction were planted in the first Holyfield fight - both physically and mentally. He took a lot of punishment and didn't handle the victory well.

 

When he became overly confident after Holyfield 1 . The training went out of the window and he started getting tagged easier .The punishment he started taking ruined him and had a knock on effect .

 

Bowe was lucky to win Holyfield 3 had Holyfield not gassed he would stopped Bowe in the 6th. Possibly even earlier had Holyfield not had hepatitis. Bowe in 1992 took several good shots from Holyfield and remained standing.

 

When he put a kitchen in his bedroom. If he kept in shape, he might of had the legacy that Lewis had.

 

What do you mean Bowe was stopped? I'm sorry were you the referee of that fight?

 

I think Bowe was just more agressive, had Lewis thought "**** it, I'll give it ago" and went all out on Holyfield and Tua, Grant style, I think he'd have stopped them both convincingly

Lewis's jab to me was much better, I have Lewis as the 3rd best in the divisions history, tied with Wlad, but I have Bowe at 7. Ino that's only a 4 place but the difference is still big. I agree Bowe had a better left hook. Lewis to me has the best right Uppercut in the divisions history, it was a thing of devastation, Bruno and Vitali know all about it

Bowes overhand was his money punch, It was much cleaner than Lewis's and probably had equal power, Lewis's straight was much better tho

 

I'd say round about the time when Golota beat him like a pinata.

 

When he was able to afford all the cookies in the world.