Riddick Bowe vs. Tony Tubbs

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Riddick Bowe 226 lbs beat Tony Tubbs 234 lbs by UD in round 10 of 10

Notes


Bowe, 23-0, Thumps Tubbs to Win Unanimous Decision
By Earl Gustkey, April 21, 1991, the Los Angeles Times

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Riddick Bowe didn't thrill anyone with a unanimous 10-round decision over Tony Tubbs Saturday, but the 23-0 heavyweight nonetheless positioned himself solidly in the championship picture.

Bowe's victory capped a weekend that saw the top of the heavyweight division undergo a major shakeout.

First, Bruce Seldon excused himself from contention Wednesday when he was stopped by a sparring partner of Mike Tyson, Oliver McCall. Then, on the Holyfield-Foreman undercard Friday, lightly regarded Latvian Yuri Vaulin took Tommy Morrison out of the picture for the time being by beating him for three rounds before losing on a fourth-round TKO.

Then George Foreman's comeback apparently ended when he lost to the champion, Evander Holyfield, Friday.

Bowe (226 1/4), the 1988 Olympic silver medalist at super-heavyweight, won largely on the strength of his swift, powerful left jab, possibly the best in the division. Tubbs (234), 30-3, spent most of the 10 rounds trying to avoid Bowe's jabs, but the veteran managed to smother or slip away from most of Bowe's heavier blows.

Two judges had Bowe winning by 96-94 and a third had it 97-93, the same as The Times card.

Rock Newman, Bowe's manager, indicated Bowe will fight either Holyfield or Tyson within a year. He said he has talked this week with promoters Dan Duva, Don King and Seth Abraham, head of HBO's pay-per-view network, TVKO. Saturday's fight was the second of Bowe's two-fight, $1-million deal with ABC.

"We'll have something to say in 10 days or two weeks," Newman said.

Bowe's veteran trainer, Eddie Futch, sounded eager to match his 23-year-old, 6-foot-5 fighter with Holyfield.

"Holyfield is not the hardest guy in the world to hit," said Futch, once Joe Frazier's trainer. "Foreman hit Holyfield all night but couldn't follow up." [2]


Bowe Uses Jab To Land Unanimous Decision Over Tubbs
By Robert Seltzer, April 21, 1991, The Philadelphia Inquirer

ATLANTIC CITY — It was like following Tchaikovsky in a talent contest.

On the day after the epic battle between Evander Holyfield and George Foreman - won by Holyfield in a 12-round decision - two other heavyweights plied their trade in the ring yesterday afternoon, at Harrah's Casino/Hotel.

It would be folly to expect two great heavyweight matches in one weekend, and Riddick Bowe and Tony Tubbs were anything but great.

In a lackluster, 10-round bout between two fighters who relied mainly on their jabs, Bowe took a close but unanimous decision over Tubbs.

Bowe, the Olympic silver medalist from Brooklyn who now lives in the Washington area, raised his record to 23-0. Tubbs, the former World Boxing Association champion from Los Angeles, fell to 30-3.

Judges Frank Cairo and Richard Strage scored it 96-94, while Jean Williams had it 97-93.

The crowd booed the decision.

Although neither fighter was in trouble during the bout, Tubbs seemed to land the cleaner shots.

"It was a learning experience for Riddick," said Eddie Futch, who trains Bowe. "Riddick was in with the craftiest fighter he has faced to date, and he learned a lot about the art of boxing. I think he's still on schedule to fight for the title within a year."

Tubbs did not complain about the decision.

"We both landed combinations, and it could have gone either way," Tubbs said. "But you can't take nothing away from Bowe. I'm a vet, and I've been where he's going."

Tubbs said he wanted a rematch.

"If he wants to do it again," said Bowe, who has fought 23 times in 24 months as a pro, "he'll have to do it by himself."

Rock Newman, who manages Bowe, said he would like to match his fighter with either Holyfield or former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in the fall. [3]

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