How Does Riddick Bowe Rank All Time? Career & Achievements?

Bowe...is an enigma on many levels.

Great talent, backed by a superb trainer. His infighting skills for a big man were fantastic and he could box well from the outside too. Just a wonderful, fluid athlete with a natural rhythm.

Problem is he was also a lazy slob who liked eating more than fighting. He underestimated Holyfield for the rematch and paid the price. He moaned about Holy fighting Foreman and Holmes, and then fights fossils Michael Dokes and Jesse Ferguson.

He wanted to emulate his hero Ali, but he went about it in a very odd way...and ultimately fell well short of the mark.

 

He was potentially very good head-to-head, but it's hard to tell for sure because he wasted his prime years by eating and fighting scrubs.

In terms of "career and achievements" he is nowhere near any kind of all-time list. He achieved roughly as much as someone like Rahman or Mike Weaver. Won a title fight or two, lost a title fight or two. Didn't beat enough elite fighters even though there were a few around at the time and he had the chance to fight them.

 

Now now, you know you make Zakman's head explode when you post things like that :nono

 

That's a pretty large number. I myself wouldn't even favor 10 over a peak Bowe.

 

I would rank him Top20 ATG. Somewhere between 15-20.

He has decent wins over Holyfield, prime Larry Donald, prime Herbie Hide. But thats it with the top guys.
Two "losses" vs. Golota and some of his opponents like Ferguson, Gonzalez, Mathis jr. or Dokes were really weak.

He took the game not that serious. He was over the hill at the age of 28....that gives you not a bonus....