Probably been covered on here before, but I was only around 12 at the time...

Bowe chose to expose the Dokes hype.
Which urgently required immediate action.

 

Bowe had three titles and was offered an easier path with guaranteed fights on HBO and a potential Lewis match down the line. Rock Newman and Jose Suliaman (the WBC president), hated each other, because Newman felt Suliaman was strictly aligned with King and ranking Kings fighters. Thats why Bowe chose to fight for the WBA mandatory ranking instead of the WBC, because Suliaman wanted Bowe only to face King fighters. Holyfield thinking the same thing when he won the titles, was able to choose Bowe has his defense, with the winner agreeing to face the winner of Ruddock Lewis.

 

Because he already knew the result of that fight.

 

Bowe cleverly realised that if he fought Lewis he would be Beaten very quickly and comprehensively.
He had the forsight to realise that many over patriotic gullible fans would claim that Bowe would win, whilst it was very clerar to normal people that he ran away knowing he would lose.

This pattern in boxing is now being repeated, with David Haye receiving bizarre plaudits for doing the same.

 

Bowe would have beaten Lewis at that time.

 

Because he refused to totally embarrass Lewis by winning a disgutingly wide decision.


But no seriously... the best version of Bowe would certainly beat the best version of Lewis.

 

Pity Bowe didnt have the confidence you have - And if he had got in the ring with Lewis he would of needed as much confidence as he could get!

 

:deal There was nothing to suggest Lewis would automatically beat Lewis at the time. Anyone that has seen the olympic fight with Bowe and Lewis can see it was not a dominating performance by Lewis and the stoppage was questionable, with the fight for the most part, being fairly even when the stoppage happened.
Bowe had just beaten Evander Holyfield after getting his ass kicked several times in sparring by Evander. If anything Bowe would have been more scared to take on Evander.
Lewis knocked out Ruddock but proved he was nothing special at the time in future fights. Bowe was already a complete fighter while Lewis was still a righthand happy unbalanced oaf. Bowe would have knocked him out just like Mcall did, probably just as fast.
The well schooled fighter of the mid 90's would have offered a better fight, but overall Bowe was a better fighter best for best.

 

haha... Bowe would have found Lewis a frustrating challenge at best. Bowe at this state was far more advanced technically than Lewis ever was.

 

But couldnt this exactly have described Bowe???

 

Bowe wasnt getting knocked around the ring defending his title against stiffs.

 

I believe Lewis's mandatory status granted him the right to a large amount of the purse, which Bowe's management didn't accept (Bowe would have still made more money than Lewis of course). With the HBO contract, Bowe was able to handpick easier opponents while making as much money. It's arguable that the Dokes and Ferguson fights ruined his career, since those opponents couldn't have pushed him to his limits like a Holyfield and Lewis could.

 

Bowe looks really scared there while Lewis was holding his headphones. You can clearly hear Bowe say he got help from the ref.

 

Either was Mcall. Still Bowe dispatched them easily.