Joe Frazier vs. Riddick Bowe ('71 vs. '92)

I think Bowe is too big and too good for Frazier. He could push Frazier around in a similar way to Foreman. Like Foreman he can throw bombs inside, with his uppercut, left hook and overhand right. Outside he has the weighty jab to push Frazier back and set up his combinations.

 

Joe by close decision

Bowe does hit harder than anyone Frazier faced, except Foreman. I do not believe Bowe was the same level puncher as prime Foreman.

Very close fight. A lot depends on Frazier's left hook. Foreman completely neutralized Frazier's left hook. Could Bowe do the same? If Bowe can block Frazier's left hook, Frazier has no chance of hurting him.

I do think Frazier's left would land again and again and wear big Daddy down. That being said, Frazier would have to survive some serious power punches to win.

 

If Frazier was completely man handled by foreman I think he would get same treatment from Bowe, even worse actually since bowe was bigger than foreman and also liked to put on forward pressure, you could argue a focused bowe was more skilled offensively than foreman. Bowe early ko, would be exciting while it lasted though.

 

To add to my post, I believe Holyfield has said Foreman hit him the hardest. And while power is the last thing a fighter loses, a 42 year old Foreman is not quite as powerful as his 25 year old self.

The issue with the Bowe-Foreman comparison is that Foreman was a harder puncher IMO, especially with the right hand. This isn't to say Bowe wasn't a ko puncher because he was. But i do not believe he was the same level puncher as a 25 year old Foreman.

 

Bowe liked using his size against little guys that couldn't punch. Frazier might be little, but he can punch. I give Frazier the edge in a close fight; I think his conditioning was better and his punches more accurate than Bowe's sloppy haymakers.

 

Yes he was. A 42 year old Foreman was stronger than a 25 year old Foreman.

Bowe probably did not hit as hard, but was more skilled than Foreman

 

Physically stronger? Maybe. But part of power is speed, and the older Foreman could not throw combinations as well as his younger version. IMO the 25 year old Foreman hit harder, and even if he didn't, he was more dangerous than the older version as he could throw serious combinations. The older version was more clever though.

More skilled? Yes, i agree that Bowe had more skill than young George. However, i don't think Bowe will neutralise Frazier's left hook the way Foreman did. If you rewatch both fights, you will see how Foreman blocked/avoided most of Frazier's left hooks. I am not sure if Bowe could do the same.

 

I just can't see Smoking Joe taking this one. Bowe would have a big size advantage and would be willing to trade with him on the inside.
As always, Joe would put up a spirited effort but still lose by 12th round TKO

 

Bowe got knocked down by Holyfield's left hook, and nearly stopped by Hide and Golota with hook-right combinations. Frazier was more powerful than them with the hook (his right hand was about Norton-level, which means no joke), plus Joe's hook could be deceptively fast.

I can see Bowe knocking Joe silly with both his jab and infighting. But even in his prime Bowe wasn't as powerful a shover or spinner as Foreman, nor was he quite that level of puncher (though he had a really excellent punch, around Tyson-level I think...though not quite as fast or accurate as Iron Mike in his prime).

Frazier would have to surmount a devastating fussilage, but if Foreman couldn't keep him down, Bowe won't. This might have been the fight of the year, but I just can't see Bowe quite making it to the final bell.

 

Eddie Futch connection. I'll go with Bowe. He could lean left and right, throwing uppercut bodyshots the whole time.. Frazier would NOT like that.

 

What about his win over Ali?

 

Agreed any man who losses to Tubbs shouldn’t be put in the ring with Smokin Joe.

 

Interesting match! For me, Bowe remains hard to figure. He certainly had all the tools and for a while looked well on the way to becoming an ATG. Maybe in fact he was - he had three wars with Holyfield and he finished his career without being stopped, something very few can claim. His fights with Golota raise questions, and I would have liked to see him meet both Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. Smokin Joe was more of a known quantity and had more of a proven record, so I'll pick him to win a UD in a hard-fought 15 rounder.

 

Bowe has all the offensive tools to make this hard for Frazier. Especially early rounds. Doesn't have that Foreman power but clearly enough to hurt Frazier. I think Bowe take this UD.

 

Bowe never lost to Tubbs