Can prime Riddick Bowe clear this list of 80s heavyweights

I'm going to favor him to win every fight and give him like a 50% chance of running the table?

 

I think some of those guys definitely beat him.

 

Don't think he runs the table but that doesn't mean he's overrated.

 

Allot of people think he didn't beat the old version of Tubbs he did face. Even if the best version was good enough to beat all of the best versions of those fighters, which I'm sceptical about it as it is, there's no way he'd be disciplined to be in shape long enough to do it.

We actually don't know that much about Bowe because they didn't test as much as you'd like

Holyfield - perfect style to beat him in a toe to toe brawl, but lost to him when Holyfield boxes

Golota - outboxed when not in his best shape but the issue was lack of defense and getting beat to the jab for the most part

Tubbs - a very close fight against a past prime ex champ, that he might have lost. Again issues with speed an getting beat to the jab

Donald - a decent win over a good technician

Hide - fast blown up cruser who didn't achieve much. Hide was also blown away from the brease from Vitali missed punch.

Gonzalez - a good amateur who didn't do anything as a pro

Biggs - top amateur, great jab, Bowe walked him down and beat him up but so did Mason and Damiani

Cooper - best remembered for hurting Holyfield but he seemed to lose everytime he stepped.

Seldon - we know how durable he is

 

Pretty tough lineup. Tubbs when past his best was competitive with Bowe. A shot Thomas took everything Bowe had to offer without going down. So Tubbs and Thomas closer to their bests have good chances. Bruno would be a tough opponent for Bowe. If he could be tough for Witherspoon and Lewis, he would be tough for Bowe, but I think Bowe wins. Tucker, Douglas, Williams are tough fights, assuming they are firing on all cylinders but I guess I'd favor Bowe. I think Bowe eventually gets to Spinks and stops him, but Spinks can be a headache to Bowe in the meantime. 1985 Holmes would be a formidable opponent, but the Holmes of the 2nd Spinks fight even more so.

Even though he can win every fight individually, I don't know if he could win back to back.

 

The more I think about it, Douglas of the Tyson fight beats Bowe stylistically. Bowe would get beat to the jab, outmoved, smashed on the way in. Douglas of the Tyson fight is levels above Golota. That isn't the best version of Bowe, but the point is, fighting those guys would take about 5 years. Bowe wasn't in great shape for 5 years

 

That doesn't make any sense.
What , Bowe has to run thru that entire gauntlet while Buster is suspended in Tokyo?
How about Buster has to face all those guys then fight Bowe at the end.
He gets creamed.

 

I don't see it, no way. The entire gauntlet? Unlikely in the extreme.

 

Except that wasn't the thread title was it? It was can Bowe run the gauntlet. Bowe would presumably in this scenario fight these fighters as a champion over a 4-6 year period. With each of them peaking for title fights

If you want to do a 'can Douglas run the gauntlet' make a separate thread.

 

At his peak form he could possibly beat everyone listed. But, no way in hell does he run the gauntlet and be consistent enough to beat all of them. I felt he may have lost to old Tubbs, Biggs on his last legs hurt Bowe badly with a left hook in their fight. The more I think of it, my answer is definitely no

 

If favour him in all of those fights, but Holmes (even at 35) and Witherspoon would be tough.