Who showed better skills when they fought, Lewis or Bowe?

[The Great John L]

OK, since Bowe spent an entire career avoiding the guy, we only have their Olympic finals performance. The big guy with the US media attention and limited defense got wobbled every time he was hit by the other guy who had a quick and powerful straight right. A pretty predictable outcome, showing that defense does matter.

Surely we can come to consensus on this.

[Ezzard]

John, Lewis had a better career, beat him in the ams and Bowe then ducked out of a fight with him as a pro…

He was the clearly better fighter.

If people want to think Bowe would win then that’s fine – we all have gut feelings that don’t always add up - but they just need to accept that all of the logic and evidence is against them.

[polecateddy]

The sensible suggestion I saw in Boxing News years ago was that the pre-Stewart version of Lewis might have come up short against the more rounded Bowe, but once Lewis improved he moved ahead and became the better fighter.

[Rover]

John, Lewis had a better career, beat him in the ams and Bowe then ducked out of a fight with him as a pro…

He was the clearly better fighter.

If people want to think Bowe would win then that’s fine – we all have gut feelings that don’t always add up - but they just need to accept that all of the logic and evidence is against them.

This.

However I have no doubt some will cling on to the peanuts contract from Bowe's manager offered to LL in 96, which he rightly told them to shove up their collective asses will be used as some kind of revisionist tool to discredit Lewis.

x3

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Bowe was more skilled offensively and Lewis was much more skilled Defensively. Edge to Lennox.

[BoxBuzz]

I like em both.....but it's an irresistible debate.

At their mutual best, I guess I have to give the edge to Bowe for the exact same reason Saad gives it to Lewis.

Bowe would not likely let Lewis play it safe....and in the end would likely be too much for Lennox.......Holyfield was ALMOST too much for Lewis IMHO.

Now, this has to take place about the time Bowe tosses the belts to "run" from Lewis due to the nanosecond prime that Bowe had.

Lewis was good for a much much greater span of time. Which does make him the better overall fighter.

I've been enjoying this sport since before Floyd Patterson was in his prime. And this may be the last real HW debate that matters.

HW's have been a snoozefest for quite some time. Tyson, Holyfield and Lewis perked it all up a bit, but outside of them, it's been downright catatonic for decades.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I was just answering the question about their skills. If you're asking me to predict a H2H match up I always thought that Riddick had what it took to win. Unfortunately, I don't think he agreed with me. I know he didn't like the money for a Lennox fight and he made 10 million to ice two chumps, but he should have fought Lewis.

No doubt Riddick was much tougher physically, but Lewis gets that same edge mentally.

[Ambling Alp II]

Great post buzz. I agree with pretty much every word.

I too rate Lewis above Bowe, mostly because he fought at a high level for much longer. At their absolute best, I feel Bowe was better, but he simply was not able to to fight at a high level for as long.

I don't think you can put much stock in the amatuers. Joe Louis lost to Max Marek, never fought him in the pro. Was Louis ducking Marek? Of course not.
Duane Bobick beat Larry Holmes in the amatuers.
Joe Frazier lost to Buster Mathis. Beat him in the pros.
Marvis Frazier got knocked out cold in one round by James Broad and beat Broad in the pros.
Bowe lost to Jorge Gonzalez in the amatuers and whipped him when they were pros.

Sure you can pick and choose the pluses of one guy,ignore his negatives, and do the opposite with the other guy and make it look obvious. However if you want to be fair and credible, you have to look at the pluses and minuses of each guy, weigh them, and compare.

The gulf between them is not that great. Lewis had a little better career than Tyson, Tyson had a little better career than Bowe.

[Ezzard]

I see that Bowe is developing a Tyson-like aura.

You know he broke Golota’s hands when he smashed his balls onto his fists. We all thought it was a crazy strategy but Riddick’s scrotum would not be denied.

[Rover]

I see that Bowe is developing a Tyson-like aura.

You know he broke Golota’s hands when he smashed his balls onto his fists. We all thought it was a crazy strategy but Riddick’s scrotum would not be denied.

[The Great John L]

I see that Bowe is developing a Tyson-like aura.

You know he broke Golota’s hands when he smashed his balls onto his fists. We all thought it was a crazy strategy but Riddick’s scrotum would not be denied.

And as it turned out it was brilliant startegy since Golota was beating the piss out of him.

The only difference between Tysons career and Bowes career is that Mike actually fought the best guys around while trying to establish a legacy while Bowes goal was to earn enough money to keep himself in Denny's grand slam breakfasts for the rest of his life.

[Rover]

I see that Bowe is developing a Tyson-like aura.

You know he broke Golota’s hands when he smashed his balls onto his fists. We all thought it was a crazy strategy but Riddick’s scrotum would not be denied.

And as it turned out it was brilliant startegy since Golota was beating the piss out of him.

The only difference between Tysons career and Bowes career is that Mike actually fought the best guys around while trying to establish a legacy while Bowes goal was to earn enough money to keep himself in Denny's grand slam breakfasts for the rest of his life.

Riddick liked filets. I remember his having mentioned that in the pre-fight feature before Holyfield II.

[Ezzard]

I see that Bowe is developing a Tyson-like aura.

You know he broke Golota’s hands when he smashed his balls onto his fists. We all thought it was a crazy strategy but Riddick’s scrotum would not be denied.

And as it turned out it was brilliant startegy since Golota was beating the piss out of him.

The only difference between Tysons career and Bowes career is that Mike actually fought the best guys around while trying to establish a legacy while Bowes goal was to earn enough money to keep himself in Denny's grand slam breakfasts for the rest of his life.

I don't know this Denny chap but it sounds about right.

Totally agree with what you have to say on Tyson.

[Ambling Alp II]

I see that Bowe is developing a Tyson-like aura.

You know he broke Golota’s hands when he smashed his balls onto his fists. We all thought it was a crazy strategy but Riddick’s scrotum would not be denied.

And as it turned out it was brilliant startegy since Golota was beating the piss out of him.

The only difference between Tysons career and Bowes career is that Mike actually fought the best guys around while trying to establish a legacy while Bowes goal was to earn enough money to keep himself in Denny's grand slam breakfasts for the rest of his life.

Liked the Denny's comment.

We have looked at Bowe's opponents. Take a look at Tyson's in his fights between Holyfield and Lewis:

Frans Botha
Orlin Norris
Julius Francis
Lou Savarese
Brian Nielsen

Wow, talk about cementing your legacy.

[BoxBuzz]

Looks like he mopped up the entire population of whosville there.

[The Great John L]

Liked the Denny's comment.

We have looked at Bowe's opponents. Take a look at Tyson's in his fights between Holyfield and Lewis:

Frans Botha
Orlin Norris
Julius Francis
Lou Savarese
Brian Nielsen

Wow, talk about cementing your legacy.

Oy Vey. Yeah, that's comparable to Bowes entire career outside of his 3 fights with Holyfield. I think Tysons legacy was cemented long before this period of his career.

Bowe has no legacy, other than his famous Marine boot camp experience. He found training for fights too challenging and then somehow got the idea that the Marines were for him.

Riddick Bowe Marine Washout

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I've never seen a poster hate a fighter more than you hate Bowe.

[MEISINGER]

I've never seen a poster hate a fighter more than you hate Bowe.

i think you hate leonard that much....i know i do

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I've never seen a poster hate a fighter more than you hate Bowe.

i think you hate leonard that much....i know i do

I thought I did, but not enough to bash down his accomplishments. Sure, his are in another world from Bowe's, but in his world Riddick sounds like Chris Arreola. No legacy at all? Coming out on top in one of the greatest trilogies in history should do something for him.

[BoxBuzz]

Now there is a fine comparison! We talkin' apples and apples....enough to make a pie!

[The Great John L]

I've never seen a poster hate a fighter more than you hate Bowe.

Because I'm not impressed with a resume filled with Coetzer, Dokes (old drug addled version), Ferguson, Gonzalez, Hide and Donald? Perhaps you're too biased to be objective here?

I've never seen a poster less capable of recognizing a mediocre resume than you.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

That's quite painful. I might be right behind Bowe on your list. Do you even post about anything other than Bowe and myself these days?

[MEISINGER]

I've never seen a poster hate a fighter more than you hate Bowe.

Because I'm not impressed with a resume filled with Coetzer, Dokes (old drug addled version), Ferguson, Gonzalez, Hide and Donald? Perhaps you're too biased to be objective here?

I've never seen a poster less capable of recognizing a mediocre resume than you.

if you take out holyfield
bowes record sux

he has a lil' bragging rights with the holyfield wins
but not a lot

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I've never seen a poster hate a fighter more than you hate Bowe.

Because I'm not impressed with a resume filled with Coetzer, Dokes (old drug addled version), Ferguson, Gonzalez, Hide and Donald? Perhaps you're too biased to be objective here?

Ahh, had to come back with an edit? No, because you refuse to recognize anything he did. Saying he had no legacy at all is absurd. Any man that captures the undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world has a legacy and you know it.

There is no fighter I'm too biased to be objective about. If there was one, it damn sure wouldn't be the guy that beat the shit out of my favorite Heavyweight.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Why would I answer the question Lewis if I'm biased? Their resume's aren't even close.That wasn't the question at hand anyway. The real thing is that you're biased against anything I post. Not that I care, it's not like you're a troll. I find it funny.