“They couldn’t handle us.” Riddick Bowe on Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield and current heavyweights

Silver medalist of the 1988 Olympics, former absolute heavyweight champion (over 90.7 kg), American Riddick Bow gave
interview for the British media.

The legendary fighter with just one loss in his professional career put other division legends of his time in their places: Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. Riddick also spoke about today’s heavyweights, answered a question about the absence of champions from the United States and spoke about the WBC title holder Briton Tyson Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs).

– Without taking into account yourself, how would you rate Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield? What order will they be in for you?

Well, I have to say that Evander is number one. Lennox Lewis is second, and then Mike Tyson.

– Why is that? Why in that order?

“I know one thing, no matter what you do and no matter what you do to Holyfield, he will be there. I put Lennox second because he’s the biggest of us. And I guess he’s proven to be tough. He went the distance with all of them. Mike is not as hardy as these guys, but at his peak he knocked out everyone. So I’ll put him number three.

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– You mentioned that you left the sport prematurely. Do you have any regrets about this?

Yes, the only regret I have is Rock Newman. I just think he didn’t pay me what I should have.

What do you think of today’s heavyweights?

– I think nothing. I know they are incomparable to my era. They are not comparable to Ali’s era. I don’t want to waste time.

Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua – what do you think of these fighters?

– I know that when you go to them … Here is Wilder throwing his jab [показывает]. But that won’t take me. He wouldn’t take Mike Tyson with it when he went for it. [показывает]. Holyfield [показывает] I would take him apart, cut him or whatever, get him with an uppercut and win. I know the new heavyweights couldn’t handle the old ones.

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– Why do you think so? We mentioned Deontay Wilder, but in the nineties and earlier heavyweight champions were almost all from America. We mentioned Ali, Frazier, Foreman. Bow, Holyfield, Tyson. For the last 15 years there is only Wilder. Why do you think it is? Why doesn’t America produce heavyweight champions like it used to?

Because they don’t listen. If they’d listened… Jab, jab, right, hook, uppercut. Then they would be champions, then they would have titles. And when you want to do it your own way, and not the way I say … I’m a coach. How do we do it if you don’t listen? I think that’s why.

“I once met you at the first Wilder-Fury fight. What do you think of Tyson Fury now? He is a WBC champion, a lineal champion, what do you think of him as a fighter?

“I think he is a great fighter. I think he is the best among them all. But there are things he does. Jagi-jagi. If it was in my era… Jagi jagi – bang! So what are you going to do? Jagi-jagi – bang! These guys don’t do that. If they did, they would beat him.