What is the real deal with Riddick Bowe, anyway?

Bowe's body has deteriorated badly because:
-Going up and down (mostly up, the last 10 years) in weight, which is devastating to the body
-His style of being happy to take a punch to land his own
-His wars with Holyfield and especially Golota
-This is speculation, but he seems the type who fights his sparring sessions just as hard as normal fights... which is very bad for the length of your career.

Holyfield spars little and sparingly since he reached his 30's, and always lived a clean life but in terms of drugs as well as food intake. He's always in great shape. His dick hasn't lived a clean life, but as long as you train hard and your name isn't Tommy Morrison, that doens't shorten your boxing career.

Same goes for both Klitschko's.... they've been in great shape their entire lives and don't seem the types to do drugs. Although any fighter can age over night, i can see Wlad stay at or near the top until his 40's, like his brother is already doing.

 

bowe was never anything more than a good HW. he never fought tyson or lewis...or any other top fighter save holyfield.

 

Riddick at peak had great talent, he was as good an inside fighter as any heavyweight. His heart has always been questioned and he did blatantly duck Lewis.

Off topic, anyone knows what happened to that greasy sidekick of his Rock Newman?

 

I followed Riddicks whole career and i would only like to see him at fights as a spectator.....he should not be hit anymore hes on path to becoming his hero Ali.

 

Agree with everything you said .....and i think Rock still manages but Riddick will always be his 15 minutes.

 

Took a while to relate to Bowes style. In the end I love it. Massive respect for the champ but I think his career in comparison to his division at the time wasnt complete.

Definitely wouldn't have a serious comeback at this point I wouldn't think.

 

That second Golota fight took away anything Riddick could possibly have left, brutal beating.

 

sad what happened to bowe. i think a few months ago, someone made a thread here a posted him selling signed boxing gloves at the flee market.

 

he is only 42-43???????????? You need to remember Bernard Hopkins isn't the rule, he's an exception to the rule!

 

Hears the deal with Riddick Bowe. In the early 90s He beat Evander Holyfield for the heavyweight championship of the world. Yjanks to bad managment he took two easy fights insteed of Lenox Lewis who at the time he would have beaten. Lost to Holyfield in the rematch in the "fan man" fight. Won the rubber match, and the WBO championship. His nuts became punching vags in two bouts with Andrew Golota. Ioind the Mriane Corps. Quit after about a week. Clearly has brain damage. Has tried a comeback. Besides if Holyfield can why not Bowe? Truthfuly neither should be let near a boxing ring enless they bought a tickett to watch.
That is the deal with Bowe.

 

Mentally damaged. Too many wars.

 

Bowe was never that great, he was a silver medalist but his work ethic wasn't there and he flat out ran from Lennox Lewis.

 

it would be a serious mistake to think that Bowe was not a great HW fighter, at his peak. The problem is that Bowe's peak lasted about 3 fights, before he ate himself right out of contention. If he'd had the mental toughness to go with his incredible skills Bowe would have been a top 5 atg for SURE.

But it all means nothing if you don't have the discipline to do your damn job, i.e., train and eat properly.

He was never going to have a really LONG prime, because he let himself get hit too much, as in the Holyfield fights, and he's paying the price now. But don't ever think that the prime Bowe, however short his prime may have been, was anything other than a VERY skilled HW.

You may say "Well, if he let himself get hit, how could he have been great?" That would be a fair question. The answer is that, like Joe Frazier, for example, Bowe seemed to think that it was ok to let you hit him, as long as it meant he'd then be close enough to pound you right back...with him coming out the better in the exchange.

 

The second fight with Golota was a disgrace.Bowe should have been pulled out by his corner.

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