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In 1993, was there a bigger fight than Lewis vs Bowe?

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  • Originally posted by JAB5239 View Post
    They were the number 1 and 2 rated guys in the world. They were Olympic rivals. Both were undefeated, and they had a verbal agreement to meet with HBO's backing. To say nobody care is not only ridiculous, but false. Not only would it have been the biggest fight, but the most important. Can anyone deny that Bowe Lost massive credibility when he dumped the WBC title rather than face Lewis? If nobody cared, why was Bowe ridiculed?
    Because the average fan does not understand the financial and political side of boxing...

    Anybody would get ridiculed for doing what Bowe did by fans who do not realize that when Bowe got the belt he earned 10% and now the guy trying to take it is asking for 50%. Let's be honest - Lennox did not deserve 50%, he knew he couldn't beat Bowe who was the best HW in the world so he priced himself out of a fight.

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    • Originally posted by CarlosG815 View Post
      Because the average fan does not understand the financial and political side of boxing...

      Anybody would get ridiculed for doing what Bowe did by fans who do not realize that when Bowe got the belt he earned 10% and now the guy trying to take it is asking for 50%. Let's be honest - Lennox did not deserve 50%, he knew he couldn't beat Bowe who was the best HW in the world so he priced himself out of a fight.

      Bowe was ridiculed by boxing insiders as well as casual fans. I remember very well the atmosphere surrounding those circumstances and nobody was applauding Bowe for making a stand, but denouncing him for being a coward. And Im sorry, but a 90/10 purse split (in 1993) isn't pricing yourself out, its being low balled and avoided.

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      • Originally posted by JAB5239 View Post

        Bowe was ridiculed by boxing insiders as well as casual fans. I remember very well the atmosphere surrounding those circumstances and nobody applauding Bowe for making a stand but denouncing him for being a coward. And Im sorry, but a 90/10 purse split (ion 1993) isn't pricing yourself out, its being low balled and avoided.
        Boxing insiders like modern day Max Kellermans or Dan Rafaels? "Boxing insiders" aren't always credible.... Some are, some are on a payroll. And asking 50% is pricing yourself out, simple as that. Some kind of terms could have been agreed on but Lewis wanted nothing to do with it.

        Let me ask you. Who do you think would have won between Bowe and Lewis had they fought in 1993? How do you see that fight going?

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        • Originally posted by CarlosG815 View Post
          Boxing insiders like modern day Max Kellermans or Dan Rafaels? "Boxing insiders" aren't always credible.... Some are, some are on a payroll. And asking 50% is pricing yourself out, simple as that. Some kind of terms could have been agreed on but Lewis wanted nothing to do with it.

          Let me ask you. Who do you think would have won between Bowe and Lewis had they fought in 1993? How do you see that fight going?
          In 1993 I would have picked Bowe, but that is beside the point. After Bowe beat Holy and Lewis beat Ruddock the had an agreement to fight. At that time (1993) Bowe offered a 90/10 purse split. After it was rejected he dumped his WBC title to avoid the fight being forced. At that time casual fans as well as hardcore fans and boxing insiders were outraged at Bowes blatant "ducking" of Lewis.Im sure there were some that felt like you, but just like this poll reflects, the vast majority were outraged that Rid**** would avoid a fight with the number 1 heavyweight and the guy who had beaten him in the 88' Olympic finals. Pick up any boxing Magazine in the months immediately following these events and you can no longer have any doubt.

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          • Originally posted by JAB5239 View Post
            In 1993 I would have picked Bowe, but that is beside the point. After Bowe beat Holy and Lewis beat Ruddock the had an agreement to fight. At that time (1993) Bowe offered a 90/10 purse split. After it was rejected he dumped his WBC title to avoid the fight being forced. At that time casual fans as well as hardcore fans and boxing insiders were outraged at Bowes blatant "ducking" of Lewis.Im sure there were some that felt like you, but just like this poll reflects, the vast majority were outraged that Rid**** would avoid a fight with the number 1 heavyweight and the guy who had beaten him in the 88' Olympic finals. Pick up any boxing Magazine in the months immediately following these events and you can no longer have any doubt.
            My point is... IF you and the rest of the world knew Bowe would be very very likely to win.... Don't you think his management knew this as well? When you have an undefeated fighter that you are trying to build up, why would you put him in with Bowe in 93? That's the point I'm trying to make. Lewis' management knew that a fight with Bowe was career suicide so they priced themselves out. I don't blame Bowe for refusing to fight.

            It didn't matter either was as Lennox was exposed the very next year by a journeyman sparring partner in just 2 short rounds with 1 punch and it took Lennox years to get any credibility back.

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            • Originally posted by CarlosG815 View Post
              My point is... IF you and the rest of the world knew Bowe would be very very likely to win.... Don't you think his management knew this as well? When you have an undefeated fighter that you are trying to build up, why would you put him in with Bowe in 93? That's the point I'm trying to make. Lewis' management knew that a fight with Bowe was career suicide so they priced themselves out. I don't blame Bowe for refusing to fight.
              I'd like to know where you're getting (in 1993) that Lewis priced himself out? This is from Bowe's own wikipedia file.

              "Only a couple of weeks earlier in London, Bowe's old Olympic rival Lennox Lewis knocked out Canadian Donovan "Razor" Ruddock in 2 rounds, establishing himself as the WBC's #1 contender. The Bowe/Holyfield and Lewis/Ruddock fights were part of a mini-tournament where all 4 fighters agreed that the two winners would meet each other for the championship. Bowe's manager Rock Newman made a proposal that the $32million purse HBO were offering be split 90-10 in Bowe's favor, an "absurd" offer which Lewis rejected.[5] Lewis's manager Frank Maloney rejected another offer of $2million for Lewis to fight on a Bowe undercard, citing his distrust of the Bowe camp after the aforementioned negotiations. So in a move that would hurt Bowe's image he held a press conference in which he dumped the WBC belt in a bin rather than fight Lewis.[6] The famous trash can incident did little to denigrate Lennox Lewis or the WBC as he had hoped it would."

              Me picking Bowe doesn't mean it wasn't the best fight and a highly marketable rematch of Olympic rivals, does it? Losing to McCall and Rahman weren't career suicide. So even had Lewis lost to Bowe it does equal the end of his career. Especially considering Bowe would never again show the form that won him the title to begin with.
              It didn't matter either was as Lennox was exposed the very next year by a journeyman sparring partner in just 2 short rounds with 1 punch and it took Lennox years to get any credibility back.
              This is irrelevant to the topic at hand my friend.
              Last edited by JAB5239; 02-02-2011, 04:40 PM.

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              • Originally posted by CarlosG815 View Post
                My point is... IF you and the rest of the world knew Bowe would be very very likely to win.... Don't you think his management knew this as well? When you have an undefeated fighter that you are trying to build up, why would you put him in with Bowe in 93? That's the point I'm trying to make. Lewis' management knew that a fight with Bowe was career suicide so they priced themselves out. I don't blame Bowe for refusing to fight.

                It didn't matter either was as Lennox was exposed the very next year by a journeyman sparring partner in just 2 short rounds with 1 punch and it took Lennox years to get any credibility back.

                The idea that Bowe was such an obvious winner over Lewis is strictly your perception. If that fight had happened Bowe would have been no more than a 2-1 or 5-2 favorite, and that's assuming that the fight was in the US. And the very next year Bowe was a fat slob, something he would never get over.

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                • Originally posted by JAB5239 View Post
                  This is irrelevant to the topic at hand my friend.
                  It is relevant in my stance that Lewis was a protected fighter who's management wanted nothing to do with Bowe and despite being protected he was exposed. That is a big part of my argument that Lewis did not want Bowe.

                  Would it have been highly marketable? I think any fight that involved Bowe was marketable and having the olympic history may have helped but that doesn't mean it was the best fight of the time.

                  And after his loss to McCall I do believe it definitely raised eyebrows and concern among real boxing fans who follow the sport religiously.

                  I am a big Amir Khan fan. He got KO'd brutally early on with one shot. He however came back and moved up weight and has taken on tough fights and shown improvement, including a FOTY battle where he took some of Maidana's best shots to prove that he is the real deal. Something Lennox never did.

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                  • Originally posted by Scott9945 View Post
                    The idea that Bowe was such an obvious winner over Lewis is strictly your perception. If that fight had happened Bowe would have been no more than a 2-1 or 5-2 favorite, and that's assuming that the fight was in the US. And the very next year Bowe was a fat slob, something he would never get over.
                    Scott let me ask you how you see the fight playing out? I know you are a huge Lennox fan, but do you honestly believe he would have beaten Bowe in 1993? Bowe, despite your claim that he would become a fat slob and never recover, was still able to have a classic trilogy with Evander Holyfield and score a knockout over Evander, something Lewis dreamed of but could never come close to doing...

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                    • Originally posted by CarlosG815 View Post
                      It is relevant in my stance that Lewis was a protected fighter who's management wanted nothing to do with Bowe and despite being protected he was exposed. That is a big part of my argument that Lewis did not want Bowe.

                      Would it have been highly marketable? I think any fight that involved Bowe was marketable and having the olympic history may have helped but that doesn't mean it was the best fight of the time.

                      And after his loss to McCall I do believe it definitely raised eyebrows and concern among real boxing fans who follow the sport religiously.

                      I am a big Amir Khan fan. He got KO'd brutally early on with one shot. He however came back and moved up weight and has taken on tough fights and shown improvement, including a FOTY battle where he took some of Maidana's best shots to prove that he is the real deal. Something Lennox never did.

                      You've voted "it wasn't a fight many cared for at the time". I've proven it WAS a fight the public cared about. So in the wake of Lewis beating Ruddock, Bowe beating Holyfield, and all agreeing the winners would fight one another...what was a bigger fight? Holy just lost to a bigger man. Does it not make sense for the bigger guy to fight someone his own size? Someone who held a high profile win over him? We're talking that moment in 1993,not what happened down the road.

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