Better All-Around Fighter: Primo Carnera or Riddick Bowe?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mrkoolkevin, Apr 23, 2017.


Who was the better all-around fighter, Primo Carnera or Riddick Bowe?

  1. Primo Carnera

  2. Riddick Bowe

  3. They were equally good all-around fighters

Results are only viewable after voting.
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  1. El Hans

    El Hans Member banned Full Member

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    One thing is for sure Ortiz from 1790 would crush them both in one night.
     
    El Hans, Aug 9, 2019
    El Hans, Aug 9, 2019
    #1321
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  2. El Hans

    El Hans Member banned Full Member

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    You have alot of silly ramblings but you speak the truth on Primo he truly was a force.
     
    El Hans, Aug 9, 2019
    El Hans, Aug 9, 2019
    #1322
  3. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    No chance, he was basically just a crude brawler before Bill Richmond took over his training.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Aug 9, 2019
    BitPlayerVesti, Aug 9, 2019
    #1323
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  4. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Really I think Primo's main deficiency was his chin, which was pretty attrocicious. His power was mediocre to sub par too, if he was a top class puncher it would have helped cover his chin a lot.

    He looks awkward at times, but so does basically everyone his size.

    Bowe obviously had a much higher ceiling, and his wins over Holyfield is much better than Carnera's win over Sharkey. Carnera did stay at the top for longer and the gap isn't as big as many would make out, but it's still daylight between them as boxers IMO.

    But the question was better overall fighter not boxer, and Carnera was also a wrestler, and that's a pretty big element, so I pick Carnera.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Aug 9, 2019
    BitPlayerVesti, Aug 9, 2019
    #1324
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  5. mrkoolkevin

    mrkoolkevin Never wrestle with pigs or argue with fools Full Member

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    Again, the poll asked who was the better all-around fighter. The bottom line is that Bowe was better than Carnera at long range and better than him in close.

    In what fights against formidable opponents did Carnera control the field of battle very well? It might have been his goal but it seems he lacked the skills, agility, and coordination to pull it off. It's why smaller guys like Louis and Baer were able to land clean bombs on him from the outside or close distance and beat him up from closer range.
     
    mrkoolkevin, Aug 9, 2019
    mrkoolkevin, Aug 9, 2019
    #1325
  6. mrkoolkevin

    mrkoolkevin Never wrestle with pigs or argue with fools Full Member

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    Carnera sure took a ton of flush punches from Joe Louis and Max Baer for someone who has an atrocious chin. His chin gets a bad rap. He had a number of deficiencies worse than that.

    His power was mediocre because of his poor boxing skills and fundamentals. If you watch him it's obvious that he never really learned how to consistently throw punches properly--the stuff that good boxing trainers make sure you have down in your first year in the gym. In the relatively limited footage we have, there are tons of instances of him pushing his jab, reaching with his punches, punching off the wrong foot, etc. These poor punching fundamentals combined with his lack of agility were also defensive liabilities and made it harder for him to deal with his opponents' counter attacks. Unfathomable that people think this guy was better than Riddick Bowe.

    I thought it was pretty clear that the poll was intended to compare Carnera and Bowe as they fought in the boxing ring but obviously you're free to vote for Primo for whatever reason you want.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2019
    mrkoolkevin, Aug 9, 2019
    mrkoolkevin, Aug 9, 2019
    #1326
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  7. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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    Jack Dempsey could box, wrestle and knew Judo and Ju Jitsu. He was also a renowned street fighter. Therefore he was better than Bowe and Primo combined.

    That's the logic you're using here.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2019
    roughdiamond, Aug 9, 2019
    roughdiamond, Aug 9, 2019
    #1327
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  8. KuRuPT

    KuRuPT Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    What the hell does wrestling have to do with who's the better overall fighter?
     
    KuRuPT, Aug 9, 2019
    KuRuPT, Aug 9, 2019
    #1328
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  9. reznick

    reznick In the 7.2% Full Member

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    Old school fighter = backed up a lot and threw a lot of jabs.

    Modern fighter = uses his height and reach to create distance and jab at range


    The power of language.
     
    reznick, Aug 9, 2019
    reznick, Aug 9, 2019
    #1329
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  10. reznick

    reznick In the 7.2% Full Member

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    Did Benny Leonard understand boxing?
    He called Carneras defense marvelous.
     
    reznick, Aug 9, 2019
    reznick, Aug 9, 2019
    #1330
  11. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    QUOTE="El Hans, post: 19996301, member: 120841"]You have alot of silly ramblings but you speak the truth on Primo he truly was a force.[/QUOTE]
    Heavies that would beat Carnera imo
    Dokes
    Briggs
    Ruddock
    Berbick
    Morrison
    Mercer
    Tua
    Ibeabuchi
    Baksi
    Schmeling
    Lastarza
    Bruno
    Coetzee
    Mason
    McCall
    Tubbs
    Tucker
    Douglas
    Smith
    Simon
    B Baer
    Farr
    Rahman
    Golota
    Moorer
    Nova
    B Cooper
    Renault
    Gains
    Bugner
    Peralta
    Bonavena
    Savold
    Pastor
    Gibbons
    GunBoat Smith
    McVey
    Jeannette
    Langford
    Wills
    DeJohn
    Folley
    Machen
    Sanders
    Williams Cleveland
    Henry
    Baker
    Page
    Valdes
    Bivins
    Mathis Snr
    Witherspoon
    Jones
    Weaver
    Franklin
    Mauriello
    Cooney
    M Spinks
    L Spinks
    Toles
    Ray
    Layne
    Terrell
    Shavers
    Lyle
    Quarry
    Ellis
    Martin
    Whyte

    That's 70, and its leaving out the most obvious candidates.
     
    Tonto62, Aug 9, 2019
    Tonto62, Aug 9, 2019
    #1331
    GOAT Primo Carnera, Golden_Feather99, George Crowcroft and 1 other person like this.
  12. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Well yeah if the question is better all around fighter I think he clearly would be. I'd actually put Dempsey as a tad above Bowe overall anyway.

    The phrase "all around fighter" couldn't be much more explicit in including aspects outside of boxing.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Aug 9, 2019
    BitPlayerVesti, Aug 9, 2019
    #1332
  13. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    Did Gene Tunney and Joe Louis? Tunney said "Carnera falls apart when he is hit". and Louis said," he had nothing."
    The power of a quote!
     
    Tonto62, Aug 9, 2019
    Tonto62, Aug 9, 2019
    #1333
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  14. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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    Vesti, I love your posts, but there's no need to be pedantic. The title obviously related to boxing skill, on the classic boxing forum.

    I would also, unpopularly, pick Dempsey to beat Bowe.
     
    roughdiamond, Aug 9, 2019
    roughdiamond, Aug 9, 2019
    #1334
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  15. Tonto62

    Tonto62 Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    I'd pick Dempsey too,but it would be a war.Dempsey v Carnera would be Toledo 1919 all over again!
     
    Tonto62, Aug 9, 2019
    Tonto62, Aug 9, 2019
    #1335
    roughdiamond likes this.
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