In the summer of 1996, Riddick Bowe agreed to face the tough Polish slugger,, Andrew Golota at Madison Square Garden. Golota was a 1988 Olympic Bronze medalist at the Seoul Summer Olympics, and had moved to America to fight professional. When I tuned in to HBO on July 11, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. Bowe came in overweight at 252 lbs., and after 3 or 4 rounds of back and forth action, was badly winded. Golota was landing hard shots to Riddick’s head and body, but was also landing low blows as well. He had a point deducted by referee Wayne Kelly in the fourth round, and another in the sixth, when he did it again. Incredibly, in the seventh, Golota landed his sixth low blow on Bowe, forcing him to slump to the canvas in pain. Kelly had no choice but to disqualify Golota, and award Riddick the victory.
What happened was inexcusable. As soon as the fight ended, two of Bowe’s flunkies charged Golota, thenone started hitting him in the head with a walkie talkie. Lou Duva was also injured in the melee, which became a brawl when everyone in the whole Garden started fighting with each other. It was a sickening and pathetic display of idiots with no common sense causing havoc, and I didn’t even bother the keep the VHS tape of the mess, because it wasn’t worth watching twice.
As time passed, the controversy spawned talk of a rematch, with Bowe making excuses that he wasn’t in shape, and took Golota lightly. To me, it was obvious that Golota was a crackpot, self-destructed, and would never be a champion. When December 14, 1996 rolled around, I certainly was willing to order the pay-per-view, and tune in on my 46 inch projection TV.
Bowe came in over-prepared at 235 lbs., and looked gaunt and weak to me. Golota was in shape and solid at 239 lbs., but I had serious doubts that he wouldn’t self-destruct again. The Polish nut dropped Bowe for only the second time in his career in the second round, but he got up and fought back. Riddick returned the favor in the fourth when he put Golota down after a beautiful 15 punch combination. Before the round ended, Golota dropped Bowe with 2 more low blows, resulting in his second point deduction.
Golota put Bowe on the canvas again in the fifth, and continued to hammer him in rounds six through eight. Only courage was keeping Bowe on his feet, but Golota continued to foul him with low blows throughout. Despite repeated warnings from referee Eddie Cotton, Golota purposely slammed three hard shots to Riddick’s groin as the ninth round came to a close, forcing Cotton to call it off, and award another disqualification win to Riddick Bowe.
Anyone who watched the two fights and doesn’t think Golota is nuts and a nitwit, should have their head examined. To me, he is the biggest idiot to ever enter a boxing ring, and one of the biggest underachievers because of his mental problems.
Riddick Bowe was finished as a fighter after both brawls, and came out with obvious brain damage. He never fought again, while Golota got what he deserved the following October when he faced Lennox Lewis. It was a pleasure to see Lennox knock the moron out in the first round, and with ease and precision.
Whenever anyone mentions the name Andrew Golota, it makes me sick because he was such a pathetic coward of a so-called fighter.
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