Riddick Bowe, the 1988 silver medalist turned pro who won one of the greatest heavyweight title bouts ever to become undisputed champion in 1992. Lennox Lewis, the 1988 gold medalist turned pro who was denied his rightful shot at the aforementioned new champion. What unfolded after their fight fell through in 1993 was unfortunate. Bowe and Lewis were set to meet again in 1994, but Lewis was knocked out by Oliver McCall. They were again set to clash in 1996 or 1997, but Bowe found himself pickled and retired by Andrew Golota (even in winning both bouts against the Powerful Pole by DQ).
Thus we have, what is in my opinion, the biggest missing chapter in heavyweight history. We addressed number 2 last time (George Foreman vs Larry Holmes). So what if Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis made the fight happen as originally scheduled back in the early 90s? The general consensus was that in 1992-1994, Bowe was the more seasoned and overall better professional who checked Lewis’s chin for the win. 1995 is a tossup given Bowe had his last standout year and Lewis began rapidly improving under the tutelage of Emmanuel Steward. From 1996 onward, most agree that it’s light work for Lewis.
Lennox (known as the Lion and for good reason) has a career he can sleep well on every night until he leaves this earth. He beat all the best names from the 90s Silver Age (Bowe being an exception but he’s less at fault for the fight not happening. Lewis aged like fine wine and continued his dominance into the 2000s. He avenged both of his losses and ultimately beat every man he faced. If anything, Lewis may be what Bowe would’ve been if the former were dedicated. Of course, it isn’t that simple. Lewis maintains (even with the two men having squashed their beef as of 2022) that he would’ve beaten Bowe and that Bowe himself knows this and was afraid of the fight coming to be.
What do you think? Did Bowe duck Lewis? Was it more so Rock Newman’s fault at the negotiation table? Did Lewis get lucky it didn’t happen in 1993? Do you believe Emmanuel Steward’s revelation that Eddie Futch didn’t believe his man [Bowe] could take Lewis? Were the 1988 olympics (despite the controversy) a good enough assessment for how things would’ve played out in the pros? See all these questions? This is why we’re here…
Today’s task is to explore what could’ve been in the career of Riddick Bowe if he were overall more disciplined and dedicated to the sport of boxing. One of the most painful instances for any fan is the reminder that Riddick could’ve (and probably should’ve) gone down as the greatest. The talent and physical gifts were there. Bowe’s career in reality is most famous for the Holyfield trilogy but in this WHAT IF we’re going to finally answer who would potentially win between the would-be rivals Bowe and Lewis. Not just prime for prime, but in the differing stages of their careers as well. Perhaps both men’s resumes are lacking the other (Bowe more so than Lewis); not anymore. Who do YOU believe would’ve won at every stage of their career and if both were at their absolute best?
Once again, no spoilers from me. You’ll have to watch the video to see how I see things unfolding for Bowe, Lewis, and the 90s heavyweight division. This is what if Riddick Bowe fought Lennox Lewis. A BoxingPedia speciality by TheCharlesJackson, author of the Boxing Encyclopedia. From my heart to yours. Enjoy and don’t forget to subscribe and share to help the channel grow.
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