Tweet
By James Slater: Former heavyweight king Rid**** Bowe was a telephone guest on last night’s edition of The Steve Bunce Boxing Hour, and in quite disturbing fashion the 43-year-old slurred his way through a short Q and A session.
Inactive since his laboured points win over a guy named Gene Pukall (back in December 2008, when “Big Daddy” tipped-in at a fleshy 271-pounds), Bowe, 43-1(33) seems hell-bent on further risking his health by making yet another comeback.
Asked why he is coming back and if the planned return will be legit, as opposed to just talk to gain publicity, Bowe insisted he will indeed be back soon.
“I look around and there’s no-one really out there,” Bowe said of today’s heavyweight division. “I think I can be champ again.”
But where, Bunce asked, will Bowe fight? Will he even be able to get a licence to box in the U.S?
“I don’t care, wherever I can get a promoter,” Bowe replied. “As long as I’m fighting. It’s a good time for me to come back, so I can put smiles back on peoples’ faces. This comeback is for real, I’m not doing any playing. I’ve been there and done that; I’m ready to go.”
Even more disturbingly than what he’d said previously, Bowe then called out David Haye.
“Give me a couple of months and if David Haye wants it, then I’ll fight David Haye,” Bowe said sternly.
Of course, there is next to no chance of this terrible mismatch ever happening (Haye has yet to fully decide if he’ll even box on with a fight against Vitali Klitschko, therefore Bowe will not even be remotely on his mind), but it shows the delusional state Bowe is in that he would even entertain the idea of facing a young, fast, power-puncher.
Bowe needs to be protected from himself, as studio guest and fellow former heavyweight champ Tim Witherspoon alluded to last night (“some people have just gotta know when to quit,” Witherspoon said). Will the ageing former Olympian be able to obtain a licence and also find a promoter willing to earn some money from him as he attempts to push his tired bones through an eight or ten-rounder? Sadly, there is a good chance he will do so.
Bunce cut the interview short last night, seemingly as disturbed by Bowe’s intentions as the rest of us. Today’s boxing world cannot afford to see a respected, recognisable name such as Rid**** Bowe getting seriously hurt in yet another wholly avoidable comeback.
Inactive since his laboured points win over a guy named Gene Pukall (back in December 2008, when “Big Daddy” tipped-in at a fleshy 271-pounds), Bowe, 43-1(33) seems hell-bent on further risking his health by making yet another comeback.
Asked why he is coming back and if the planned return will be legit, as opposed to just talk to gain publicity, Bowe insisted he will indeed be back soon.
“I look around and there’s no-one really out there,” Bowe said of today’s heavyweight division. “I think I can be champ again.”
But where, Bunce asked, will Bowe fight? Will he even be able to get a licence to box in the U.S?
“I don’t care, wherever I can get a promoter,” Bowe replied. “As long as I’m fighting. It’s a good time for me to come back, so I can put smiles back on peoples’ faces. This comeback is for real, I’m not doing any playing. I’ve been there and done that; I’m ready to go.”
Even more disturbingly than what he’d said previously, Bowe then called out David Haye.
“Give me a couple of months and if David Haye wants it, then I’ll fight David Haye,” Bowe said sternly.
Of course, there is next to no chance of this terrible mismatch ever happening (Haye has yet to fully decide if he’ll even box on with a fight against Vitali Klitschko, therefore Bowe will not even be remotely on his mind), but it shows the delusional state Bowe is in that he would even entertain the idea of facing a young, fast, power-puncher.
Bowe needs to be protected from himself, as studio guest and fellow former heavyweight champ Tim Witherspoon alluded to last night (“some people have just gotta know when to quit,” Witherspoon said). Will the ageing former Olympian be able to obtain a licence and also find a promoter willing to earn some money from him as he attempts to push his tired bones through an eight or ten-rounder? Sadly, there is a good chance he will do so.
Bunce cut the interview short last night, seemingly as disturbed by Bowe’s intentions as the rest of us. Today’s boxing world cannot afford to see a respected, recognisable name such as Rid**** Bowe getting seriously hurt in yet another wholly avoidable comeback.
Comment