Is Bowe in your top 20 heavyweights list

If so where do put him.

 

1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Holmes
4. Holyfield
5. Lewis
6. Foreman
7. Marciano
8. Tyson
9. Frazier
10. Wlad
11. Dempsey
12. Johnson
13. Liston
14. Vitali
15. Bowe
16. Charles
17. Walcott
18. Patterson
19. Fitzsimmons
20. Norton

I remember hesitating a bit putting Bowe over Ezzard Charles. The rest is as is.

 

Good question.
He probably makes my top 15, along with ,in no order.
Ali
Lewis
Louis
Dempsey
Marciano
Holyfield
Tyson
Liston
Holmes
Johnson
Foreman
Wlad
Vitali
Frazier

 

For resume, I'd have him below:

Sullivan
Fitzsimmons
Jeffries
Johnson
Dempsey
Schmeling
Louis
Charles
Marciano
Patterson
Liston
Ali
Frazier
Foreman
Holmes
Tyson
Holyfield
Lewis
Wladimir

Only among lineal champions, that's already 19. Not to mention some of the best non-lineal champions, so it's unlikely I have him in my top 20.

 

I think that's perfectly fair. Beating a super hot, prime, undefeated Holyfield (even twice, though in my eyes Holy never beat Bowe) was a huge accomplishment at the time, and even in retrospect (considering both Holy's making Tyson look lame and holding a red-hot Lewis to two not-entirely-consummate 12 round decisions) it's huge.

Take that and the fact that Bowe beat some good contenders and ex-champions, not to mention winning the title twice (the second time from a way underrated Herbie Hide, a freeking excellent by ******edly small heavyweight imo).

After writing that I'm tempted to place him higher, but he's got some HUGE names ahead of him.

Bowe is one of my top ten favorite fighters, easy.

 

Cool list! No Norton?

 

As I said, that's only lineal champions list. Someone like Norton (and quite a few others) has a case over Bowe too.

 

Sorry, I didn't read properly. I can't quite put Ken over Bowe (though I can easily see why anyone would).

I love both of those fighters.

 

You can only justify having him outside the top ten if you favour longevity over single wins and talent. He beat a prime Holyfield and again a still very good EH who had just beaten Ray Mercer, went on to demolish Tyson and avenge his loss to Moorer.
Me pesonally I'll take that over Wlad and Vitali spending ten years winning snoozefests over the likes of Chagaev and Adamek.

 

The Klitschkos presented a problem for me. Still, they beat the people put in front of them...in my eyes Lewis was losing that one fight before they stopped it.

I just can't put Riddick above them...they pretty much commandeered the division for so long. Bowe got blown out before 30, the Golota fights were sad as hell imo. Also aggravating as hell, because Bowe was getting horribly beat, especially in the second one. They should have at least ruled those fight no-contest.

I don't know what happened to Bowe; he was such a personable, well-spoken young man as champ. If it really was down to lack of concentration and disregard for what it took to fight at an elite level...that's actually kind of ignorant, isn't it?

Bowe was SO good...a terrible tragedy for boxing, imo.

 

Got him at 30. The thing with Bowe is he started to decline JUST after he beat Holyfield the first time. He had so much going for him to with good boxing ability, decent punching Power and seemed to be able to take a shot. Shame really. But the title winning version Bowe would get a win over some big names imo.

 

Biggest tragedy is that Bowe’s peak lasted just one night. We saw the best Bowe in the first fight with Holyfield and that guy was never seen again. Definitely top 20 but on ability he coulda, shoulda, woulda been a top 10 ATG great

 

Yes...not sure where i place him though

 

Top 20 ... probably. I've never made a top 20 but it doesnt seem unreasonable.

 

Its not so much Bowe as it’s that the guys above him had a longer more distinguished career. I’d put him somewhere between 30-20.