Explaining the decline of Riddick Bowe

[Panthershock]

At 28 years old he was a shell of the fighter who beat Holyfield only four years before.
I know about the issues with his weight and he obviously wasn't the most stable person. However does that fully explain it?
Would love some insight and ideas about what led to his rapid decline at such a young age.

[greynotsoold]

Eddie Futch said, at one point, that he thought Riddick Bowe could become the greatest HW of all time. Then Riddick 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.
He was a lazy guy, then he started getting hit with 60% of the punches thrown at him. That's an awful lot of times to get punched by 235 pound professional fighters.
He didn't respect himself, his profession, or his potential.

[Scott9945]

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.

[Ray Corso]

To much to soon! Dedicating yourself to boxing is the hardest thing to do correctly in sports! It is literially a life style, there is NO offseason you will need some time off a tuff fight but as soon as you go all the way out of shape you've just burned about 7 months! To much time on their hands with a pocket full of cash? Your in your early 20s and your on your own!!!
Theres a blueprint to being a F..kup! Yet so many fall! Ray.

[CHEECH]

concur with corso, too much too soon. clearly bowe was a lazy kinda guy,probly passionate for boxing but once he cleared the mountain peak wasn't much incentive to keep him training right. add that lewis was always there casting a shadow on him, twice golota literally de-balls him n I'm not so sure he really had a decline but just turned away from boxing. u know? thng is, really, he was good but not that good. he was matched right. tuffest they put him in was holyfield who was so much smaller. did everything they could to protect him from lewis. even figured that goofy golota wouldn't b a problem but once they blew that call, done deal. u know what I mean right?

[The Surgeon]

Well his lazy ways and lack of discipline didnt help[ but when u take as many head shots as Bowe did throughout his career u looking at a short career or a vastly faded fighter before too long. Great action fighter Bowe, and a heart as big as his appetite! I think he stacks up well in a H2H sense vs a lot of guys too and he' one of my favourites. The night he beat Evander that first time he was excellent, it's a shame he couldnt hold that form....

[Panthershock]

thanks for the responses guys
I'll be a little more detailed about what puzzles me about Bowe.

If you look at Tyson against Douglas or Ruddock, you see a fighter that has diminished from 3-4 years before.
At the same time, you can clearly see the attributes that made him a much better fighter. He still has speed, power, fast head movement etc. His reasons for diminishing as a fighter are technique and conditioning based. He looks for 1 shot and cant sustain pressure like he used too

When I see Bowe fight Golota, it looks like his physical skill is gone. The jab is clearly slower. He reacts so slowly when Golota throws and gets hit by shots that should have no chance of landing unless you are trying to get hit. He still has pop, but anyone that size who has been trained to throw a proper punch would.

It's just hard to fathom that amount of pure physical ability being lost in such a short period at a young age.

[Burt Saxby]

He loved the cake more than he loved the glory.

[billeau2]

Bowe was a perfect storm. Like Nando he was brought along carefully like a fine wine with the stamp of the big boys....I.e. he was the heire apparent. And Bowe did his thing but for a couple of problems. Lewis was just better. I believe that if Razor Ruddock had beat lewis Bowe would have achieved more as a fighter. Bowe was indeed his own worse enemy without a doubt.

By the time Golata got to him he was already toast.

If Bowe had been around today he would have feasted.

[Cardinal Buck]

He also developed pugilistic dementia. Not the worst case, but enough to slur and look like s hit in the ring.