Riddick Bowe vs Vitali Klitschko

I don't think any version of Bowe has a great chance, I think Vitali has the mix of style and physical gifts that makes him a bit of a bugger for Bowe. Styles make fights is an old cliche but it's a cliche for good reason.

Magoo nails it pretty well.
I think a prime Bowe could test Vitali more than anyone else he's ever fought, so that could be interesting, maybe some doubt there. But there's no doubt in my mind that Vitali can heavily challenge Bowe in turn.

It would definitely be a cool fight to watch. Bowe always came forward for the knockout, and Vitali isn't the shrinking violet type either when he has to stand his ground. Both guys are also capable of some pretty impressive workrate for such big guys.

 

Bowe is the better fighter, at his best he'd stop Vitali.

 

Bowe (at his best), would have been able to institute the same gameplan that Lennox Lewis did somewhat sloppily, to perfection. That was his style. Vitali would have a very difficult time keeping Bowe off of his chest. Bowe would beat Klitschko like Lewis did, only look better doing it.

 

I vageuly remember that fight to. I also recall Larry Merchant commenting on how ridiculous it was that Tucker was the WBA's #1 contender, while Seldon was #2. The whole thing was basically bull****. My theory was that guys like Seldon, Tucker, Bruno, etc. Were all steared into top slots, presumably to be easy pickings for a returning Tyson. But that's just a theory.

Anyway, if I remember, wasn't tucker cheek bone shattered in that fight or something?

 

Bowe from the first Evander fight, defeats any version of either Vitali/Wladamir, IMO.

 

I'm not sold on Vitali Klitschko.
His opponents have been mostly ****, and he was beaten by a fading Lewis in a very unskilled brawl.
Bowe had skills, and did well in unskilled brawls too. I mean, he showed a ton of heart against Holyfield and Golota in 1995 and '96, and that wasn't him at his best.
I dont think Vitali punches harder than Holyfield or Golota, he seems to wear guys down.
When Bowe was boxing well he looked better than Vitali, and Vitali hasn't beat anyone really good ....... but Bowe struggled with a fading Tyrell Biggs a bit, and Tony Tubbs ...... so I dont know.

 

Poor Riddick Bowe. Always getting beat on. To me fairly respectable performances for a young fighter some 8 or 9 fights away from his eventual title shot. Especially Tony Tubbs, who was still world class at that time, and came to fight in respectable shape. Tubbs one of the more underated fighters. Biggs ehh..

 

Magoo,

Yes, Tucker sustained some form of injury to his eye / cheek and the fight was halted in the mid-rds..... Seldon was awarded the WBA title and a TKO win over a 36 year old Tucker... Christ, Tucker cried a river of tears afterward to anyone who cared to listen..... My ears fell deaf after a minute or so...

Four months later on the undercard of "Tyson-McNeely," Seldon defended his title against Joe Hipp..... That fight kinda' stole the show from Tyson-McNeely for obvious reasons.......

Lamar Murphy was supposedly butt-reamed on the undercard by the judges against Miguel Angel Gonzalez.....

MR.BILL

 

That whole WBA elimination tournament was a butt reaming if you ask me. I think Don King did everything he could to ensure that Tyson would not have to go through Riddick Bowe or Lennox Lewis to get his hands on a strap, therefore he jerry rigged the scene so that guys like Seldon, Tucker and Bruno would be easier candidates. When the smoke cleared, Frank Bruno was holding the WBC and Bruce Seldon had the WBA - two opponents, one of whom Tyson had already creamed years earlier, while the other had been starched in one round by Bowe, beaten by Tubbs and McCall, then basically fell to the canvas after faking being tagged.This whole thing about Tyson regaining two thirds of the title post -prison needs to be taken with a grain of salt. It sure as hell can't be compared in the same context of Ali regaining the title from Foreman or Holyfield regaining it from Bowe.

 

"Bruno & Seldon" froze like a pair of Mammoths in an ice glacier upon entering the ring to face a rusty and faded Tyson in 1996....... Tyson had me fooled after Seldon took a nose-dive in round 1..... I too, thought Tyson was back as a killer in 1996.... But that changed when I saw how a faded 34 year old Holyfield took Tyson apart pretty systematically to cap off '96....... Tyson looked fit in 1996 / '97, but his skills were gone......

MR.BILL

 

Agreed,

Tyson's post-prison comeback, along with his claim to still being a champion, was nothing more than smoke and mirrors in my opinion.. I honestly would have picked Lewis, Bowe and Holyfield to beat him anytime from 1995 onward.

 

By 1999 all Tyson had left was his conditioning and punch....... I liked Tyson in at 220 solid pounds for Frans Botha, but Botha had Tyson totally flustered and schooled before he got caught with a huge right hand haymaker in round 5.... That fight showed me just how far Tyson had slipped as a fighter at a still youthful age 32.....

MR.BILL

 

I thought Mike Tyson was doing well with Tommy Brooks in his corner, but Tyson's ego surfaced and Brooks was let go....... Tyson was horrid in his fights against "Lewis, Williams & McBride." I'll pass on mentioning Clifford Etienne cuz the "Black Rhino" came to collect a payday not to fight in 2003.....

MR.BILL

 

He had a shot with Brooks. He was improving, fight by fight. Tyson had a good run up until the Golota fight, and then he basically had to start over with Nielson. Who knows, Nielson probably was paid to throw in the towel, because Tyson was close to gassing out, and God forbid they risk the Lewis fight. Like I said before, I think Tyson was ready to face Lewis after Golota, he was somewhat consistently fighting.
Brooks was let go because he wouldnt cut his fee to train Tyson for the Lewis fight, but always maintained a call from Tyson would have easily persuaded him to do it. He believed Finkel was the reason behind it and had been short changed on previous fights.
I hold Brooks very highly as a trainer. He was THE guy who set the gameplan for Holyfield vs Tyson. Holy went back to Turner being the lead guy for the Lewis fights when Brooks left for Tyson.

 

Speaking of Don Turner, I kinda' like Ol' Turner...... He's generally calm and smooth in talking...... He knows what he's doing in there....... Hell, Holy and Larry Holmes worked with Turner on many occasions.... Turner MUST KNOW something..... Turner did the right thing by tossing in the towel on Holy against James Toney..... Later on, Holy seemed bitter about that, but Holy's ass was kicked by Toney in round 9.....

MR.BILL