1981 Gerry Cooney vs 1992 Riddick Bowe

Bowe by stoppage

 

Cooney would have Bowe on skates early but he’d eventually be outhustled and stopped in the middle rounds.

 

Have you heard of Lexington Steele?

 

Bowe TKO6.

 

Bowe but it would be one of those fights that reduces his longevity. I have mixed views about Eddie Futch when it comes to Bowe. Bowe continued to fight the same way he fought as an amateur, just a much more skilled version. He was taking too many punches like that even when he was winning. I'm not sure what control Futch had over Bowe though because Bowe was blowing up in weight outside of camps and eventually Futch had a heart attack around the first Golota fight build up which was attributed to the stresses of dealing with Bowe and called him a "lost cause" and refused to train him for his last fight against Golota.

Maybe someone like Manny Steward would have been better but perhaps him and Bowe would have went the same way that him and McClellan went. Bowe was probably always going to be Bowe and we just got a more skilled version of him with Futch. The Dokes fight was ridiculously stupid. Taking left hook bombs from Dokes when there was absolutely no need to do that. He could have been much more patient and relaxed in that fight and picked his shots.

 

I mean Bowe never fought with a proper power-puncher in the pros and had terrible defensive awareness.

Cooney wasn't made of iron himself but he hit like a goddamn truck, also had a lot of heart, had deceptively fast hands and was a 6'6 dude with 81 inch reach and a decent jab. Bowe is a way more talented boxer and should win this clearly but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Cooney randomly cracked his chin with a left hook either.

 

Bowe by 3rd round Kayo.