Bowe Over Schmeling?

I don´t think there was much, if any, improvement in boxing from a technical point of view from the 30s onwards. The huge changes were came from 1890 to the mid 1920s. After it the changes are marginal and not big enough to rate a newer fighter over an older one just because he fought in a more modern era.

H2h, I rank Bowe higher. Size is a factor there, also Bowe didn´t know how to use this advantage as good as Lewis or the Klitschkos, but also Bowe beeing a very good infighter despite his size. His biggest weakness maybe his lack of defence and that´s why I think in a series of three Schmeling will be able to win once - like most hw champs at the very least would against Bowe. Can´t see him against any champ without losing at least one.

 

:goodi agree that bowe didn't make the most of his weight advantages against fighters like holyfield

 

I think Schmeling gets ignored and dismissed a little bit too easily these days.

He did Lick Joe Louis. And he sure didn't run away from a rematch and signed a contract to give the other guy another chance to beat him. How many guys do that?

And you still had maybe the greatest trainer ever in Blackburn scrutinizing the Schmeling game and developing the tactics and strategy for his fighter to beat the guy. And with that kind of braintrust looking thru a microscope to detect patterns and flaws weeks before a bout & still going out and beating Louis is still one helluva accomplishment. And the beating Max took from a guy like Baer and staying in there was incredible.

 

Well he gave Baer the same beating in return. That fight was not a one sided smashing but a very even fight going into the final round of the fight. There could even be an argument made Schmeling was ahead on the cards. Baer won but Schmeling has not to be ashamed of his performance.

I agree with the rest though.

 

I like Max's chance of winning, I think he gets inside Bowe and wins a tough fight on the inside.

 

Schmelling was the only fighter to stop hamas and the only one to stop stribling.
also see boxrec for the nature of his 'loss' to sharkey and also he had a win over sharkey (by DQ).
schmelling had the better relative opposition considering he fought the best of his time , unlike bowe.
but bowe would have definitely beaten schmelling if they ever fought.
p4p i do not know who is the better of the two. i assume it is bowe by a small margin. h2h definitely bowe.
both were linear champions.
i can understand the ranking of each above the other , but bowe over schmelling is the better choice IMO.

 

I don't actually place size at the top myself.... But, I'll go along with what Foreman told me yrs ago..... Foreman said: "When your opponent is 200 to 200 PLUS pounds and solid, anything can happen if you get nailed."

Mad Max Schmelling was closer to 190 when fit to fight and only about 6' tall on the button......

I love Ol' Max, but he can't beat a motivated Bowe from 1991 thru 1993..... Nor the Bowe of '95 who was looking good against the Cuban stiff--Jorge L. Gonzalez........

MR.BILLrasta

 

Goto go with Bowe on dominance and head to head, yes Schmelling has some good wins but he has bad losses too and losing to the likes of Baer and getting blasted out in 1 round, even if it was Louis, means his overall performance is lower. Then again you could factor in that Schmelling fought pretty much everyone from his era, Bowe didnt fight Lennox, Tyson, Mercer, Morrison, Foreman, Holmes, Rudduck for whatever reasons

 

How's it going Russell - yeah I'd rank Bowe over Schmeling personally (check out my 'my greatest heavyweight champs list' thread - in fact don't haha) but yeah I think head-to-head the Bowe of the night of the first Holyfield fight has the size (enough condition) the inside game, the range and power in the jab and the desire and refusal to respect reputations and - thought Bowe on that night was a great fighter - I think it probably would've been a good fight because nobody other than Joe Louis in the rematch had an easy time with him - and I'm sure Schmeling would've definately got his attention a few times with the right hand and he was such an awkward guy to fight and get the range with.

 

You just like hearing yourself talk.

 

Look..... Max Schmeling the fighter / champion of his best yrs stemming from 1927 to 1933 would NOT do well with the 1990s crop of heavies....... And Riddick Bowe was a top dog in that decade up until 1996........ C'mon, wake up and smell the coffee pot brewing.... Max Schmeling doesn't have the tools to beat a peak Bowe.......... Bowe's jab, right cross and ability to fight on the inside would lead to Schmeling's doom......... And Schmeling is not gonna outbox Bowe from long range, either......... Jab for jab, Bowe wins that war as well......... Realistically speaking, "Bowe-Schmeling" is a mismatch on paper and in the ring.........
bbb

MR.BILL

 

While I think Bowe would beat Schmeling, I don't think it would be a mismatch. Schmeling's ring intelligence, cold-bloodedness, methodical approach, serious power, feinting and setting traps, technical skill and Bowe's lack of defence would allow him to shine at times. Bowe would have his hands full with Schmeling.

 

:deal

I don't see it that way.......... I see Bowe stopping Schmeling within 7 rds..... Just too big, skilled and powerful......... Schmeling can only run to keep alive.......... Bowe eventually finds his man and puts him away.......

No way Max Schmeling was as tough or gutsy as Holy was in the 1992 encounter with Bowe when Holy was a lean but ripped 205 pounds....... I cannot picture Max Schmeling absorbing them types of shots thrown by either dude for 12 rds...........

MR.BILL:-(

 

Ever watched Baer-Schmeling? Or Schmeling-Louis I? In both fights Schmeling took harder shots than Holy against Bowe.