Heavyweight FOTW #6: Riddick Bowe Double feature (Holyfield II & Tubbs)

No disrespect to any of the great fighters of the present and past....but to me, the Holyfield vs Bowe trilogy is the greatest in boxing history! The skill and desire to win shown by both guys trumps Any other trilogy as far as HW’s go IMO

 

Bowe vs Holyfield II official cards + Ledderman

Roth Holyfield 115-113
EH 2,4,5,6,7,8,10
RB 1,3,9,11,12
Controversy: only judge to score 2 for Holyfield, only judge to score 11 for Bowe

Jarman Holyfield 115-114
EH 4,5,6,8,10,11
RB 1,2,3,9,12
Even 7
Controversy: only judge with an even round (7)

Giampa Draw 114-114
EH 4,5,6,8,10,11
RB 1,2,3,7,9,12
Controversy: lone official draw card, only one of the 4 to score 7 for Bowe

Ledderman Draw 114-114
EH 5,6,7,8,10,11
RB 1,2,3,4,9,12
Controversy: only one to score 1-4 for Bowe

Consensus of the 4
EH 5,6,8,10
RB 1,3,9,12
Split 2,4,7,11
4-4-4

Consensus of the official judges
EH 4,5,6,8,10
RB 1,3,9,12
Split 2,7,11
Consensus EH 5-4-3

Tough fight to score both for the judges and us....Lampley commented on the wide difference between Metchant and Ledderman as well. If we get enough cards we might see some similar stuff. Keep them cards coming this fight is worth the rewatch

https://www.google.com/search?q=bow...nt=safari&prmd=nvi&hl=en#imgrc=kixyIdQ_v6CKkM

 

I thought the fight was close but that particular time when I scored it I thought EH did enough to win most of the close rounds. I thought it was a close fight with a lopsided score if that makes sense? These fights have given me a new appreciation for EH, to beat him a fighter needs to fight hard all 3 minutes of the round, hurting him early and then coasting won't win the round sometimes because EH would come back so hard and intense. Your card is a lot closer to most cards than mine, in fact if I scored it again, my card might well be close to your card. I just try to score them as I see them at the time, I don't even go back and score close rounds again because the judges at ringside don't have that luxury. If anything, scoring these FOTW has shown me that people can score the same fight honestly and differently.

 

Round 7 left me with this same dilemma. Because of the gap in action I was trying to remember the first minute + and then when the action continued I wanted to go back...but since the judges can’t I let it stand. I am fairly sure I had it 116-112 when I first scored it. I was surprised that I had it a draw. Looking forward to scoring the first fight tomorrow

 

C’mon guys get them cards in! 3 days left!

I really can’t believe in this boxing forum we don’t get 10+ guys scoring each fight? I generally watch 10-20+ fights a week so I guess I don’t get it. Oh well

 

Well I just got done rd 7 and since I didn’t score it even it is the first rd we scored different so far.

Just curious on your impressions of Bowe (you reference EH more in your posts)? Personally I think Bowe of this night is as good of a HW to ever enter the ring. It makes me even sadder that we never saw Lewis vs Bowe. For whatever it is worth I always felt Bowe would beat Lewis at this stage. Anyway curious as to your impressions of Bowe. On this night he might not be the best HW ever, but I don’t think I would feel comfortable betting on anyone to beat this version either.

 

My impression of Bowe is about the same as your impression. I just think Holyfield had to fight a super fight to stay there with a guy who was bigger, stronger, and an excellent boxer. I didn't mean to slight Bowe at all, excellent fighter and on that night he probably peaked.

 

I don’t think you slighted him I was just curious about your impression. Thanks

 

Bowe vs Holyfield I (I hate Joe Cortez lol)

1 EH
2 EH (EH 20-18)
3 RB (EH 29-28)
4 RB (38-38)
5 EH (EH 48-47)
6 RB (57-57)
7 RB (RB 67-66)
8 EH (76-76)
9 EH (EH 86-85)
10 RB (95-95)
11 RB 10-8 (RB 105-103)
12 RB (Bowe 115-112)

Difficult fight to score in a few rounds anyway...if I used even rounds more you could really have up 6 of them that could go either way IMO. We only had a couple of rounds different (again not saying one of us is right or wrong just that they were hard to score).

7 you scored even I scored Bowe
9 I scored Holy you scored Bowe

But I think 2-5-8 we both scored Holy in all 3, could go the other way (Ledderman and I suspect 2 judges did in fact score 2 for Bowe), making for a wider card.

Great fight, mediocre commentators and horrible officiating. Judging seems realistic, balanced and fair! 3-7 pt win for Bowe seems just about right! One of the ATG HW scraps IMO

 

I was at Bowe's training camp for Jesse Ferguson 3-4 times. Like you, I'd rate Bowe at around that time period as an excellent fighter and a probable winner over Lewis. I also agree with you that the 3 fights with Holyfield were as good as it gets. Bowe's camp seemed well run and he was surrounded by good people. Rock Newman, Eddie Futch, Thel Torrance, and Mike McCallum were with him.

Something went wrong for Bowe at some point, don't know if he just got burned out on boxing or if there was something in his personal life, but he wasn't the same fighter. Too bad, at his best he would have been a handful for anybody. Some people at our gym fought on a card in AC last summer on a Holyfield promotion. Bowe was there with Holyfield and the people who saw him really liked him. They said he was friendly, and happy, but huge. They guessed his weight at well over 300.

 

Well this seems a shame. IMO one of the finest HW battles and we only have 3 cards submitted for Holyfield vs Bowe 2 and Bowe Tubbs, while Holyfield Bowe 1 has 2 cards. This fight could use a little more dialogue and cards

 

Wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty or anyone else..just wanted more feedback! Holyfield Bowe 2 is a great fight that I probably have not watched in 5 years. But the intensity is off the charts. 4 rounds where they don’t stop even for the bell. The one round they probably keep going for 10 seconds afterwards...on the first fight at the end Bowe Knocks the ref over trying to still get at Holyfield. Holyfield’s corner has to tackle him to halt the action lol. These guys wanted to fight and beat the other guy badly.