Prime vs Prime this is a 50/50 fight. With Futch in his corner when Bowe was still motivated he was a beast who could fight from the outside..inside....trench warfare....slugging it out ..you name it and Bowe could do it..three minutes a round......a fighter who was never Ko'ed even when totally shot fighting a prime opponent. Bowe gave Holy in two fights the hiding of a life time....he was never beat up in his prime like that, ever, in contrast, Lennox Lewis walzed a boring 24 rounds with a far more declined version of Oldiefield Golata has zero meaning, why the F you think he went low and low and low despite his corner begging him not to go there...easy answer, because he could not keep Bowe who was not firing on all cylinders anymore off him.....no low blows and Golata either quits or is getting laid out , fact.....and quit he did in both fights, fact. I have the highest respect for Holmes but Bowe will pull it off IMO, he aint no novice green pea like Wiherspoon or a One trick pony like Shavers...Bowe will push Holmes like he was never pushed before. So I take Bowe by UD in a absolute barn burner of a fight.
Yeah but Evander was tailor made for Bowe in my opinion. Evander always talked about how he would box and do this and do that, then he’d get hit and start a brawl or throw seventeen punches in a row. Bowe could deal with that due to his size and infighting skill. Larry Holmes would pick Bowe apart at range BETTER than Golota. Larry round 9 possibly 10 stoppage due to Bowe eye issues
This fight between Larry Holmes and Riddick Bowe would be a very tactical fight. Bowe does have size, good speed, and a long reach. Larry has the edge in experience, harder left jab, and can take a punch despite being decked by Earnie Shavers and Renaldo Snipes. He did fight and beat a tall hard puncher in Gerry Cooney, in 1982. Bowe also beat a game Evander The Real Deal Holyfield, to win his title. Holmes defeated Ken Norton by a split 15 round decision, to win his title on June 9 1978. Holmes dictates this fight with lateral movement, superior left jab, and good solid combination punching. Holmes wins by unanimous decision, Bowe is easy to tag, and loses concentration, during this fight, as frustration sets in.
Well played. Bowe didn't have the focus either in camp or in the ring. Larry was an animal during his prime run, a hungry fighter even after he had been fed the delights of a chamnp. And they had the same reach so no advantage for Bowe there.
Holyfield was a great warrior but he didn't have Holmes long left jab and straight right. Evander threw nice, crisp combinations, but he was a hooker, he let Bowe inside. He slugged with Big Daddy. Holmes is gonna shoot right down the pipe, 1-2s all night and move side to side. He won't hook. Bowe would make it a good fight. He had the ability to win. I just see Larry winning a close decision as the most likely scenario.
And heaviest jabs. Not quite Foreman-heavy, but stronger than Ali, Holy, and Louis'. Big Daddy could have had a jab on par with Larry's (and if he had listened to Futch a lot more he would have held the belt for many years imo). Bowe just didn't seem to want to stay champion, his whole world was winning the belt. I'm not sure what changed his mind later, but he could have been champ right into the mid-90s imo.
Larry had incredible recuperative powers, controlling the Shavers and Snipes fights pretty much right after the kds! He was able to completely keep his head, the mark of a great, great champion imo.
Yeah, this is a nice match up. Especially for a big guy with an inside game. Witherspoon losing by SD at just 15-0 showed some grit. If he hurts him like he did in the 8th? 9th? round forget which was ROTY, I can see Bowe doing an excellent followup. But with one glaring problem: Holmes survived Witherspoon, Norton & Shavers' attack, got to think he does again. Holmes win a loudly contested SD.
Interesting ideas! The problem is, as much as I love Bowe he had a tendency to get way too wild after knocking someone down, looping like crazy. If there was a kd, Larry would have had no problem avoiding Bowe's hot-headed Supa loopa punches and aggravated the hell out of the former by not only surviving but being in control again within a round (max). The round after would have seen Larry cool-headedly dodging Bowe's rushes and probably landing that cracking overhand of his own. Bowe would have been looking like a big goof by the 12th round, and would have won maybe four rounds total in the fight. Larry had one of the heaviest jabs in heavy history and it would have landed all day on Big Daddy. Please understand, I love Bowe but Larry was too slick and had easily enough power in the jab to keep him from getting to close too often. That's prime for prime. The Golota Bowe would have ended up looking like poor Leroy Jones around the 9th and bye bye Big Daddy TKO. Just my opinion, and I really liked your post.
Holmes has certainly been in trouble with lesser fighters. A prime Bowe probably falls short, but he would be far & away the jewel in Holmes’ crown of his long reign.
