Where does Riddick Bowe rank?

Between #20 and #23.

 

Bowe is 1-1 vs a Prime holyfield. thats even stevens. by 1995 Holyfield was very ill for the 3rd fight, and was clearly not in his prime anymore.

 

I dont know about all-time rankings, but Bowe was the best heavyweight in the world for a while.

I rated him number 1 heavyweight in 1992-93, above Holyfield and Lewis, until he lost to Holyfield, and later on after Holyfield and Moorer put an unconvincing joint performance, Bowe was number 1 1994-96. Lewis was firmly hovering around number 2-3 at the time, I thought he failed to really capitalize on the impressive win over Ruddock (possibly lost motivation due to Bowe ducking him).

 

I'd say top 30. Not bad when you consider how many heavyweights there have been since modern rules were applied.

Bowe fully deserves credit for his wins over Evander, but Holy was the only real name he ever faced, and Bowe certainly could have done better here. He obviously never faced Lewis - a legacy fight if ever there was one - and didn't fight Tyson, Mercer, Ruddock and other leading fighters at the time.
His title reign was not impressive and Golota kicked the crap out of him twice, despite Bowe officially winning.

He had a lot of talent, but I can't placer him any higher, because he didn't fight many leading heavyweights of his era. The one he did face was also considerably smaller.

 

Schmelling
Buster Douglas
Frazier
Oliver McCall
Michael Moorer
Foreman
Ali

Some of those are debatable and I may have missed some. Some are great, some are less so great

 

NO he does not warrant a top 10 position not now not ever at best he is lower top 15.

He had a good style to beat Holyfield

He broke up the unified titles

He blatantly Ducked Lewis and most of the punchers of the 90s.

In his 90s carreer he only fought 1 first tier fighter and 1 second Tier fighter the other guys he fought where third tier at best.

 

I would rank him about 50 - around the same as Buster Douglas both found lightening in a bottle for 1 night only

Holyfield avenged his defeat against Bowe once he adapted - Tubbs arguably beat him too - Golota walked through him. Journeyman Cruiserweight Hide had him on ***** street

I rank Douglas higher because he never threw a belt in the garbage rather than face a big challenge

 

I think the first Holyfield fight is the second best heavyweight win of all time behind Ali-Foreman.

 

Foreman Frazier is much more impressive

Also Frazier beating Ali trumps it

Hell Norton beating Ali was better

Bowe beat the Holyfield that just made it past Cooper and was beaten off Moorer

Douglas beating Tyson surpasses it also.

It was a good to watch fight, but Bowe was hit far too much and really won through sheer size - In against a devastating puncher would have been a different story, which seems to be why he avoided them - going so far as to throw a belt in the garbage rather than face one.

 

I have him inside the top 20, probably about #17 thinking about it. Higher than guys like Schmeling and Patterson. A lot of people would probably disagree with that, but then I rank Holyfield higher than most as well, and whatever the size advantage, handing a truly primed Holyfield his only loss is impressive. He was a wonderful talent at his peak and has a few other solid names on his resume.

 

Bowe is so overrated on here it's unbelievable. He deserves a lot of credit for the Holyfield trilogy, but I think people sometimes forget Holyfield's well deserved status in the sport isn't a result of being a great head to head fighter. Also his (effectively) losses to Golota hardly came when he was miles past prime. They didn't happen that long after his Holyfield fights. The idea that he deserves a get out of jail free card for being shot seems like bull**** to me. Golota retired him early by whupping him twice

He also ducked the dominant fighter of his decade. He doesn't deserve to be ranked above guys that actually did dominate their eras, like Tyson and Wladimir

 

Bowe is pretty damn good. I like his comeback after the Holyfield rematch where he had a nice winning streak against progressively better opposition. Mathis, Donald, Hide, Gonzalez, Holyfield III...and then he got cup-checked a hundred times.

 

Bowe-Lewis is generating a lot of heat these past couple of days!

 

well i've ranked as far as 25 and he aint there.

i view him along the lines of rahman or douglas. for one night he was great and he beat a prime all time great.

these 3 guys showed huge inconsistencies throughout their careers but i think a case can be made for douglas and rahman fighting a higher level of opposition than bowe which explains some losses.

had bowe fought at the top level throughout his career he could have extra losses also. as it is his whole legacy is essentially based on one night and the same can be said for douglas and rahman.



on hindisight maybe a better comparison would be johanneson.