Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
WBN Editor
Almost 20 years on from their first fight, we look back at the three memorable bouts involving “The Real Deal” and “Big Daddy”
On the 13th of November 1992 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, WBC, WBA and IBF Heavyweight Champion of the World, Evander Holyfield defended his titles against Riddick Bowe in a highly anticipated bout which was just the start of an amazing rivalry between two great fighters.
Holyfield came into the contest as the former undisputed cruiserweight champion and now undisputed Heavyweight Champion and was unbeaten in all 28 of his match-up’s in his career up to that point.
He captured the undisputed crown against the man who ended “Iron” Mike Tyson’s aura of invincibility, James “Buster” Douglas in a three round knockout performance two years earlier and had since defended it three times against George Foreman, Bert Cooper and Larry Holmes.
Bowe also came into the contest unbeaten, with an impressive 27 knockout in his 31 victories and was installed as favourite to win because of his size, weight and reach advantage. He came into the match-up two stone heavier than the slimline Holyfield and two and a half inches taller than the two-weight champion.
There was no arguing that Bowe had the physical advantages but a lot of people in the boxing world had questioned Riddick’s heart and will to win, a trait that the Holyfield had in spades and was renowned for. It turned out to be a memorable battle that left the amazed crowd wanting more and they wouldn't be disappointed...
The tenth round of the first bout in particular is widely remembered as one of the best rounds of heavyweight boxing in the history of the sport as both men fought with equal determination.
The second contest took place a year later, again in November but this time at Ceaser’s Palace. Bowe had since given up his WBC version of the title by publicly dumping it in the bin after he was ordered to fight number one contender Lennox Lewis, something his reputation never fully recovered from.
Riddick instead defended his WBA and IBF Titles against Michael Dokes and Jesse Ferguson prior to the Evander Holyfield rematch and looked as strong as ever knocking out both challengers within two rounds.
Holyfield on the other hand had just the one contest, easily out-pointing Alex Stewart at the Convention Center in Atlantic City.
Holyfield v Bowe II will always be remembered for the 7th round ring invasion by James “The Fan Man” Miller, the parachutist and paraglider pilot who crashed into the ring and halted the contest for several minutes either side of another gruelling contest.
The third and final battle between the two warriors took place in November 1995, again at Ceasers Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Holyfield has since lost his titles in a shocking majority points defeat to Michael Moorer in April 1994 and had looked sluggish in his warm up fight against Ray Mercer after being out of the ring for over a year.
Boxing pundits were saying another performance like the second fight was beyond Evander, with some were even going as far as calling it the end of Holyfield and retirement was his best option instead of taking on the younger, fresher more powerful Bowe.
Bowe had kept himself busy with four fights since his defeat to Holyfield, a no contest against Buster Mathis Jr was followed by an almost total shut-out points win over Larry Donald before Riddick captured the WBO heavyweight title from Britain’s Herbie Hide in a devastating 6th round knockout and defended it against Jorge Luiz Gonzalez in similar fashion.
The WBO title held by Bowe wasn’t on the line in the third fight between the pair, but when these two squared up to each other with the mutual respect they had for each other, they never needed a belt on the line to leave us with another memorable contest.