Tough call, I think it's either man's game. Though Bowe might struggle here against the seasoned, big, and strong Foreman. If I had to bet, I'll take Riddick, mostly because George might not come into the fight as trained as might need to be. Bowe was no big name yet in '90, and Foreman might come to get more than he bargained for.
Really tough call. Narrowly favouring Bowe on the back of his serious power & higher energy levels, but Foreman’s superior composure could win the day.
If we’re working with the exact same time frame with respect to when foreman fought Cooney then we’re looking at January of 1990. Riddick Bowe had exactly 12 fights and had only been a pro for roughly 10 months. He had never been past the fourth round and his best win(s) were probably Mike Acey and Don Askew but I don’t think there’s any point in drawing straws. Meanwhile Foreman was probably the best he’d ever be in his second career. He was in the best shape he could be in given his circumstances and was about to embark on picking up his better second career wins. I don’t see Bowe wining this. In fact, he might have gotten knocked out
Oh wait, you're right! I was up real late and not thinking. Completely forgot about the time frame, and was more thinking about just the year as a whole.
Yeah Bowe struggled with poor defense his entire career and it was even worse at that early stage. And if he found himself in the 7th, 8th, 9th rounds and getting hit with hard shots that he never knew were possible it would be a rude awakening for a kid who never went past 4 and thought Lorenzo Canady was a tough opponent
Even when in championship form, I still think Bowe would've struggled with the old Foreman. Bowe just wasn't good enough.
I think the Bowe who beat Evander would beat Hold George. But Foreman would still give a very good account of himself. Hell, he arguably got robbed against Briggs when he was almost 50.
1990s Foreman continues to get grossly overrated he got easily outboxed by the likes of Axel Schulz and Alex Stewart. Glass Jaw Morrison pitched a shutout against him. Riddick Bowe beat every man he ever fought, he was a great fighter at his best. He kills a 40 year old Foreman. Jabs on the outside, beats him up on the inside, Bowe had great stamina… easy win for Bowe
Thankyou for that important piece of context. There is a reason why old Foreman never fought Bowe, but in this case we cannot overlook the parameters that we have been given.
I think if there was enough money and a title on the line Foreman would have fought any version of Bowe. As it stood, he fought Holyfield, Moorer, Briggs and chased a fight with Mike Tyson even when Tyson was still unbeaten and deemed invincible.
The same Tyson who utterly decimated Alex Stewart in one round? The Stewart who fought 10 life or death rounds & lit Foreman’s face up like a Xmas tree ?
You might be too young to remember but the whole reason Foreman launched his comeback to begin with was for a title shot against Tyson in mind. So yeah… it was on the agenda