What if Bowe had not put the belt in the bin?

What year was it again?

 

I thought are the time that Bowe would beat Lewis. With the benefit of hindsight I'm now not sure. Big Len could box and brawl. I think the only place Bowe has a significant advantage is fighting on the inside. My reason for picking Bowe previously is that he likes that kind of fight, and Lewis could be drawn into one. He had a bit of devil in him did Lennie, but his chin whilst not bad, is not as good as Bowe's. I reckon Lewis can win on points if he boxes to his best ability. And I mean BEST ability. But of hes drawn into a brawl he loses.

 

Lewis solid on the inside as well, really. And he had that mean right uppercut.

 

100%, but I dont think he was as natural or fluid as Bowe was inside, and that split second could be his undoing. Peak Bowe, that unlikely unicorn was a handful

 

I've always liked Bowe in this one. Bowe UD

 

I never liked Lewis, and as a fellow New Yorker always had a soft spot for Bowe. But I have to be objective -- Lewis would have stopped Bowe. Riddick was simply too easy to find.

 

At the time, I favored Bowe over Lewis and thought Bowe was destined to be an ATG. Fast forward a few years and Bowe was done for by 95' and Lewis was still going strong with one hell of a run.

I'm convinced that Lewis would have beaten Bowe in pro's just like he did in the amateurs. He simply was the better fighter.

 

I have always liked Lennox Lewis over Riddick Bowe. In a series I believe Lennox wins most times.

 

The funny thing is with hindsight it was probably the worst decision Bowe ever made because that was his best chance of beating Lewis at that time.

Bowe had peaked where as Lewis still had fundamental flaws and was still a few years away from peaking with Steward.

 

I’d have favoured Bowe at the time. A shame we didn’t get to see it. What’s often forgotten by many is that Bowe and Lewis were slated to meet again. Bowe had in fact signed. Lewis got stopped by McCall.

 

Lewis over Bowe. He proved it once, he'd prove it again.

 

Styles make fights and Lewis had the style to beat Bowe. Height, reach, speed, power, a jab, and footwork, and he knew how to cover or clinch when necessary. The overall combination of these factors would have been bad for Bowe. Not saying it wouldn't have been competitive, as that was the best version of Bowe and Lewis had not fully developed as a pro, but still, he had the tools necessary to pull it off.

My guess is Rock Newman saw that too, knew it was a very tough fight, had seen the Olympic fight, and wasn't going to take that one until Bowe had some safer paydays to capitalize on the title, and the Lewis fight got built up to maximize demand so that they were offered a very big payday to take such a big risk. Unfortunately, things got mucked up because Lewis went and lost to McCall and then Bowe wound up losing to Holyfield in the rematch.

 

I think Bowe beats Lewis in 1992. Probably the last year where I would put him as a favorite.

 

Lewis would have been the favorite but in 1993 Bowe would have a chance as long as he trained seriously and did what Futch told him