After losing the title to Evander Holyfield in November of 1993, Riddick Bowe was scheduled to return to action on February 5, 1994 against Francois Botha. However, a severe cut suffered by Bowe just prior, cancelled the bout. He then signed to fight Buster Mathis, Jr. on June 11 and July 15, but both were called because of a Bowe back injury. The two finally met on August 13 at Atlantic City Convention Hall on HBO, and I was more curious than anything to see how Bowe looked.
Riddick was easily winning after three rounds, and put Mathis down to one knee late in the fourth. However, just after Buster knelt, Bowe knocked him unconscious with a right hook that forced the bout to be called a no contest after some deliberation. Bowe’s foolish behavior cost him the victory, and left the public disappointed.
Riddick’s next opponent was Larry Donald on December 3 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Five days before the bout, at a press conference in Los Angeles, Bowe hit Donald with a two punch combination, causing havoc once again. He offered no apologies, and said “I warned him I was gonna hit him, but he kept talking.” The action that day was better than the actual fight, where Donald ran like a coward for twelve rounds, and lost nearly every one. Bowe did all he could with a guy who didn’t want any part of him.
Riddick stepped back into the ring three months later against Englishman Herbie Hide at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The March 11 fight on HBO was fun to watch, especially for me since I had gone to Vegas and bed a wad on Riddick to win. Bowe dropped Hide six times over six rounds, and took home Hide’s WBO belt. I on the other hand, took home $5000 from my wager, and was more than a little excited.
When Riddick returned to the MGM on June 17 to take on the Cuban Jorge Luis Gonzalez, I was sitting in the audience. Both men had met as amateurs, where Gonzales had defeated Bowe, but this the pros, and a whole different ballgame. I was so confident Riddick would win, I bet more on him than I ever had in my life. I even told a guy before the bout “Gonzalez is going out on his back in about six.” When it actually happened, and Bowe knocked the Cuban out and on his back, I leapt to my feet with excitement. The fact that I just pocketed nearly 10 grand didn’t hurt matters either.
I flew home to Jersey on a high after that night, with hopes sky high and feeling better than ever. Unfortunately for me, those hopes would soon be dashed.
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