Bowe: where would he rank if he'd beaten Lewis?

Intersting point! My feeling is it probably still would'nt of happened.

 

It is very important when Bowe beat Lewis!
scenario 1:
Bowe defeated Lewis in a "4 man tournament", and then retired undefeated. Bowe is HW ATG 5.
https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/4-man-tournament.710947/
Or Bowe beat Lewis in the "4 man tournament", added another win (Tyson also added to the list), and then retired undefeated. Bowe is a HW ATG 3.

scenario 2:
Bowe was defeated in a rematch by Holyfield and then defeated Lewis.
Bowe retires as champion, and lineal champion. With one loss and never knocked out. I don't know EXACTLY where I would rank it, but within the HW ATG 10.

 

Some of you sure like to fantasize.

Fat old punchy BROKE Bowe of today must be sat alone in some shitty apartment wondering where it all went wrong while Lewis is lying next to his Miss Jamaica wife in one of his mansions, reflecting on his all-time greatness.

 

None of this means that there wasn't a narrow window where Bowe might have been the better fighter.

 

I’ve said in the past that’s why Rock Newman didn’t mind telling Bowe to dump the WBC. He still had the WBA/IBF. If he didn’t it’d probably end in a stripped situation.

 

1992 Bowe stops the same year Lewis in 3 rounds.

I have Bowe #15 ATG, he would have gone up a couple notches.

 

Holyfield would be there, waiting for the winner of Bowe-Lewis, to get the belts back, is probably what would have happened.

 

Assuming Lewis goes on to have the same career afterwards?

 

Best for best: Bowe beats Lewis IMO

 

Bowe could have been ranked the next great heavyweight after Tyson. It could have went Holmes, Tyson, and then Bowe....

He was a fool for not seizing the moment and not going after Lewis.

 

Somewhere at the bottom of the top 10 for sure. Lewis is no lower than #7 on any sensible ATG list so beating Lewis fair and square should put Bowe somewhere in the top 10. Bowe had a decent resume, but he sorely lacked signature wins against elite opponents outside of Holyfield and also fought very few punchers. Beating Lewis would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone (a skilled elite opponent with power).

Of course it would depend on if they had a rematch or trilogy. If Lewis whooped him 1-2x, then that would severely lower Bowe's stock. He'd be roughly on the same level as champions such as Ingemar Johanson, Max Baer, Douglas, etc which isn't far from where I currently have him to begin with. Bowie is perhaps one of the worst examples of unfulfilled potential.