Riddick Bowe's ATG status...

This coming from a guy whose countries biggest star is the Charles Manson of boxing. Andrew Golota. :good

 

He Polish Pummelled Riddick Bowe

 

I don't know where I'd rank Riddick Bowe truthfully.

By all standards, his record is very good though. He was never stopped and lost only once to a great fighter who he beat twice. Additionally, he defeated a fair number of young up-coming prospects, has claim to being a lineal champion and competed honorably in one of the more talent filled Olympic games for heavyweights in history.

On the flipside, he fought very few of the best heavyweights of his era, ducked a serious challenger and was stripped for doing so, and although he did not lose officially to Andrew Golata, he certainly got his ass handed to him.

I think somewhere between #13 - #17 is probably a fair rating. Most would likely have him lower, but never being stopped and taking two out of three away from Holyfield has to count for something.

 

True, Bowe was never stopped. But during his career competing in probably the best era of punchers ever, he fought pretty much none of them. That's not a coincidence.

 

Precisely why I also mentioned this :

 

Hes still a career LOSER. Bowe had all time great skills, but never reached all time great status.

 

Please list the punchers he avoided?

 

Ever hear of that Lennox Lewis guy who Bowe was supposed to fight but instead decided to throw his belt away rather than fight.

 

Lewis, Tyson, Morrison, Bruno, Mercer, Rudduck, McCall for starters

 

Well I think Lennox Lewis was an automatic given. As for the rest, I don't know if we can say that he " purposely " avoided them, or if it was just a matter of bad timing that had to do with some of those matches not being made. In either case, Michael Moorer, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Tommy Morrison, David Tua, Ike Ibeabuchi and possibly a few others never entered the ring with Bowe.

The only serious punchers he fought were Andrew Golata and Herbie Hide. One of whom began his career at Cruiserweight and nearly had him out on his feet, while the other basically thrashed him from pillar to post.

 

you said he avoided every puncher?? That would be plural more than one?

 

Lewis, Tyson, Morrison, Bruno, Mercer, Rudduck, McCall for starters :hey

 

He was actually scheduled to face Mercer in the spring of 1993, but Ray was upset by Ferguson. Therefore, I don't think we can legitimately say that he " avoided " him. McCall, though possesing a decent punch, is not a man who I rate as one of the harder hitting heavyweights of the 90's. As for the rest, Ruddock fell off the face of the earth after losing to Lewis in '92, so saying that Bowe avoided him is rather moot. Tyson was gone for most of Riddick Bowe's run, and when he returned, I think Don King was actually stearing Tyson clear of Bowe, as opposed to the other way around.

Anyway, I think it was timing and circumstance that had to do with most of these fights not happening.