Andrew Golota VS Archie Moore

It is very much logical to believe that Andrew Golota could have achieved more in his career if he had won at least one of the fights against Riddick Bowe. However, what we must remember is that both fights against Bowe were non-title bouts. Many people forget this or do not even know this.

As far as Golota being heavyweight champ at some point, it would have been great to see, but it still would have been tough for Andy to win because he competed in an era when the great American heavyweight tradition was unfolding which made the 1990s one of the richest and most competitive periods in the history of the division. It's not what it once was. I see Deontay Wilder losing his next fight if he faces Joshua or Ortiz. If Wilder met Povetkin last year, he would have already lost the WBC title.

But the idea of Golota being champ was not inconceivable. Definitely possible given his physical talent and the fact he could measure up with guys such as Bowe and Tyson. Golota would have been the first (and likely only) Polish heavyweight champion of the world. That would have stood as his glory and legacy. Yet it all slipped away and nowadays looking back on it, it's not easy being a Golota fan when thinking "what could have been". I don't see any other Polish heavyweight now or in the future coming even close to reaching Andrew's level.

 

Well it's not like he didn't have enough chances to win a title with four unsuccessful challenges.

 

Here are the tiles he did win:

Won WBA Fedelatin heavyweight title

Won vacant IBF North American heavyweight title

He also drew with Byrd for the IBF heavyweight title.

BTW
You are right. The fights against Bowe were not for the HWT. Most people get that impression perhaps because they recall Duva asking Galota if he wanted to be champ during those fights.

 

Starting in 2000, Andrew Golota was fighting with a permanently injured left shoulder following a car accident in which his friend died. So when Don King helped the Polish icon earn three title shots in a row, Golota was not only permanently injured, but past his prime as well. Yet he still gave Byrd and Ruiz a run for their money that most ring observers felt Golota won both of those contests.