If both retired today who is ranked higher Riddick Bowe or Vitali K?

Riddick pulled it off on a lower quality of foe for a much shorter period relative to Lewis overall body of work. Let's be realistic here.

 

Im not comparing the two's opposition, just that Bowe was a better infighter than Lewis in my opinion, and didnt have as many shortcomings as the other guy suggests and I wouldnt say pulling it off against a prime Holyfield isnt lower quality than anything Lewis faced in his career.

 

And Bowe's infigting was usually against shorter and weaker guys, what he did against Holy probably wouldnt work too well against Vitali

 

It worked great against Gonzalez who couldn't fight a lick inside either.

 

True, true. Vitali is stronger and fitter than the Gonz though. Lewis did have some success vs Vitali on the inside, but I think Vitali's conditioning would win out ultimately. Vitali is very hard to hit from the outside, I think Bowe's only chance is to copy Lewis' tactics but he would find it hard wearing down such a powerful HW.

 

Bowe didn't beat Gonzales on the inside, he got clinched everytime he closed the distance. He dominated that fight with his jab, constantly pushing him back him into the ropes, eventually finding a home for his overhand right. Possibly Bowe's best peformance in terms of utilizing his jab...Gonzales unable to outbox Riddick from long range is what done him in.


Holyfield in the trenches with Bowe, a traditional close quarter shoulder to shoulder brawl.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh4BcUqzHFU&feature=related[/ame]


Lewis' idea of infighting; grabbing around the neck and hitting anything he can.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emfS1S2SXkI[/ame]


Vitali has avoided the former fairly well throughout his career, the later he had trouble with.

Lewis slicing Vitali's face up in the clinch with punches and roughhousing.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anA8763ZZsc&feature=related[/ame]


Lewis/Vitali highlights:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFUcsznpfcM[/ame]

 

I agree with the latter but not the former. I would roughly define a brawler as someone who doesn't avoid exchanges. Which is exactly the opposite of what Vitali does. Who would you consider a typical brawler? Does he spend entire fights on the backfoot?

 

Bingo

 

I didnt say it was completely an inside fight, but Bowe sure as hell did pound away on Gonzalez on the inside. The fight for some reason is no longer on youtube, but Gonzalez had no answer on the inside for Bowe. You are right, the jab and righthand was killing Gonzalez, and thats what was the final crushing blow to finish him in the sixth.