BoxRec

I've have been watching the sweet science as a die hard fan since the late 80s. For me personally Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe 92-96

was the one fighter I hated and feared...feared that he could get a shot at Tyson shattering the Tyson myth. Riddick Bowe whatever

you want to say about him had terrifying ability! Stamina, Size, Great Chin, Inside Fighter, Outside Fighter, Huge Right Hand, Massive

Uppercuts, Gets Stronger As The Fight Goes, etc... Even an out of shape coming in heavy Bowe today would be KING of the Heavyweights!

He was the one fighter that I considered outright dangerous. That lil 2nd grade shoving match Lewis had with Rahman with Bowe? His teeth

would've went flying into the abyss! Lennox would been talking about pressing assault charges on Bowe lol.

Bowe was an enormous waste of talent who we only got to see at his best for a short period of time. He had a good chin, but I don't think it was great - the guys he took a pummeling from were Holyfield who was never a big heavyweight puncher (but still managed to put Bowe down in their third fight) and Golota, who was a solid puncher but far from murderous. He never faced an elite puncher at heavyweight.

I think Bowe would have stopped Lewis had they fought in 1993, but given the available evidence, I think it's fair to say that Lewis was a bigger puncher than Bowe, although perhaps not by much. Bowe was the better inside fighter and had the better chin, but his defense was terrible and I think any post 1995 version of Lewis would have ground him down and stopped him.

agree with jezza.
People seem to dismiss attitude and dedication as huge boxing skills that dictate a lot come fight night. As such, Lewis every time.

He was a great fighter but only really showed it for 1 fight, the first holyfield fight. He didnt accomplish much else, and seeing how lewis handled golota and holyfield and ko'd bowe as an amateur i think LL legacy quite outshines Bowe of course.

'92 - '96?

More like '92; he was washed up & slurring his words by '96.

Golota beat the poo out him, but threw away both victories because he was a dirty bar steward.

Bowe did have a massive heart & great skills, but he is one of the biggest wastes of space in HW history.

He should have ruled the HW division for 10 years, but in the end, he didn't come close.

His talent I am speaking of not his actual accomplishments. Those fights with Donald, Hide, Jorge, etc...showed his ability as well. Hey for

some reason I dont really count the Golota fights....By that time Bowe had some major miles on him from those Holyfield wars and Andrew

kept and insisted on hitting in the ballsack. Any man would fall victim to repeat ballsack shots. Now imagine had Lennox Lewis had fought

Evander 3 times early in his career 92-96 before he got a chance to peak?? YES Lennox Lewis would've been shopworn as well. Lennox

didn't fight Holyfield till the later years when he had peaked and with Steward and Holyfield was on the decline shopworn from all of those

wars. Lewis was the much fresher! Bowe has had a much strenuous career. Bowe would have stopped Lewis 92-95 even the Bowe that

fought the likes of Donald and Hide would have been a bit too much for Lewis.

George Foreman, late 60s to mid 70s.

Sonny Liston, George Foreman and Marvin Hagler.

chuck9788 wrote:Sonny Liston, George Foreman and Marvin Hagler.

The ring for Hearns v Hagler contained one of the highest levels of scary in the history of boxing.

Mike Tyson would of scared the hell out of me.Any fighter that would bite
off an ear is flat out nuts.

I thought Lennox more than fronted him out in their slightly embarrassing little tiff. Bowe walked on, gave up eye contact etc, Lewis was readying himself, took off headset etc

Still, as I say, very awkward and a little embarrassing!

Bowe was a quality fighter on his night though, shame we never see him in with Lennox. All time great trilogy lost there.

Foreman was the most intimidating I think. Pure beast.

prime david tua.think about it.

The one and only Roberto Duran,those dark eyes and that menacing style,I read Leonards book and he was intimidated by him

Julio Cesar Chavez Snr deserves an honourable mention as he had the look of a icy cool assassin when he was in the ring. Golovkin has the same look too when he is ring. I also think Anthony Joshua is one scary motherfucker as well.

IMO, Mike Tyson or Tommy Hearns.

IRLangmaid25 wrote:Julio Cesar Chavez Snr deserves an honourable mention as he had the look of a icy cool assassin when he was in the ring. Golovkin has the same look too when he is ring. I also think Anthony Joshua is one scary motherfucker as well.

Joshua. He's a big pussy cat!

Sonny Liston was an "enforcer" outside of the ring and took that personality into the ring. Until Ali beat Liston he was perceived as invincible. Mike Tyson in his heyday was menacing along with his talk about doing "brain damage" to fighters.'

Although not 'scary' looking Harry Greb had a very intimidating style with that whirlwind offense ala a Manny Pacquiao of a decade ago. Aaron Pryor insane work output and pressure was another scary opponent.

fanman wrote:He was a great fighter but only really showed it for 1 fight, the first holyfield fight. He didnt accomplish much else, and seeing how lewis handled golota and holyfield and ko'd bowe as an amateur i think LL legacy quite outshines Bowe of course.

Lewis never KO'ed Bowe. Bowe was stopped standing, Lewis didn't even knocked him down. And win in amateurs doesn't mean fighter A will beat fighter B in the pros. Best example - Bowe vs Gonzalez. Unlike Lewis, Gonzalez brutally dropped Bowe (see video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR3k71ogKmY) but there was completely different story when they fought in the pros. And plese, don't bring Holyfield here. Bowe beat prime version of Holyfield much easier than Lewis beat faded version of the "Real Deal"

APBOX wrote:
Although not 'scary' looking Harry Greb had a very intimidating style with that whirlwind offense ala a Manny Pacquiao of a decade ago.

Yeah we all know of all the hours and hours of footage of Greb to base an assumption
over.

Edwin Valero.
Big Puncher... crazy eyes...

He looked dangerous. Even without the knowledge of his crimes.

Some great answers above.

An early Nigel Benn was quite intimidating.

I've been watching boxing 40 odd years & in that time it's Duran then Tyson.

jezzamundo wrote:Bowe was an enormous waste of talent who we only got to see at his best for a short period of time. He had a good chin, but I don't think it was great - the guys he took a pummeling from were Holyfield who was never a big heavyweight puncher (but still managed to put Bowe down in their third fight) and Golota, who was a solid puncher but far from murderous. He never faced an elite puncher at heavyweight.

I think Bowe would have stopped Lewis had they fought in 1993, but given the available evidence, I think it's fair to say that Lewis was a bigger puncher than Bowe, although perhaps not by much. Bowe was the better inside fighter and had the better chin, but his defense was terrible and I think any post 1995 version of Lewis would have ground him down and stopped him.

It wasn't really a matter of a bad chin. Holyfield and Golota both got him down but not out. It actually would've been a lot better for him if he'd had a lot less capacity to absorb punches. Golota pounded the living Christ out of him in their 2nd fight to the point that it got hard to watch, but he still couldn't stop him with legal blows. If not for the DQs, Bowe probably would've still kept getting up and fighting on.

Prime Tyson for me.

squiggy wrote:It wasn't really a matter of a bad chin. Holyfield and Golota both got him down but not out. It actually would've been a lot better for him if he'd had a lot less capacity to absorb punches. Golota pounded the living Christ out of him in their 2nd fight to the point that it got hard to watch, but he still couldn't stop him with legal blows. If not for the DQs, Bowe probably would've still kept getting up and fighting on.

You're right, it wasn't a bad chin but more a porous defense, which is why he avoided fighting all of the big punchers of the era. Bowe is one of the most over-rated fighters of the past half century. Lewis would have stopped him at any point in their respective careers, just as he did in the amatuers.

Jack Dempsey - He was relentless & vicious.