Was Bowe a featherfist?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by reckless, Dec 25, 2019.


  1. reckless

    reckless Active Member Full Member

    1,141
    1,240
    Mar 18, 2018
    I've watched the first Holyfield fight a few times. Bowe landed numerous flush shots on Holyfield without hurting him until late in the fight.

    He also sucker punched Larry Donald with a 1-2 in their press conference and only mildly startled him.

    In the second Golota fight he managed to knock him down momentarily after swinging like a lunatic and giving it his all.

    How do you rate Bowe's power.
     
    POTUS likes this.
  2. KO KIDD

    KO KIDD Loyal Member Full Member

    30,262
    5,876
    Oct 5, 2009
    Not a feather fist but not a bomber

    33 KOs in 44 fights I'd say a 6 or 7

    I'd say Lennox wlad wilder tua hit harder

    He probably hit as hard or harder than say vitali Joshua Joshua povetkin etc
     
  3. It's Ovah

    It's Ovah I am very feel me good. Full Member

    14,882
    19,141
    Sep 5, 2016
    He wasn't a huge puncher but he could hurt people he landed flush on. I'd rate his power a six or seven.
     
    Greg Price99 and KO KIDD like this.
  4. Big Ukrainian

    Big Ukrainian Boxing Junkie Full Member

    10,647
    9,463
    Jan 10, 2007
    He was harder hitter than most think. The only man to stop Holyfield with the punches to the head (3rd fight). Holyfield has fought literally anyone during his legendary career and had really iron chin.

    Bowe KO'd usually wery durable Bert Cooper and Jesse Ferguson both clean in 2 rounds. Cooper had 12-round war with prime Ray Mercer. Ferguson also went distance against Mercer, McCall, Rahman and many others. Bowe KO'd him just brutally and quickly.

    Bowe however lost his power late in career, Golota 2 was fight where Bowe's shots looked slower than ever. 2000s Bowe was like 5% boxer of what early 90s Bowe was.

    Based on Bowe's early KOs over Cooper, Ferguson (both had really good chins and durability) and his KO vs Holyfield, I rate him as a very hard hitter.
     
  5. Ilesey

    Ilesey ~ Full Member

    38,201
    2,600
    Jul 22, 2004
    No, a big puncher. Maybe not an explosive KO artist but he carried power make no mistake.
     
  6. DONT B SCARED

    DONT B SCARED Pimpin Aint Easy Full Member

    4,744
    2,804
    Mar 8, 2017
    Nah he's was just 1 of the biggest wastes of talents i've seen
     
  7. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

    27,130
    44,897
    Mar 3, 2019
    Big puncher, poor structure on that right tho. Looping and sloppy.

    He's an underrated puncher imo, and Evander's chin is certified iron. Look at who he #1 took flush punches off and #2 went to all out war with. Bowe stopped him, no one else but Toney did, and Holyfield was ancient then.
     
    OvidsExile and latineg like this.
  8. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    27,501
    36,705
    Jul 4, 2014
    He was not an elite puncher but his overhand right was punishing.
     
  9. latineg

    latineg user of dude wipes Full Member

    22,077
    16,731
    Jun 4, 2009
    Bowes prime didn’t last long, in it he was a good hitter, after his prime his poor training shape sapped him of his power etc etc.
     
    POTUS and George Crowcroft like this.
  10. OvidsExile

    OvidsExile At a minimum, a huckleberry over your persimmon. Full Member

    35,189
    37,911
    Aug 28, 2012
    Holyfield had an ATG chin. Bowe had a 73%KO rate which is well above average.
     
  11. Badbot

    Badbot You can just do things. Full Member

    47,806
    36,549
    Apr 17, 2011
    Why are boxing fans so ******ed?
     
  12. Rumsfeld

    Rumsfeld Moderator Staff Member

    49,513
    15,927
    Jul 19, 2004
    A beautiful blend of well-reasoned astute observations and off-the-wall out of left field head-scratching tangents.

    Bravo, sir! Bravo.

    Pepperoni. Classic. I like that, too, Jesse.

    :smoking:
     
  13. MorvidusStyle

    MorvidusStyle Boxing Addict Full Member

    3,677
    6,004
    Jul 11, 2017
    By today's standards, yes. By that I mean if fighters, particularly HWs, land flush on opponents but don't KD or KO them, they can be classed as featherfists or perhaps individuals that can't crack an egg. A classic example would be Fury who landed flush on Wilder and wobbled him but didn't KD or KO him, so it seems he failed to crack an egg there. Also Cunningham normally had trouble cracking eggs but KD'd Fury which seemed to suggest Fury's chin was a very soft egg. Unfortunately, when people start looking back through time some uncomfortable truths emerge, such as the fact that those considered far bigger punchers than featherfists now may have failed to crack eggs in many fights also. Sometimes they even land a shitload of punches and basically it's just like feathers brushing the opponent's face.
     
    George Crowcroft and reckless like this.
  14. northpaw

    northpaw Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    17,224
    10,770
    Jun 5, 2010
    Evander is renowned for his chin and recuperative skills. Bowe was still also the first person to really hurt and nearly melt Evander in a fight.

    Larry Donald had an extremely good chin (he was only stopped once ever)

    Bowe was beyond finished in both Golota fights, he didn't even have his legs under him to properly thrown.

    Bowe was not a dynamite puncher but he was most assuredly very heavy handed. You don't stop and hurt some of the guys that he did without being heavy handed.
     
    George Crowcroft likes this.
  15. Rumsfeld

    Rumsfeld Moderator Staff Member

    49,513
    15,927
    Jul 19, 2004
    Sharing the night together, oh yeah! Oh yeah! Sharing the night!

    It's a world of truck drivers.

    Oh yeah! Sharing the night...
     
    George Crowcroft and Boxed Ears like this.