Anthony Joshua vs Riddick Bowe

Well they both have thrown belts away... so I guess it's a draw from me.

 

At their bests, Joshua wins. Bowe was the more natural fighter, but Joshua was better drilled and harder hitting. Bowe's big looping overhands will be easier to evade than Klitschko's leaping left hook. Bowe was at his best when fighting smaller heavies who didn't hit too hard.

 

Joshua folds under pressure. Bowe brutalizes him, has a better jab and better skills...

 

Bowe bullies the life out of AJ. Joshua has good fundamentals but for me, Bowe has a better jab, hits too hard and ruins him on the inside. One of the worst style match ups for AJ, he doesn't have an edge anywhere in this fight and I expect him to capitulate before halfway...

 

Nah.

Bowe had the ultra confidence and the inside game.

AJ doesn’t like pressure.

AJ far more dedicated to the game, with elite level professionalism.

Bowe the far better fighter, with more skills and better overall attributes.

At their best, Bowe would have been a significant favourite.

 

Great post.

 

Bowe avoided punchers his whole life because he couldn't take the incoming. I'll grant that Bowe's low-blow game was better than AJ's though.

 

Riddick Bowe was a top top, and a special fighter. People don't realise how skilled he was rather than being seen by many as a big lump.

He would also take AJ's best shots pretty well, he had one of the best chins and heart of all time.

Riddick Bowe comfortably wins this.

 

We know about the sorry Lennox saga.

But who else did he actively avoid?

AJ would never have been the favourite.

Too methodical.

 

Bowe didn't really fight many of the big notable hitters of his era.

And he didn't really fight many stand out Super Heavyweights. The only one was Golota who beat him up twice and Bowe was already way past his prime by that point.

I think this is a more dangerous match up for Bowe than some people believe.

I know people like to hate on Joshua now and call him overrated and etc.

But Bowe himself is a bit overrated aswell.

Outside of the Holyfield fights in which Bowe had alot of physical advantages over Holyfield in size.

There isn't really that many other stand out names on Bowe resume.

And as I said Bowe isn't used to fighting good skilled big man with power who he doesn't have physical advantages over.

Now don't get me wrong I'd pick Bowe I think he is a better fighter than Joshua at his peak.

And with his better inside game, superior workrate, and better durablity. I think Bowe would get Joshua out of there between 8-10 in a good fight.

But I think this is a better fight than what some people might believe. Bowe didn't have the best defense and he'd be fighting against a fighter who's slightly bigger than him with power to really hurt him.

 

I would say Holyfield was a bigger puncher than he gets credit for.

Unlike Joseph Parker who thought he was a puncher.

 

He was but Bowe had alot of physical advantages over Holyfield.

Bowe never really fought a good skilled Super Heavyweight his own size apart from Golota who battered him twice.

 

Golota was methodical too.

 

Both at their best I'm choosing Bowe by bullying KO. I think Bowe could survive Joshua's power and he had Eddie Futch in his corner so they are going to be way better at game planing than Joshua.

I also agree Bowe's lack of punchers on his resume is embarrassing and I always thought Lennox would of KOd Bowe but Bowe had a good chance at his peak to win as well. Shame that fight didn't happen when it should have.