Riddick Bowe's ATG status...

I said he avoided pretty much every big puncher in an era which had loads of big punchers. Powerpuncher pretty much nailed it, no need for me to list them.

 

How do you know he avoided these fighters? He was supposed to fight Mercer who I never considered a big puncher, his KO record would suggest the same. Mercer lost to Ferguson scrapping that fight. Morrison and Mcall are just comical, and Ruddock was fighting for the #1 contender status when Bowe was fighting for the title, in fact Bowe fought on the undercard of Tyson Ruddock, and Ruddock lost, losing his status. With exception to Lewis, whic has been argued on this forum many times, there is no proof given his record and the available contenders, that he purposely avoided punchers, especially considering the guy had a good chin, and was never knocked out, and his fighting style had him mixing it up with everyone he faced, he wasnt a fighter who fought cautiously.

 

Because you cant.:good

 

Wow I actually agree with you.

 

Yeah, I forgot how legendary 90's Dokes and Jesse Ferguson were.

 

Wasn't the Lewis-Bowe fight close to being made twice after the initial "ducking" by Bowe? I believe was it was supposed to happen when Lewis got knocked out by McCall and then when Bowe was retired by Golota.

 

Dokes was 50-3, was coming off losses to Ruddock and Holyfield, which gave Ruddock the status to fight Tyson. Ferguson had just knocked off Mercer. How about Pinklon Thomas, Bert Cooper, (as big a puncher and a better chin than Tommy Morrison), Tyrell Biggs, Tony Tubbs, Bruce Seldon, and Pierre Coetzer for a shot at the title. Thats a pretty respectable run at the title.
You like a lot of guys on this board, only know Bowe for fighting Golota and supposedly avoiding Lennox Lewis. Ive found its just wasted typing with people like you.
Tyson was going to jail and was fighting Ruddock for the #1 spot when Bowe was just entering into the top ten, Mcall wasnt even on the scene and was not considered some dynamo in the division more known as a sparring partner. Morrison had no chin was getting knocked out by Mike Bentt. Mercer was a lazy **** who couldnt get past a journeymen and gave that journeyman a shot at the title.
Obviously there is more to it than just simply saying he avoided all these fighters.

 

It's probably better to say didn't fight rather than avoided. Let's give Bowe some credit here. Opportunities may not have been right. However it went down though, the paucity of genuine heavyweight punchers on his record is an issue that he can't ever change. It doesn't help in comparison that Holyfield and Lewis in the same era fought a lot of them.

As said.

The first instance, I don't know actually, I always assumed it was going to happen but then surely the WBC would've thrown an absolute fit at Bowe challenging for their belt again. I always thought it was meant to happen in early '95 but now I wonder what the WBC would've done.

The second time, plain and simple, Main Events pushed Golota into Lewis's slot instead. Straightforward as that.

 

yes, it wasnt entirely Bowes fault, Lewis had something to do with it getting knocked out and the fight would have been much bigger had it come off after the second Holyfield fight and when Lewis took the title from Tucker.

 

And I agree with Magoo, it's kinda tricky to place Bowe. The Holyfield I fight is crucial. A fair bit of the rest is a bit reliant on "shoulda coulda".

 

Let's take a look at the Ring Magazine Annual Ratings, these are from the end of 1992, after Bowe beat Holyfield.

1. Riddick Bowe
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After Holy beat Bowe in a rematch, these were the rankings at the end of 1993. You have Lewis, Moorer, McCall, Mercer, Morrison, and even Phil Jackson who was a big puncher all ranked highly. Who did Bowe elect to fight in the year following? Buster Mathis Jr. and Larry Donald Like I said, there were more worthy punchers to fight in this era than maybe any other and Bowe fought almost none of them.

 

I still wish the WBC had made Lewis-Tucker for the vacant belt. Just awarding it to a fighter outright just always sucks in my opinion, didn't Norton have the same situation?

 

The Bowe that fought Golota would have had no chance against Lewis. The Bowe that fought hepatitis Holyfield in the third fight wouldnt have had a chance either.
The fight should have happened right after the first Holyfield fight or shortly there after. Bowe went downhill too fast because of his own fault.