Riddick Bowe has rubbed shoulders with authoritarian boxing legends, but one name stands out.
The American heavyweight turned professional after winning a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, having been narrowly edged out by Lennox Lewis who beat him in the final.
Bowe reached the pinnacle of the sport as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in 1992, allowing him to leave an incredible legacy in the ring as one of the division’s greats.
“Big Daddy” suffered only one defeat during his professional career, against boxing icon Evander Holyfield in their rematch in 1993, where he was defeated by majority decision.
But in an interview with The Ring in May 2020, Bowe actually suggested that British fighter Herbie Hide, whom he beat in 1992, had the more powerful punch.
“You’re not going to believe this [but] I would have to say Herbie Hide,” when asked to name the man who hurt him.
“He hit me and I thought, ‘Oh shit. I can’t allow this guy to hit me again because I don’t know what I’ll see next.
“At first I was trying to box him and he was very fast.
“I said I couldn’t box him because he beat me up, so I fought him.”
Bowe was rebuilding after his loss to Holyfield, when he traded blows with the ‘Dancing Destroyer’ who was known for his ferocious power.
But the American star managed to become WBO world champion again, knocking down Hide seven times before failing to beat the count in the sixth round.
It was a complete mismatch, but Hide won Bowe’s plaudits over Holyfield, although he fell short of Holyfield’s achievements.
The British heavyweight won the WBO title himself between 1994 and 1999, but failed to reach the heights of Bowe, subsequently moving up to cruiserweight later in his career.
After fighting Hide, Bowe entered a trilogy contest with Holyfield, which he won in 1995, stopping his rival in the eighth period.
Nominating Holyfield in the “Best I Faced” segment gave him several titles, including best fighter overall, best chin, strongest and best skills.
He continued: “He was better than anyone I ever fought with. He could think, he could match wits with you.
“Our fights were so good because he could compete with me in terms of thinking. He was always in such great shape.
Evander was intelligent, he was a thinker, he was in great shape, he had all the attributes to make him a great champion.
“That’s why he and I fought so hard and so well.”
Holyfield reached career heights forming iconic rivalries with Mike Tyson, Lewis, Larry Holmes and George Foreman, while winning the undisputed titles himself in 1990.
Many believe Bowe could have become one of the greatest of all time if he himself had touched gloves with Tyson and former Olympic rival Lewis, whom he never faced in the professional ranks.
His career, however, remains in the past, unlike Holyfield who then made an appearance in an exhibition fight against Vitor Belfort in 2021, ten years after his retirement.
And he was stopped in brutal fashion, serving as a timely reminder for his rival Tyson, who is set to return to the ring on July 20 against Jake Paul.
‘Iron Mike’ has sparked understandable health concerns from the boxing world, but he is expected to return to the ring for the second time since retiring in 2005, four years after meeting Roy Jones Jr during an exhibition.
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Riddick Bowe has rubbed shoulders with authoritarian boxing legends, but one name stands out.
The American heavyweight turned professional after winning a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, having been narrowly edged out by Lennox Lewis who beat him in the final.
Bowe reached the pinnacle of the sport as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in 1992, allowing him to leave an incredible legacy in the ring as one of the division’s greats.
“Big Daddy” suffered only one defeat during his professional career, against boxing icon Evander Holyfield in their rematch in 1993, where he was defeated by majority decision.
But in an interview with The Ring in May 2020, Bowe actually suggested that British fighter Herbie Hide, whom he beat in 1992, had the more powerful punch.
“You’re not going to believe this [but] I would have to say Herbie Hide,” when asked to name the man who hurt him.
“He hit me and I thought, ‘Oh shit. I can’t allow this guy to hit me again because I don’t know what I’ll see next.
“At first I was trying to box him and he was very fast.
“I said I couldn’t box him because he beat me up, so I fought him.”
Bowe was rebuilding after his loss to Holyfield, when he traded blows with the ‘Dancing Destroyer’ who was known for his ferocious power.
But the American star managed to become WBO world champion again, knocking down Hide seven times before failing to beat the count in the sixth round.
It was a complete mismatch, but Hide won Bowe’s plaudits over Holyfield, although he fell short of Holyfield’s achievements.
The British heavyweight won the WBO title himself between 1994 and 1999, but failed to reach the heights of Bowe, subsequently moving up to cruiserweight later in his career.
After fighting Hide, Bowe entered a trilogy contest with Holyfield, which he won in 1995, stopping his rival in the eighth period.
Nominating Holyfield in the “Best I Faced” segment gave him several titles, including best fighter overall, best chin, strongest and best skills.
He continued: “He was better than anyone I ever fought with. He could think, he could match wits with you.
“Our fights were so good because he could compete with me in terms of thinking. He was always in such great shape.
Evander was intelligent, he was a thinker, he was in great shape, he had all the attributes to make him a great champion.
“That’s why he and I fought so hard and so well.”
Holyfield reached career heights forming iconic rivalries with Mike Tyson, Lewis, Larry Holmes and George Foreman, while winning the undisputed titles himself in 1990.
Many believe Bowe could have become one of the greatest of all time if he himself had touched gloves with Tyson and former Olympic rival Lewis, whom he never faced in the professional ranks.
His career, however, remains in the past, unlike Holyfield who then made an appearance in an exhibition fight against Vitor Belfort in 2021, ten years after his retirement.
And he was stopped in brutal fashion, serving as a timely reminder for his rival Tyson, who is set to return to the ring on July 20 against Jake Paul.
‘Iron Mike’ has sparked understandable health concerns from the boxing world, but he is expected to return to the ring for the second time since retiring in 2005, four years after meeting Roy Jones Jr during an exhibition.