Bowe vs. Lewis never happened but I often wonder..

Lewis would have finished where he left off. And Bowe probably knew that too.

 

Definitely, or Bowe would have boxed him.

 

Riddick Bowe was an exceptional fighter at that point. Lennox especially in 1992 would have struggled against someone so big, durable and most importantly skilled both on the outside and the inside.

 

If Bowe wants to do it, then the sooner the better, from his point of view.

 

Always backed Bowe in this fight and still do

 

Much points to Bowe, even that unfortunate fight in Seoul. He matured significantly faster, while Lewis grew slowly.

 

Bowe would have had him at that point in time.

 

Then we must conclude that he made a major mistake by not taking the fight.

 

In 1993 it would have been a 50/50 fight. From 1995 onward it’s all Lewis. I think Rock Newman was protecting his prized horse.

 

Bowe beats Lewis

That version of Lennox Lewis was still very green in a lot of ways

 

Bowe by stoppage. Both are good pitchers, but Bowe is the better catcher. Bowe was at his peak and Lennox actually improved later when he became more safety conscious after getting starched by McCall in '94. Lennox had a lot of trouble with retread Bruno in '93.

 

The truth is, both has vulnerabilities the other could exploit.

Bowe, even in his prime, wasn't in the habit of moving his head or blocking with regularity. He could sometimes fall right into his opponent's pace as he admitted to falling for Holyfield's traps trying to keep up with the faster, smaller man out of pride. It's also a question mark whether or not he could handle Lewis' power given the lack of big hitters he faced and that he himself admits smaller guys like Herbie Hide made his brain scramble.

Lewis on the other hand, especially during this time period, was vulnerable to looping right hands. He would sometimes paw with his jab and had lapses in judgement and defense. Lewis had yet to master his clinching skills which would hinder his ability to survive when badly hurt. Lewis didn't like being crowded or forced to fight at a high pace, and Bowe was good at all of the above.

Both guys hit pretty hard, were of similar height with long arms, and both were prideful guys with a will to win. I think given all these parameters, a knockout or stoppage is inevitable. Bowe would try to take ring center and would attempt to walk Lewis down with his jab to set up fierce combinations to the body and head. Lewis would probably willingly back up to stick to the outside where he could set up some counters and box from range.

Whoever controls the pace would win, and it would probably boil down to their jabs and their endurance. If Lewis manages to dictate the pace, he likely takes the lead while out landing Bowe on the outside causing swelling with his jab and right hand before eventually getting a late round stoppage. If Bowe manages to make it a phone booth brawl, I see him drowning Lewis who didn't have the endurance for that kind of fight.

But as I said above, either of these guys can crack and they both could exploit each other's vulnerabilities. Any random bomb could completely turn things around. I think Bowe was slightly more mature and the more complete package at this stage, so I'd slightly favor him 60:40.

 

Bowe was, at this stage, a more fluid and natural fighter than Lewis. In spite of probably being able to physical beat Lewis, Bowe was intimidated by him. And more times than not, a mental edge like that would be the deciding factor in a fight.

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"I want you to know something, I'm not afraid of you Lennox".

A huge tell that he probably was, ducking the fight after this soldifies the theory.

"I thought we was cool"

 

Bowe was a better fighter at this point but I always felt like Lewis would be the winner if they faced.

It's a bit like AJ and Wilder, you watch the tape and see that AJ is by all means a better fighter but you just wouldn't bet a penny on him if they fought tomorrow.