Ranking Rid**** Bowe above Lennox Lewis, can it be justified ?

[Tiozzo]

Lennox lewis by far. ****** question really.

that means you haven't realized that this thread was specifically addressed to sonnyboy to test whether he would try to make a case for Bowe ranking higher (since he is a big fan of his) or not

gladly, he hasn't

[Tiozzo]

I'm actually in full agreement with you. It was a very badly handled contest.

Lewis fans might well cite the Olympic victory as some indicator of superiority, but it certainly does not convince me that the match would be similar in the professional ranks at all.

Bowe vs Lewis would have been a very interesting pro fight, and I would personnaly give a slight edge to Bowe

Bowe had his moments too when he fought Lewis as an AM if I recall right

[The_Demon]

No it cant be justified,not based on resume and accomplishments anyway

[joseph5620]

If i was to go by Kid McCoy's theory... Bowe would destroy every single opponent that Lewis ever faced and that includes Rahman & McCall but Lewis would not beat the 92-95 version of Holyfield so Bowe ranks the higher.. but that is not the way that i set out my theory of who should rank highest... Lennox Lewis achieved more during his career than what Rid**** Bowe achieved so i would say it is not justified to rank Bowe higher.

Of course you would then have to include Golota who gave Bowe a beating. But when Golota faced Lewis..........

[joseph5620]

I'm actually in full agreement with you. It was a very badly handled contest.

Lewis fans might well cite the Olympic victory as some indicator of superiority, but it certainly does not convince me that the match would be similar in the professional ranks at all.

I also see a lot of Bowe fans claiming that Bowe was superior and would have beaten Lewis. I personally never saw anything from Bowe that would make me believe that. His biggest wins were over Holyfield but other than that, Bowe's resume doesnt come close to matching Lewis in terms of longevity or opponents.

[EMACULATE]

Rid**** Bowe threw a title in the trash to avotd fighting Bowe and lets face it. Bowe underachieved to have been blessed with all the physical attributes that he has been blessed with.

[Kid McCoy]

Lewis fans might well cite the Olympic victory as some indicator of superiority, but it certainly does not convince me that the match would be similar in the professional ranks at all.

I agree on that. Amateur results have little bearing on what happens in a professional fight. Ali lost to Amos Johnson, Tyson lost to Henry Tillman, Holmes lost to Nick Wells, Foreman lost to Clay Hodges. Bowe lost to Jorge Gonzalez as an amateur (as did Lewis) and look what happened when they met in the pros.

[StarshipTrooper]

No. Bowe's prime was what? Two fights? That's a flash-in-the-pan not a great fighter. By that standard Buster Douglas was an ATG. The only thing Bowe was great at was destoying the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Poet

[blaze778]

I don't think so.

People can debate who is the better fighter and what the outcome of a prime Bowe vs. prime Lewis match would have been, but Lewis is far more accomplished and was a much more dominant champ.

Lennox retired after a long career and beating every man he's ever faced. Bowe was an underachiever who leaves everyone wondering what he would have, could have, should have done.

[Sugarj]

Bowe vs Lewis would have been a very interesting pro fight, and I would personnaly give a slight edge to Bowe

Bowe had his moments too when he fought Lewis as an AM if I recall right

The first round of the Olympic fight was pretty close, Bowe might have shaded it. Bowe did look quite spindly back in 1988, nothing like the powerful, superbly conditioned athlete of 1991/92.

The problem with a matchup between the two was that their primes didn't coincide. Bowe was clearly superior to Lewis in 1992-1995, but Bowe looked shot in 1996. Lewis, for me hit his prime in around 1997.

But prime for prime I shade Bowe too. I think his game was more rounded and his chin was better.