What if Bowe had faced Lewis in his first defense

That was true until they signed a contact saying they'd fight the winner of the Ruddock - Lewis fight, then their choices were eliminated. They did have the choice not to sign the agreement, but They CHOSE to and which time their option to fight other fighters was voluntarily surrendered. After that fight they could have fought whomever they wished.

 

Add the Ruddock blow out and that's my take on it too.

 

Anyone who remembers the Lewis-Dixon fight? Lewis took a stay busy fight against an opponent named Mike Dixon a couple months before the Ruddock fight. They had Bowe as a guest commentator on there and he talked a lot of trash about Lewis and how Ruddock was going to kill him. Anyone who saw that interview knows that Bowe thought very highly of Ruddock and not much of Lewis prior to the fight, it's not hard to imagine Bowe wanted no part of Lewis after seeing him demolish Ruddock the way he did

 

Riddick Bowe IMO had the shortest peak of any guy rated so highly.

He had a peak (or prime) of 12 rounds. That's what his legacy is based on. He had potential, but end product of 1 night.

He was badly out of condition when losing to Holy in the 2nd fight, but still should have won, but for fan-man (or Para-glider man as the self proclaimed boxing expert called him in another thread....)

 

What an imagination! Even Bowe never dreamed of actually beating Lewis.........

 

At that time, Lewis was only better than Bowe in a few areas. Right hand power, defence but much more important - mentality. (Call it arrogance if you like, it is really).

Lewis thought nobody could beat him. Bowe didn't think like that. That is the main difference between them in a head to head fight, and career wise IMO.

 

has anyone actually read the question....no one is saying bowe is a better fighter than lewis, that would be ridiculous....what the original question was was if bowe fought lewis after he beat holyfield would he have beat him.....yup, bowe had a ridiculously short prime, yup, he squandered his talent, yup, he ate his way out of contention......my opinion is that in that very samll window of opportunity he beats lewis....WHO NONETHELESS WENT ON TO BECOME A FAR GREATER FIGHTER/CHAMPION THAN BOWE.....but hell, we will never know..but thats what makes debating these things so enjoyeable....

 

Oh well if you put it that way of course Bowe Ko him in two...Actually I'm just kidding, of course I read the question but I think Bowe, who beat nobody of note besides Holyfield, who could be inconsistent, would loose to Lewis, the one who blew out Ruddock, and in fact was scared to fight him. The ONLY reason we are even debating this question is because BOWE REFUSED TO FIGHT LEWIS WHEN IT MATTERED and was under contract to do so.

 

Huh? :huh

Lewis had Holyfield in all sorts of trouble in their 1st fight. In their second fight, Lewis still won.

Holyfield had his moments on Bowe in their first fight. Then Holyfield beat Bowe in the 2nd fight.

 

If you follow their logic, then Lewis has a better chin than Bowe, because Holy dropped Bowe, and not Lewis - even though he landed on Lewis.

therefore Lewis has a better punch than Bowe, AND a better chin, so he would have murderised him in a brawl (which no doubt this fight would have turned into!!)

 

QFT.
Bowe's record is notably light on genuine HW punchers. Herbie Hide is about the only one (I would love someone to try to argue Gonzalez...)

 

What about Gonzalez?!? :twisted: