Riddick Bowe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Riddick Bowe
Bowe in 1993
Statistics
Real name	Riddick Lamont Bowe
Nickname(s)	Big Daddy
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 5 in
Reach	81 in
Born	(1967-08-10) August 10, 1967 (age 57) New York City, New York, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	45
Wins	43
Wins by KO	33
Losses	1
No contests	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  United States Olympic Games Silver 1988 Seoul Super heavyweight Pan American Games Bronze 1987 Indianapolis Super heavyweight Junior World Championships Gold 1985 Bucharest Light heavyweight

Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967) is an American former professional boxer and kickboxer. He competed in boxing from 1989 to 2008. He also competed in kickboxing from 2013 to 2016. In 1992, he became the undisputed world heavyweight champion. This means he held all the major heavyweight boxing titles at the same time. He also won a silver medal in the super heavyweight division at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

After becoming a professional boxer in 1989, Bowe became a two-time world heavyweight champion. In 1992, he won the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles. He earned these by beating Evander Holyfield, who had never lost before. That same year, The Ring magazine named Bowe the "Fighter of the Year." He also won the Sugar Ray Robinson Award.

Later in 1992, Bowe gave up his WBC title because of a disagreement. This meant the undisputed championship was split up until 1999. In a rematch with Holyfield in 1993, Bowe lost his WBA and IBF titles. This was his only loss as a professional boxer.

Bowe won another world heavyweight title in 1995. He defeated Herbie Hide for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title. By doing this, Bowe became the first boxer to win titles from all four main boxing organizations: WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO. Later that year, Bowe gave up the WBO title to fight Holyfield a third time. He won this fight by knocking Holyfield out, which was a first for Holyfield. In 1996, Bowe had two tough fights with Andrew Golota. Both of these fights ended in a controversial way.

Bowe stopped boxing after the Golota fights. He made short comebacks in 2004 and 2008. In 2015, he was added to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. As of 2024, Bowe is the last American boxer to hold all the main heavyweight titles at once.

Early Life and School

Riddick Bowe was born on August 10, 1967. He was the twelfth of his mother's thirteen children. Bowe grew up in the East New York area of Brooklyn, New York City.

Interestingly, Bowe was in the same sixth-grade class as another famous boxer, Mike Tyson. They went to school together in Brownsville, New York. Bowe later said he didn't really know Tyson well back then.

Amateur Boxing Career

Bowe trained at the Bedford-Stuyvesant Boxing Association Gym. As an amateur boxer, he won the important New York Golden Gloves Championship and other tournaments. In 1984, when he was 17, he knocked out an opponent in just 4 seconds. In 1985, he lost to Donald Stephens at the National Golden Gloves championships. Besides boxing, he studied drama and business at Kingsborough Community College. He hoped to act after his boxing career.

His friends sometimes called him "Don King" because of his hairstyle. Bowe said he was trying to be like Mark Breland, another boxer. Bowe was inspired by Breland's achievements.

New York Golden Gloves

Bowe won the New York Golden Gloves Championship four times. He won two fights in 1984. He won the 1985 Novice Championship and the 1986 Open Championship. He also won the Super Heavyweight Open Championship in 1987 and 1988. By 1985, Bowe was ranked as the top light heavyweight in the United States.

1987 Pan American Games

Before the 1987 Pan American Games, Bowe had a small crack in his right hand bone. He got this injury during a fight in July 1987. Bowe said he kept this injury a secret from his team's coaches. He was worried they would not let him compete in the tournament.

Olympic Qualifiers

At one point, Bowe was removed from the Olympic training camp. He had some disagreements with the U.S. Olympic boxing coach. Robert Salters, an Army superheavyweight, became a tough rival for Bowe. They fought several times. Salters even knocked Bowe down twice in one fight. Bowe had to overcome hand and ankle injuries during these qualifiers. He eventually won his spot for the Olympics.

1988 Olympics

Bowe won the silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He beat Alex Miroshnichenko from the Soviet Union in the semifinals. In the finals, he lost to future world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. Bowe started strong in the first round. However, the referee gave Bowe a point deduction for headbutts, even though replays showed there was no headbutt. In the second round, Lewis landed some hard punches. The referee stopped the fight after Bowe received two standing eight counts. Some people disagreed with the referee's decision to stop the fight.

Amateur Highlights

Bowe finished his amateur career with 104 wins and 18 losses.

Professional Boxing Career

After his Olympic loss, Bowe became a professional boxer. Famous trainer Eddie Futch helped Bowe develop his skills. Eddie believed Bowe had more potential than any boxer he had ever trained.

Bowe's first professional fight was in March 1989. He knocked out Lionel Butler. His manager, Rock Newman, kept Bowe very busy. Bowe fought 13 times in 1989, winning against many experienced boxers. In September 1990, Bowe fought former champion Pinklon Thomas. Bowe won easily after eight rounds. The next month, Bowe knocked out Bert Cooper in two rounds. This helped his reputation grow.

In March 1991, Bowe knocked out Tyrell Biggs, who won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. In his next fight, Bowe won a close decision against former champion Tony Tubbs. In August 1991, Bowe knocked out future world heavyweight champion Bruce Seldon in the first round. In July 1992, he knocked out Pierre Coetzer in the seventh round. This win helped him get a world title fight.

Fights Against Elijah Tillery

Bowe had two unusual fights against Elijah Tillery in 1991. Their first fight was very strange. Bowe was winning the first round and knocked Tillery down. After the round ended, Tillery walked towards Bowe and teased him. Bowe reacted by punching Tillery. Tillery then kicked Bowe. Bowe threw more punches at Tillery. Bowe's trainer even pulled Tillery over the ropes. Tillery was disqualified for kicking Bowe, giving Bowe the win. Many people watching were surprised by this decision. They had a rematch two months later. Bowe won that fight easily in four rounds.

World Heavyweight Champion

In November 1992, Bowe fought the champion, Evander Holyfield, for the undisputed heavyweight title. Bowe won by a unanimous decision in an exciting fight. He even knocked Holyfield down in the 11th round. The tenth round of this fight is famous for its intense back-and-forth action. Ring Magazine called it the "Round of the Year."

Bowe's old Olympic rival, Lennox Lewis, was the top challenger for the WBC title. Bowe's manager and Lewis's manager could not agree on how to split the money for a fight. Because of this, Bowe held a press conference. He threw the WBC world heavyweight championship belt into a trash can. He gave up the title to protest the situation.

Bowe's first defense of his remaining titles was on February 6, 1993. He fought former champion Michael Dokes and knocked him out in the first round. In February 1993, Bowe met Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. This was after Bowe helped deliver aid to Somalia. In his next fight on May 22, 1993, Bowe knocked out Jesse Ferguson in the second round. This led to a rematch with Evander Holyfield.

In the rematch with Holyfield, Bowe looked heavier than usual. He had gained weight before the fight. Bowe and Holyfield exchanged strong punches. Bowe ended up losing his titles to Holyfield by a majority decision. This fight is also remembered for a strange event. A parachutist, known as "Fan Man," landed in the ring ropes during the seventh round. This caused the fight to stop for almost half an hour. Bowe later said he thought the fight should have been called a "no contest" because of the delay.

After Losing the Title

In August 1994, Bowe had two comeback fights. He fought Buster Mathis Jr.. Bowe hit Mathis while he was down, which was ruled an accidental foul. The fight was declared a "No Contest." In December 1994, Bowe punched Larry Donald at a press conference before their fight. Bowe later beat Donald by a unanimous decision. This was Donald's first loss.

WBO Heavyweight Champion

In March 1995, Bowe won the WBO heavyweight championship. He knocked down England's Herbie Hide six times before winning by knockout in the sixth round.

In June 1995, Bowe defended his WBO title against Jorge Luis González. This was a heated fight. Bowe won by knockout in the sixth round. Soon after, he gave up the WBO championship.

After the Gonzalez fight, Bowe fought Evander Holyfield for a third time. Holyfield knocked Bowe down during the fight. But Bowe stayed calm and won by stopping Holyfield in the eighth round. On January 11, 1996, Bowe was no longer the WBO champion.

Bowe vs. Golota Fights

After beating Holyfield for the third time, Bowe fought Andrew Golota. Bowe was heavier than ever for this fight. Golota was ahead on points. However, he was penalized many times for hitting Bowe below the belt. Golota was finally disqualified in the seventh round. After Golota was disqualified, Bowe's team rushed into the ring. They attacked Golota and his 74-year-old trainer. This caused a riot in the arena.

Because of the riot, many sports shows talked about the fight. There was a lot of interest in a rematch. The rematch was also controversial. Golota was again disqualified in the ninth round for hitting Bowe below the belt. This fight was featured in a documentary called Legendary Nights: The Tale of Bowe-Golota.

Return to Boxing

Bowe in 2008

On September 25, 2004, after seven and a half years away from boxing, Bowe returned. He won by knockout in the second round against Marcus Rhode. In April 2005, Bowe, who was overweight, barely beat Billy Zumbrun by a split decision.

On December 13, 2008, Bowe, then 41, returned to the ring again. He won an eight-round decision against Gene Pukall in Germany.

Legacy and Reputation

Riddick Bowe's professional boxing record is 43 wins and 1 loss, with 33 knockouts. Former referee Mills Lane said that Bowe could have been one of the greatest boxers. However, he felt Bowe wasted his chance due to immaturity and not being disciplined enough.

Bowe's weight during his career changed a lot. His best fighting weight was between 235 and 245 pounds. He achieved his most important wins at this weight. His first fight with Evander Holyfield is considered one of the greatest heavyweight title fights ever.

In 2017, The Ring magazine ranked Bowe as the 19th best heavyweight of all time. Experts described Bowe as a "super talent" who could have done more. They felt he was sometimes lazy and didn't reach his full potential.

Bowe is the first boxer in any weight class to hold all four major world championship titles. These are the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles. In the heavyweight division, only Tyson Fury has done this since Bowe.

Bowe's only loss was to Evander Holyfield in 1993. He got his revenge by beating Holyfield in 1995. This means he won two out of their three fights. Except for one "no contest" fight, Bowe defeated every opponent he faced as a professional. Bowe is one of only five former heavyweight champions who were never knocked out during their career.

Professional Kickboxing Career

In March 2013, Bowe announced he would try Muay Thai, which is a type of kickboxing. He trained in Las Vegas. On June 14, 2013, Bowe fought Levgen Golovin in Thailand. Bowe was knocked down five times by kicks to his leg. The fight was stopped in the second round.

Life Outside of Boxing

Joining the Marine Corps

After the Golota fights, Bowe decided to join the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He said he wanted to make his mother proud. He also wanted to get back into good shape to return to boxing. Bowe arrived at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on February 10, 1997. He left after three days of tough physical training.

Helping Others

After winning his first title, Bowe saw a news story. It said that medicines for refugees in Somalia could not be sent because there wasn't enough money for a plane. Bowe immediately offered $100,000 to pay for the plane. He said he would only do it if he could go to Somalia himself. He wanted to make sure the medicines reached the people who needed them. While in Somalia, he visited U.S. Marines and an orphanage.

Bowe also helped after other sad events. In 1995, he heard about a young man in the Philippines who died while trying to watch a Riddick Bowe fight. Bowe was very touched by this story. He decided to give money to the man's family. He also gave money to support the Philippine boxing team training for the Olympics.

Professional Boxing Record

Muay Thai Record

Muay Thai record

0 wins (0 KOs), 1 loss, 0 draws
Date	Result	Opponent	Event	Location	Method	Round	Time	Record
2013-06-14	Loss	Ievgen Golovin	WPMF Super Heavyweight Title	Pattaya, Thailand	TKO (right low kick)	2	N/A	0–1
Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

See also

In Spanish: Riddick Bowe para niños

• List of undisputed boxing champions
• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of WBA world champions
• List of WBC world champions
• List of IBF world champions
• List of WBO world champions