The boxing world has often been tantalized by the prospect of dream matchups that, for various reasons, never came to fruition. One such encounter that remained just a tantalizing "what if" scenario is the potential clash between two heavyweight titans: Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe. This article explores the reasons behind why this highly anticipated fight never materialized.
Riddick Bowe during Muay Thai training in Las Vegas, 2012.
Riddick Bowe: A Formidable Champion
Riddick Lamont Bowe, born on August 10, 1967, is an American former professional boxer and professional kickboxer who competed between 1989 and 2008 in boxing, and from 2013 to 2016 in kickboxing (Muay Thai). Bowe was born on August 10, 1967, the twelfth of his mother Dorothy Bowe's thirteen children. Bowe was born and raised in the East New York section of Brooklyn, New York City. After turning professional in 1989, Bowe went on to become a two-time world heavyweight champion.
In 1992 he became the unified heavyweight champion by winning the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles by defeating then-unbeaten former undisputed cruiserweight champion Evander Holyfield. That same year, Bowe was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers' Association of America. Bowe later regained a portion of the world heavyweight championship in 1995, defeating Herbie Hide for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title. In doing so, Bowe became the first boxer in history to win the titles of all four major sanctioning bodies: the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO. Later that year, Bowe vacated the WBO title in order to fight Holyfield for a third time, and won decisively by being the first boxer to defeat Holyfield by knockout.
Early Life and Amateur Career
Bowe was in the same elementary school sixth-grade class with Mike Tyson. "We went to school together in the sixth grade in P.S. Bowe was training at the Bedford-Stuyvesant Boxing Association Gym or the "Bed-Stuy BA" for short. As an amateur, Bowe won the prestigious New York Golden Gloves Championship and other tournaments. Bowe won four New York Golden Gloves Championships. He won two bouts as a 178-pounder in 1984 before failing to show for a third bout. He won the 1985 178 lb Novice Championship, 1986 178 lb Open Championship and the 1987 and 1988 Super Heavyweight Open Championship.
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Bowe won the silver medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, outpointing Soviet Alex Miroshnichenko in the semifinals, and losing a controversial match in the finals to future world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.
Bowe's Professional Career
Bowe turned professional after his Olympic loss. Bowe turned professional in March 1989 and knocked out Lionel Butler. Highly regarded trainer Eddie Futch took on the job of developing Bowe, as he saw the talent. His then manager, Rock Newman, kept Bowe active, fighting 13 times in 1989, beating journeymen - the most notable being Garing Lane, whom he beat twice. In September 1990, Bowe made his first step up in class, fighting faded ex-champion Pinklon Thomas, whom he dominated until Thomas gave up after eight rounds. In March 1991, Bowe knocked out 1984 Olympic Super Heavyweight Gold medalist Tyrell Biggs. In August 1991, Bowe knocked out future world heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon in one round.
In July 1992, he knocked out South African Pierre Coetzer in the seventh round of a WBA heavyweight title eliminator. In November 1992 he fought reigning champ Evander Holyfield for the undisputed heavyweight title. Bowe won a unanimous decision in an entertaining fight, flooring Holyfield in the 11th round. However, it was the tenth round most boxing fans will remember. The epic brutal back and forth exchanges helped make it Ring Magazine's "Round of the Year." Commentator Al Bernstein exclaimed, "That was one of the greatest rounds in heavyweight history.
The Missed Opportunity: Factors Preventing the Tyson vs. Bowe Fight
Several factors contributed to the failure of negotiations for a Tyson vs. Bowe fight:
- Promotional and Network Conflicts: Bowe's ties to HBO and Tyson's ties to Showtime may have been a stumbling block (as it was for Lewis-Tyson).
- Bowe's Refusal to Fight Lennox Lewis: A couple of weeks earlier in London, Bowe's old Olympic rival, Lennox Lewis, knocked out Canadian Donovan "Razor" Ruddock in two rounds, establishing himself as the World Boxing Council's number one contender. Bowe just said "I'm not fighting Lennox Lewis" and threw his title belt in the trash.
- Timing and Career Trajectories: Tyson didn't see his first comeback fight until August of 1995, by which point Bowe and Holyfield had already signed for their rubber match. By the time he had accumulated 3-4 tuneup bouts and even acquired a title, the focus was on Tyson vs Holyfield as it had been in the waiting for nearly 7 years. Bowe then fought Golota which more or less ended his career. So by 1997, Tyson - Bowe could not happen. Prior to late 1996, it couldn't happen.
- Bowe's Physical Condition: Bowe's weight problem again resurfaced, as the favorite entered the ring at a career high of 252 lbs.
Mike Tyson.
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Could Tyson Have Beaten Bowe?
The question of who would have won between Tyson and Bowe remains a topic of debate among boxing fans and analysts. Here's a summary of arguments from different perspectives:
- Arguments for Tyson: Tyson was fast... Too fast for Country Asses Frank Bruno.. Donavan Ruddock.. James Smith... and Alex Stewart... Foreman fought Alex Stewart a year AFTER Tyson stopped him in a few seconds... George hit Stewart with every punch for the distance.
- Arguments for Bowe: Bowe was at least 10-20 lbs heavier, taller, stronger, a MUCH better inside fighter, and had a thunderous jab and uppercut. But if Bowe isn't floored or badly hurt by round 5, I would be about 80% confident that the fight would be his.
Ultimately, without the fight ever taking place, it is impossible to definitively answer who would have emerged victorious.
Riddick Bowe's Post-Boxing Life
After the Golota fights, Bowe retired from boxing and decided to join the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Bowe was convicted of the February 1998 kidnapping of his estranged wife Judy, and their five children. During the kidnapping, Bowe stabbed his wife in the chest. In 2013, Riddick Bowe announced his intentions to start training to be a professional wrestler.
Mike Tyson vs Riddick Bowe FANTASY FIGHT OF THE 1990's
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