Would Bowe have battered Witherspoon?

That ‘Crusierweight’ was one of the greatest heavyweights, never mind Crusierweights, of all time

 

I agree with you. Evander was the greatest Cruiserweight of all time and legitimately a great heavyweight too.

however, Evander was initially going through a shakey period where, though the fights were always entertaining, they were hard enough that a good belt holder bringing his A game might always beat him...as Moorer and Bowe both did. Which is why, I think, Bowe is closer to guys like Page and Witherspoon rather than than the ATG Holyfield turned out to eventually be.

There’s even the argument that Evander turned a corner after the series with Bowe, proving losing it was the making of him.

So yes Bowe won the series but his resume isn’t one I don’t think a number of the 1980s heavyweights could not replicate. And that’s not a slight on Evander. Bowe evenhad the same lazy way about him that actually characterised the lost generation too.

 

Holyfield was someone who couldn’t get himself up for fights like Moorer especially after having just beaten Bowe and he also looked bad against Cysz, when he was ready he was very good which is why he was very good in rematches especially when he had lost the first fight

 

Riddick Bowe/Height and weight
Height 1.96 m- 6'43 Weight 123 kg-271lbs
Reach 81 in

"Terrible" Tim Witherspoon
BORN December 27 1957; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
HEIGHT.. 6-3 1/2
WEIGHT 188-257 lbs
Reach 78 in

Bowe carried his weight better and had too much reach for spoon, would have been a good fight though, fighters were better in Spoon and Holmes era compared to the 90`s when Bowe was in his prime and Tim was still fighting but past it.

 

Depends. I think a prime Witherspoon would give any heavyweight problems, however if we are talking about a comebacking Spoon from the 90s while Bowe was champ, I say that Spoon gets beat up

 

Part of what made Holyfield good to watch was that he often made a harder fight than he needed to have. Early in his Heavyweight days he fought a guy called Seamus and though he still won, for a future champion it was a bit more competitive than you would think. Michael Dokes was also a great fight...but really not the easy win you would expect from a guy on his way down for a guy on the way up. It’s like Evander fought at the level of the guy he was fighting.

This is why I say a guy like Witherspoon, if he turns up having a good performance, is good enough to always beat Holyfield once. Not that this would make him better than Holyfield because Witherspoon did not have enough good performances in him to ever be a great fighter.

That’s the thing about talent. Having it isn’t always enough. The fighter has to have enough good performances in him to be great. And Witherspoon didn’t.

 

I disagree Witherspoon would beat him best for best. Witherspoon didn't rise that high and IMO get overrated quite a bit.

 

Witherspoon could would should......but he never really did.

Bowe would beat him from pillar to post.............Spoon ate a awful lot of leather against a declining ok puncher in Holmes, he aint eating the same leather from Bowe without getting counted out................Bowe fought 3 min a round and never ever gassed. Bowe ko'ed Holyfield face down flat and out.......Witherspoon aint got the will to walk thru pure fire like Holyfiled was willing to do.

 

Definitely not best for best. I’m talking before the Tyson fight Witherspoon has a shot at surprising Evander. He has to. Because Moorer beat him. But even then, it would have to be his best night. Beyond this Witherspoon simply doesn’t deserve comparison. He doesn’t have enough good performances in him. So you are right, best for best Holyfield wins.

 

Yeah, you see fantasy matchups like Holyfield vs Page and people would say Holyfield easy, but in a realistic scenario especially if Holyfield was the champion he would think it was a routine defence and Page would be coming to give it his all and in a first fight Holyfield may struggle or even drop a points loss then he may go on to win decisively in a rematch, people don’t see this they just picture their peak performances even if it was a first fight between them

 

The Moorer fight was Holyfield's worst around that career time. You've have to take a bad Holyfield and a top flight Witherspoon.

Top flight Witherspoon is still overrated for mine. He's propped up because he gave a Holmes who was just starting to decline a really good fight. Weaver gave a prime Holmes a great fight. A year later a slim trim very in shape and motivated Witherspoon defending his title for the first time couldn't get past the excellent Pinky Thomas no matter how hard he tried.

Here's the rub for me - this so called best ever Holmes version of Witherspoon had the fight right there to win in the last three rounds but didn't truly go after it. IMO after the comeback fire Holmes put on him in that great comeback in round 9 he went a teeny bit shy. No matter what one makes of the decision i think that was the difference. When push came to shove Holmes wanted it a little more for mine. No-one wanted it more than Holyfield and for mine this is the key. Excepting Moorer (and obviously Holyfield had some serious probs going on) he usually came thru.

 

Its true, Tim got gun shy after Holmes showed his amazing championship heart in that 9th round. Plus, Witherspoon's immaturity apparently made him believe he was further ahead than he was. I've wavered between Holmes winning that fight two and three points. Watched it dozens of times, never thought Tim won it.

 

It's a close fight. Last time i scored it i think i had it for Holmes by 1 or 2. Witherspoon claimed he thought he was ahead but I've always been dubious.

 

Yeah Tim never won the Holmes fight. Being super generous, To give him a draw you have to make round 9 a 10-8 round, but Larry was fighting too hard coming back at him for that. I’ve always scored it a close win for Larry.

Tim was simply a good but not great fighter. Lost bad to Smith and Thomas. beating Page, Tubbs or Bruno never made Tim the best in the world at any particular time time even if you regard the importance of alphabet belts.

it’s just that Evander was a shakey, beatable champion during the period he fought Bowe. He became a more dependable type champion from the Tyson win forward. I can’t see any version of Witherspoon taking Lewis so close.

It might just be Riddick Bowe is a similar category of fighter to Tim Witherspoon. it’s just that Bowes status benefits from Holyfield (when he was a beatable champion) and the undisputed title. He’s probably better than Tim at his best, but not much.