I've just watched the 1st fight again on ESPN classics & what an absolute classic battle it was:yep That 10th round:yikes One thing that was evident was that Riddick shipped some serious punishment, well. they both did, but there was always the spectre of how they both would have faired against Tyson in 92. I was always of the opinion back in the late 80's that Evander was most def the man to beat Tyson, but the Bowe & Cooper fights have put me firmly into the Tyson camp. With regard to Bowe! 6ft 5in & a great jab! He's still going down:yep Thoughts!
Not so much debate as the decisions are not very debatable (tho some think Holy didn't take the 2nd). However, they are often referenced as classics. And they certainly were.
In regards to you comment, Tyson was a far better fighter pre-prison, although he was still coming apart a bit and resorting to single shots at times. I would still pick Tyson at this point over Holyfield.
Holyfield boxed smartly and crisply in the first round against Bowe during their first fight. He showed in that round that he had the tools to box with Bowe. But he gave in to ego and started trading. Had he fought more disciplined he could have won that first fight. But Bowe looked really good, too. He would have beaten most of the fighters around at that time.
I have a bust up with Ambrose Mendy, Benns manager at the time over a possible Holyfield/Tyson fight, he like everyone else just poo-parred the idea with a wave of a hand stating that Evander was to small ect ect. My reposter back then was always that Evander will box Tyson his head off, but on reflection that Holyfield just loved a tear up & now i'am a firm believer that would have been fatel back in 91 especially when you see that uppercut that Bowe landed all night, Tyson would have levelled him, but back in 90/91 i was one of the very vocal minority that was convinced Evander had the tools to handle Mike with ease. Saying all that i lost plenty of fellow commuters a whole pile of ££££ when i raored at them to stick the house on Evander to KO Bowe, never had the balls to show me mug again on that train, in future i got the slower one 10 minutes later out of Waterloo
sounds like me when i told everyone to lump on herbie hide vs bowe hide will dance around and stick and move and jab and cross the head off bowe, who will look slow and cumbersome and wont be able to lay a glove on hide who'll be like a stinging bee flying around him all night...wide points win for hide i hid for a long time after that
Great fight. Evander finally received in defeat - respect - what he could not gain in his many victories. A friend of mine, who didn't even watch boxing, specially phoned me right after the fight saying "Holy ****! What a fight!"
Don't feel too bad as you were spot on....for two rounds. Hide did make Bowe look slow and he clearly outboxed Bowe early before reality and Herbie's chin set in. It was yo-yo time for Herbie from then on though.
Not forgotten by me that's for sure. I have all 3 on disc and have watched them all, one after the other, quite a few times over the years.
