George Foreman V Riddick Bowe

[ThatOne]

Who wins?

[Grimm]

Foreman kills Bowe. Bowe's wide open chin gets brutalized by Foreman

[Goodnight, Irene]

Foreman kills Bowe. Bowe's wide open chin gets brutalized by Foreman

I guarantee Rock Newman would never have allowed this to happen if Bowe & (prime) Foreman shared an era.

Imagine Futch in the corner, hands thrown high.

"Oh no, not again!"

[The Great John L]

Bowe was tailor made for George. While it would have been fun while it lasted, I don't think Bowe had the punch to really deter a prime Foreman. I'd say George inside of 5, and Bowe does no better in a rematch.

[dempseyfire]

Circa 1991 this is a fun and competitive fight in which I'd favor Bowe slightly. Prime for prime Foreman destroys Bowe.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I just watched Bowe outright stumble to his feet from a Holyfield hook. Yikes

[The Great John L]

Circa 1991 this is a fun and competitive fight in which I'd favor Bowe slightly. Prime for prime Foreman destroys Bowe.

Let's not get too carried away here. Think of Bowe as a larger and much better version of Alex Stewart, who was also a good offensive fighter but had virtually no defense. Prime George destroys Bowe, but Old George would have gotten hammered and busted up by a young, aggressive and much quicker Bowe.

[Ambling Alp]

First off, you have to go with a prime Foreman. An old Foreman wanted no part of Bowe but you can't blame him.

To be fair to Bowe, a couple of points I don't think were fair.

1. He got hurt by a left-hook by Holyfield, and that is supposed to be embarrasing? Holyfield could punch. How about Foreman getting knocked down by Jimmy Young?
2.Bowe didn't have the power? Well, besides Young, Ron Lyle almost knocked out Foreman. You can't tell me that Bowe was not in Lyle's league. Bowe hurt Holyfield several times and Holyfield had a great chin.

You have to give Bowe a remote punchers chance. You also have to give him a chance to survive the early rounds and get Foreman in the later rounds. If they fought 10 times, Bowe would win a couple.

[The Great John L]

Well, besides Young, Ron Lyle almost knocked out Foreman. You can't tell me that Bowe was not in Lyle's league.

Bowe's punching power was not in Lyle's league.

Bowe was a much better combination puncher, but for shear power, Lyle was AAA and Bowe was a notch or two below.

[Ambling Alp]

I told you that you can't tell me that!

My point is really that Bowe has to have an outside chance here.

[Grimm]

I thought this was a prime for prime question . If we are talking old ass Foreman then I would pick Bowe.

[Syntax Error]

If Riddick Bowe was terrified of Lennox Lewis, then there is strong chance that he'd have quit the sport at the thought of facing Foreman, which is a shame, because Bowe really was a tremendous fighter with a lion heart, curiously!

[Goodnight, Irene]

First off, you have to go with a prime Foreman. An old Foreman wanted no part of Bowe but you can't blame him.

To be fair to Bowe, a couple of points I don't think were fair.

1. He got hurt by a left-hook by Holyfield, and that is supposed to be embarrasing? Holyfield could punch. How about Foreman getting knocked down by Jimmy Young?
2.Bowe didn't have the power? Well, besides Young, Ron Lyle almost knocked out Foreman. You can't tell me that Bowe was not in Lyle's league. Bowe hurt Holyfield several times and Holyfield had a great chin.

You have to give Bowe a remote punchers chance. You also have to give him a chance to survive the early rounds and get Foreman in the later rounds. If they fought 10 times, Bowe would win a couple.

Where I disagree...

I think it is somewhat embarrassing, especially for a big man, to be dropped & literally have to stumble to his feet on a single Holyfield hook. Count how many times Holyfield pulled that off, especially past-prime & sickly. I dont think Holyfield was at all feather-fisted, but his power has definitely become inflated beyond reality in recent years. There is a world of difference between having a fight youre winning turn on one hook as opposed to being knocked down in the last round of a fight when youre literally a few minutes away from flat collapsing & requiring medical aide in your dressing room, owing to exhaustion. Foreman was fatigued, Bowe was abruptly hurt. Thats different.

Where I agree...

Foreman had a fine chin, but I dont doubt Bowe could hurt him & quite possibly floor him. Bowe was (briefly) a fine technical attacker, with a good jab, a horrifying uppercut, superior inside game & formidable overhand right. Bowe may notve been a true one-shot hitter, but he had big-timdd power & it was enough to shake Foreman.

I cant see Bowe ever winning though. Every fight became a brawl at some stage, & his D was just way too leaky & surely would have betrayed him.

[dempseyfire]

First off, you have to go with a prime Foreman. An old Foreman wanted no part of Bowe but you can't blame him.

To be fair to Bowe, a couple of points I don't think were fair.

1. He got hurt by a left-hook by Holyfield, and that is supposed to be embarrasing? Holyfield could punch. How about Foreman getting knocked down by Jimmy Young?
2.Bowe didn't have the power? Well, besides Young, Ron Lyle almost knocked out Foreman. You can't tell me that Bowe was not in Lyle's league. Bowe hurt Holyfield several times and Holyfield had a great chin.

You have to give Bowe a remote punchers chance. You also have to give him a chance to survive the early rounds and get Foreman in the later rounds. If they fought 10 times, Bowe would win a couple.

Bowe had a big punch but his punching power looked much better than it was b/c he fought a long string of guys from washed up and/or glass-jaw alley (Seldon, Hide, Ferguson, Dokes, Cooper) who he scored early KOs against. But Bowe's durability? He avoided big punchers throughout his career, got rocked by Biggs, hurt several times by Evander, Hide, and when he faced a respectable puncher in Golota he was flailing all around the ring.

[NazNaci1]

Bowe had a big punch but his punching power looked much better than it was b/c he fought a long string of guys from washed up and/or glass-jaw alley (Seldon, Hide, Ferguson, Dokes, Cooper) who he scored early KOs against. But Bowe's durability? He avoided big punchers throughout his career, got rocked by Biggs, hurt several times by Evander, Hide, and when he faced a respectable puncher in Golota he was flailing all around the ring.

Yup agree with demps here. Way too much credit doled out to Bowe these days, when in reality, he was good but not great.

Beat Holyfiled 2 out 3, once when Holyfiled was sick. Shamelessly avoided Lewis, his power is way too overated, had good skills, inside fighting and heart. Abysmal, abysmal defence and duly gets pulverised by a young George.

No question.

[jezzamundo]

In the 90s? I think Bowe either takes a clear decision, or even stops Big George.

Prime for Prime? Foreman knocks Bowe out, no question. Neither had great defense, so what we are left with is Foreman's great power and very good chin VS Bowe's good power and questionable chin.

[baulks]

I would have liked to see Newman try and pull "Big George" over the top rope; Newman would have ended up face down and 10 rows back.

Young George clobbers Bowe to defeat in 4 rounds, Old version I give Bowe a chance at edging a Split Decision.

[Ambling Alp]

Bowe had a big punch but his punching power looked much better than it was b/c he fought a long string of guys from washed up and/or glass-jaw alley (Seldon, Hide, Ferguson, Dokes, Cooper) who he scored early KOs against. But Bowe's durability? He avoided big punchers throughout his career, got rocked by Biggs, hurt several times by Evander, Hide, and when he faced a respectable puncher in Golota he was flailing all around the ring.

Yup agree with demps here. Way too much credit doled out to Bowe these days, when in reality, he was good but not great.

Beat Holyfiled 2 out 3, once when Holyfiled was sick. Shamelessly avoided Lewis, his power is way too overated, had good skills, inside fighting and heart. Abysmal, abysmal defence and duly gets pulverised by a young George.

No question.

Yes he should have fought Lewis, no question about that. don't know what other big punchers he avoided. Dokes, Seldon, Hide, Cooper were not legends by any means. However, they could all punch.

He had big time power. He hurt Holyfield in all 3 of their fights. 2 of the fights Holyfield was in his prime. Holyfield was never seriously hurt or knocked down against Lewis or Tyson and he was way past it when he fought them.

His defense? well he was a big man who threw a lot of punches. Yes he is going to get hit a lot. Foreman's defense was not very good either.

I don't think he was as hurt against Hide like people claim. Don't recall him being rocked against Biggs; but that was pretty early in his career anyway.

He could have had a better career. However, he the only guy that beat a prime Holyfield. He almost beat him the 2nd time. his only loss was a close decision to a prime Holyfield. He should not be written off like this.

[The Great John L]

Yes he should have fought Lewis, no question about that. don't know what other big punchers he avoided. Dokes, Seldon, Hide, Cooper were not legends by any means. However, they could all punch.

That's the best you could come up with?

[NazNaci1]

EDIT - Long and short of it, points taken Alp, just feel Bowe is too overrated when his only accomplishment is beating Holyfield, a great fighter but a much smaller fighter.

Tubbs almost beat him, Golota, for all intense purposes beat him twice and beat him badly, Bowe was hurt several times by guys not in Foreman's stratosphere, when we talk about physical and punch strength. Add to that Bowe was hittable and Foreman's left jab was akin to a left cross.

If those others guys could hit Bowe, I could cetainly envisage Foreman landing with half as much and doing 3x the damage.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I already let my feelings be known Foreman would brutalise Bowe prime-for-prime, but as for the 90's match, there is a chance Bowe could be the only man to beat that Foreman inside the distance (& knock him down --- it's possible). I have a feeling Bowe makes that fight harder than it needs to be, & is held to a clear decision win, with one or two shaky moments. I'd be very interested to see two things...

1. How Bowe held his nerve against Foreman's punishing jab & irrepressible march forward.

2. How Foreman responded to being hit as routinely by a big puncher like Bowe as he was with lesser hitters, such as Holyfield & Stewart.

Bowe, a little rattled at times, takes it 8-3-1. Someone could hit the deck somewhere, & there would certainly be fireworks.

[NazNaci1]

Granted, Foreman had 2 careers, however I am purely looking at it from the viewpoint prime vs prime.

Old Foreman, definitely struggles, but still had a great chin. However Bowe should still win, though I am not sure he stops Big George. He might, but I probably would say its goes down as UD win, for Bowe.

Prime for prime, I stand by what I said.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Granted, Foreman had 2 careers, however I am purely looking at it from the viewpoint prime vs prime.

Old Foreman, definitely struggles, but still had a great chin. However Bowe should still win, though I am not sure he stops Big George. He might, but I probably would say its goes down as UD win, for Bowe.

Prime for prime, I stand by what I said.

I'll stand by it as well. Foreman knocks him out. Bowe's defense is just too damn pourous, leaving aside all other factors.

[nott]

Foreman. everyone ducked him that could.

[Kalan]

Foreman. everyone ducked him that could.

Not Holmes .... and Young didn't duck the rematch -- but Foreman decided to retire at 28 ... Hmmm...