Explaining the decline of Rid**** Bowe

[TBear]

Besides the well known conditioning and discipline issues, I don't believe that Bowe ever completely recovered from the punishment he took in the Golota fights.

I agree. I also think that conditioning and discipline issue was the problem in the Golota bouts. For the first fight with Golota, he came in 12 pounds heavier than he did against Holyfield in his previous bout.
I remember reading that his trainers made a big deal about it after the fight. So for the rematch they brought a physical trainer and dietitian which completely messed him up. For the rematch he was 17 pounds lighter, the lightest he had been in years. He looked weak and dried up for the fight. I remember The Ring did an article about it after the fight and how it could have been a career ending mistake. Seems that they were right.

I'm not knocking Rock Newman but Bowe would have done better with a more experienced manager like Duva or Steward.

[Scott9945]

I agree. I also think that conditioning and discipline issue was the problem in the Golota bouts. For the first fight with Golota, he came in 12 pounds heavier than he did against Holyfield in his previous bout.
I remember reading that his trainers made a big deal about it after the fight. So for the rematch they brought a physical trainer and dietitian which completely messed him up. For the rematch he was 17 pounds lighter, the lightest he had been in years. He looked weak and dried up for the fight. I remember The Ring did an article about it after the fight and how it could have been a career ending mistake. Seems that they were right.

I'm not knocking Rock Newman but Bowe would have done better with a more experienced manager like Duva or Steward.

Bowe looked just terrible in the second Golota fight at the lower weight. He took some wicked shots early and was fortunate that Golota did his usual quit job.

Speaking of Bowe, I understand that he is doing an MMA fight in Thailand soon.

[TBear]

Bowe looked just terrible in the second Golota fight at the lower weight. He took some wicked shots early and was fortunate that Golota did his usual quit job.

Speaking of Bowe, I understand that he is doing an MMA fight in Thailand soon.

Wow, he is going to suffer more irreversible damage. He should not be allowed near any contact sports.

I thought it was strange enough that he used the brain damage defense in his trial to defend his actions against his wife in court and then they let him box again. And now this! But the MMA seems to like washed up boxers with names whatever the risk. It's about ticket sales.

[Scott9945]

Wow, he is going to suffer more irreversible damage. He should not be allowed near any contact sports.

I thought it was strange enough that he used the brain damage defense in his trial to defend his actions against his wife in court and then they let him box again. And now this! But the MMA seems to like washed up boxers with names whatever the risk. It's about ticket sales.

Well at least Bowe can't do any worse than James Toney did. I'm hoping that he submits early and isn't getting punched or kicked in the head.

[The Surgeon]

Bowe looked just terrible in the second Golota fight at the lower weight. He took some wicked shots early and was fortunate that Golota did his usual quit job.

Speaking of Bowe, I understand that he is doing an MMA fight in Thailand soon.

Is it full on MMA? I thought it was kick boxing.... Either way it's BAD. Bowe should not be allowed to fight in any combat sport at this point. He is shot to bits and more worrying he was slurring his words YEARS ago and even used brain damage from boxing as a defence in court! Those Golota fights were brilliant and Andrew would have won em both if he wasn't such an erratic idiot!

[Mugwump]

Eddie Futch said, at one point, that he thought Rid**** Bowe could become the greatest HW of all time. Then Rid**** won the title, and Futch didn't see him for almost a year. When he came back to train, he weighed 300 pounds. Futch said that training camp was a 'fat farm', and that he basically had to teach Bowe how to box all over again.

Lazy or not - Bowe's trainers should share responsibility for his sloppy, amateurish defence (which effectively ended his career early).

Had I been in his corner for the Golota fights I'd slip a paper bag over my head and hope no one recognised me as I left the building.

[DeepSleep]

Well at least Bowe can't do any worse than James Toney did. I'm hoping that he submits early and isn't getting punched or kicked in the head.

He is in a Muay Thai match not an MMA fight so unfortunately that is unlikely. I hope he doesn't get seriously hurt.

[Scott9945]

He is in a Muay Thai match not an MMA fight so unfortunately that is unlikely. I hope he doesn't get seriously hurt.

Yes, that is what it is. Isn't that still considered MMA? I attended a card in Thailand when I was there. It seemed basically like kick boxing.

[Anthony342]

No muay thai is just striking, no grappling. So his best bet would be to be stopped by leg kicks. Sure he'd have trouble walking for a few days, but he wouldn't get anymore brain damage that way. They do allow knees and elbows though, so it sounds very risky, more so than boxing would be.

[saintpat]

I've heard and surmised that he also was involved in a lot of serious gym wars from his amateur days -- sparring men when he was still basically a boy and whatnot.

It adds up, and heavyweights take more punishment in fights and in sparring than lighter-weight guys -- their bodies are bigger, but the brain gets rattled more from bigger shots.

That and he was bat-guano crazy.