Riddick Bowe (Holy 1st) or James Buster Douglas (of Tyson)

Riddick Bowe would not have a "Little/Light" heavyweight making the situation easier for him by charging into him, and Buster Douglas would not be facing an overconfident Short Heavyweight that he could own at medium-long range, Would Busters Skill and experience tell, Riddick never did seem to like mobile boxers like Biggs or Tubbs, or Would Bowe's persistence tell and cause and a Douglas being hit from range, to evaporate late as he did with Tucker…Big Daddy or Buster

Bowe would kill Buster.Sometime in the mid to late rounds.I feel Buster wouldn't be able to do to Bowe what he did to Tyson.Bowe would get inside and whack him.

No way Buster could do the same to Bowe, for a start Bowe is 7 inches taller than Tyson. Douglas would be facing a bigger fighter than himself in every department. And Bowe could back it up...he was a 'good big one...so it's KO win for Bowe by rd 6

I'll go against the grain and take douglas here via decision. Pretty much a wide decision at that.

I think his mobility is going to be a real big problem for the brontosaurus legged bowe and that nice jab is going to land a ton. Nobody ever had problems punching thru that bowe defense and I think he is extremely vulnerable to tall guys. Against the shorter fighters like holyfield/hide/ferguson his physical dimensions get him by defensively but the tall guys reach him pretty easily. I mean the guy made a pretty much novice fighter in golata look like a terrific fighter. And he got hit by guys like coetzer even.

In this matchup, I see douglas punching and moving and I see bowe just punching. Mostly just retaliating > eating a jab/right hand, then firing back at a moving target not very effectively. Bowe might have some moments here or there but by and large he eats too many clean punches which count big on the scorecards.

Bowe big; he would have never let the scared fighter get brave.

Bowe won a questionable and close decision against Tubbs. The Douglass of the Tyson fight was far better than Tubbs was. Douglas by comfortable decision.

I don't see how he could beat a peak Bowe comfortably....in what area was he better. He wasn't bigger, stronger, fitter and Douglas looked good in beating a useless Tyson, so to speak. Mike was nowhere near his best in Tokyo. Douglas did what he had to do, but if he were faced with a Lewis or Bowe that night, he wouldnt have looked near as good. Douglas basically jabbed Tyson into defeat because of his reach and Mike's bad performance. How is he going to outjab the bigger Bowe???...Early KO win for Riddick.....I think a lot of people underestimate Bowe. He beat a near peak Holyfield pretty easy, Douglas lasted 3 rds, granted that Buster was well out of shape......

That was bowe's moment in the sun and he was on his A game for that fight for sure. But it was hardly a foreman-frazier devastating fight or performance, was it? He won a close decision over a champ that had beat 2 old guys via decision in foreman/holmes and had recently climbed off the deck to lick bert cooper. Gambling wise it was a pick-em fight so it was hardly a case of bowe licking a fighter that was percieved to be unbeatable.

The victory by douglas was a longshot to put it mildly. Bowe was hardly having to wear those same shoes in his title shot. Everyone knew he'd be a tough matchup for holyfield.

It wasn't as if bowe dominated holyfield thru and thru. He sure got hit a lot. The big difference in a douglas matchup is the footwork issue and the accuracy of douglas. His 3 punch follow ups > his jab is going to be a huge problem for a guy like bowe. They are going to land clean and he'll even land uppercuts clean from the outside on bowe who is going to walk into punches. Later on, that's all golata did to bowe and his connect % after a jab was frightening. And even he had superior footwork and duva just had golata turning the guy using angles and was we ever effective. And golata's big claim to fame prior to that fight was less than stellar performances on usa cable against the 2nd tier guys.

The guy that took tyson apart in there would've been an awful lot for bowe to chase down and be effective against. That job douglas did of taking tyson apart is a thing of beauty and he's really doing a multitude of things and skills===which you always have to do to take a guy apart.

Both guys were hot and cold fighters, so it's a tough matchup. Bowe did fight a brilliant fight vs Holyfield, but he won that fight by basically surprising everyone (no-one moreso then Holyfield) and outfighting Evander on the inside. Bowe had a good jab but I don't think he was a terribly effective outside fighter. Douglas could def. win the jab battle, and had the faster hands. Stamina is up in the air. Bowe had the better chin.

If I was forced to bet I'd put my money on Bowe in an ugly decision

Originally Posted by robertk

I'll go against the grain and take douglas here via decision. Pretty much a wide decision at that.

I think his mobility is going to be a real big problem for the brontosaurus legged bowe and that nice jab is going to land a ton. Nobody ever had problems punching thru that bowe defense and I think he is extremely vulnerable to tall guys. Against the shorter fighters like holyfield/hide/ferguson his physical dimensions get him by defensively but the tall guys reach him pretty easily. I mean the guy made a pretty much novice fighter in golata look like a terrific fighter. And he got hit by guys like coetzer even.

In this matchup, I see douglas punching and moving and I see bowe just punching. Mostly just retaliating > eating a jab/right hand, then firing back at a moving target not very effectively. Bowe might have some moments here or there but by and large he eats too many clean punches which count big on the scorecards.

I agree with this, Bowe did struggle heavly against guys his size.

Bowe also got badly rocked by a shot biggs and needed a gift decision to beat an old, coked out Tubbs.

Douglas at his best fought the same way that tubbs did but had a lot more physical ability than tubbs at that stage of his career and frankly even out of shape Douglas did everything andrew Golota did better.

[apollack]

Bowe, easily. Sure Douglas would hit him and make Riddick look silly in spots, but Bowe was so much bigger, stronger, had the height, reach, massive power in both hands, nonstop punches, could throw them all, long strong jab, much better chin and heart. Douglas simply would not be able to deal with the consistent punch output and power, and would fold. Anyone who ever fought Douglas and made him deal with a high punch output beat him. And Douglas did not fare very well against tall fighters either. Look at Mike White, Tony Tucker, Lou Savarese, etc. Bowe by KO.

[Mr E]

Originally Posted by apollack

Bowe, easily. Sure Douglas would hit him and make Riddick look silly in spots, but Bowe was so much bigger, stronger, had the height, reach, massive power in both hands, nonstop punches, could throw them all, long strong jab, much better chin and heart. Douglas simply would not be able to deal with the consistent punch output and power, and would fold. Anyone who ever fought Douglas and made him deal with a high punch output beat him. And Douglas did not fare very well against tall fighters either. Look at Mike White, Tony Tucker, Lou Savarese, etc. Bowe by KO.

Sooner or later, we had to agree on something, Adam. LOL. I think you hit this one right on the money: to wit, "Bowe easily."

[Overhand_Right]

Appollack really needs to stop holding the Savarese fight against Douglas. Thats just cruel!

[apollack]

Hey, Buster didn't just lose. He got brutally drilled in the 1st round. You'll never see that happen to guys like Bowe or Tyson or Holy, even on their worst day, especially not to a B level guy like Savarese.

[hawk5ins]

How Bowe, Tyson and Holyfield fight after ballooning up to over 300 pounds and nearly dying form a diabetic coma.

And while this would probably never happen to at least Tyson or Holyfield, it DID happen to DOuglas.

To think he ever had any semblence of his Prime (which let's be honest, was one night and one fight) left is not very realistic.

I hear how we should not hold Late career one punch ko losses agianst Roy Jones, I think Douglas, especially given what he put his body through, should be given at least the same type of consideration.

Hawk

[Kid Achilles]

Bowe is not a 5'10" unmotivated Tyson with little fire in his belly that could be kept at range and easily tied up at close range. Bowe is one of the most athletic men over 6'4" I've seen on film, with a good chin and exceptional punching power in the right hand. Bowe may be the biggest waste of talent in heavyweight history since Max Baer. The guy had everything, everything but desire.

Douglas also lacked desire, except he was nowhere near as talented or athletic as Bowe.

A fairly easy conclusion I think. The bigger, stronger, better underachiever beats the smaller, weaker, less athletic and more chinny underachiever.

[robertk]

What about his legs and footwork?

[hagler04]

I don't see Bowe being "more athletic" than Douglas. Buster was faster, much better foot-work, and his work-rate in Tokyo was better than even Holyfield 1 for Riddick (which was lots of inside work against a smaller man).

I think that Bowe's jab is over-rated. He had some success vs Evander with it (although Holyfield was able to outjab the bigger man when he doubled up) but vs Tubbs and Golota his left was not the weapon it's percieved as being (esp. vs Golota, who ate Bowe's left and spat it out while completely outjabbing Riddick in both fights). He had some pop but in terms of timing and accuracy it was very lacking.

Bowe was a very good fighter but gained too much acclaim from beating contenders (Donald, Hide, Gonzales) who turned out to be nothing special. I don't think Douglas is a shoo-in to win but he poses lots of problems for Riddick.

What size and reach advantage for Bowe are ppl talking about?

Douglas was 6'4 230lbs with an 84 inch reach. Bowe was 6'5 225-235lbs with an 81 inch reach.

I don't think Douglas's 3 inch in reach will make any kind of difference, do you ppl honestly think that a inch in height and maybe 5 lbs in weight when both were inshape would matter one bit?

I believe Douglas's reach is listed as 83 inches.

And maybe Bowe was 6'4 1/2?

I hope not! That would just throw a monkey wrench into everything.

Bowe had the following stats vs Holyfield
height 6'5 reach 81 chest/norm 46 chest/exp 50 waist 36 biceps 17 neck 17 1/2 wrist 8 calf 16 1/2 ankle 11 thigh 26 1/2 fist 13 1/2 forearm 12 1/2. I will look up Douglas's stats later.