If Rid**** Bowe stayed in shape. . . Could he have been great?

[rob g]

Early on Rid**** Bowe looked incredible. Even in the Olympics vs. Lennox Lewis. Bowe ate him up in the first round. That stoppage was awful. The whole fight was pure corruption. I feel like Bowe/Holyfield was also one of the best trilogies in the history of boxing. Although Holyfield coming into the rubber match very physically ill might take away from it a little. Early on in Bowe's career he looked amazing. Very exciting as well. Once he got the title though he hardly did anything after that. Coming into fights overweight, outta shape, getting fatigued. If Rid**** Bowe maintained that determination he had in his first 32-34 pro fights though, I think we'd of possibly had a boxing legend on our hands here. He was really on the way up. I still have the Rid**** Bowe boxing video game on all 3 consoles lol. I just wonder how great he could've been if he always stayed dedicated and focused. Once he won the belt it's like he didn't know what to do from there

[yngwie]

He could have been great, but lacked the dedication and even the mental aspect even when he was a warrior.
I agree the stoppage in the 88 olympics was bad, but Lennox was coming big that round.
He was a very balanced boxer, fast enough, big, skilled, great jab, awesome in fighter, good chin.

[ShoulderRoll]

Yes, IF he had stayed the course with Eddie Futch along with that.

[soul_survivor]

Tbh there were rumours of bowes lack of discipline even before the holy fight. Yet he managed to get it altogether for that one night. I don't think he ever did again. It's a big if to say he'd be great with a track record like that.

However the bowe of.holy 1 would have beaten most heavies in the world that era. I think lol

[Weltschmerz]

Yes, he would definitely have had a more remarkable career had he maintained a professional approach. He was the most talented HW for his era along with Lennox and Evander.

[GodOfBoxing]

Exactly. Rid**** Bowe missed his destiny. He should of been a modern- day version of Joe Louis. Mistake the first two defenses he made.

[watchayouhead]

The Holyfield trilogy punched him out, after that he was a shot fighter.

Same thing happened to Mugabi after Hagler punched him out in their war.

There has been a lot of good fighters that even got punched out in those great Philly gym wars of the 70's and 80's.

[BKM-]

Wow some posts are getting carried away here. Bowe was very good but his extremely short prime had him facing only 1 great heavyweight who was quite undersized and beat him quite comfortably in the second fight when Evander used movement and skills, not slugging.

Sure he was not at his best vs Golota but it showed so many holes in his game especially defensively. The level of ass kicking he got cannot be explained away on him not being motivated. He would not have been an Atg. The 90s were too stacked.

And its pathetic he couldnt motivate himself. Poor baby needed someone to hold his hand along the way. Much Like Tyson, another Brooklyn bully.

[The Old LefHook]

He is the Max Baeur and Gerry Cooney story retold. They could not stay focused and disciplined either, or they both might have been AT top 5 heavyweights.

A lot of guys lack the strong mental aspect. When you lack that you lack what makes champions. Like the man said in the previous post, he had one great victory. He might have been, but who cares? He was a mental slob who was manipulated by the likes of Rock Newman, and to throw a champiosnhip belt in the garbage rather than fight Lewis, who he personally was probably not at all afraid of. Politics, drugs, idiocy. Who knows why he did what he did? But he did do those things instead of doing what it takes to be an AT great in boxing.

Transplant a first class mentality into even a merely good boxer, and he might become something. You would actually see his body change as the new mentality took charge. That is how much is required to imagine these guys conducting their careers differently. It would have been almost impossible for them, given their mental shortcomings, but not out of reason.

[W1LL]

If he'd had the stones he would have ended up in a heap at Lennox Lewis' feet.