Reputations For Bowe, Golota Take Severe Blow Low Punches Aside, Ex-Champ Absorbed A Serious Beating

Riddick Bowe says there’s no question he’s the best heavyweight in the world.

Maybe in his mind, but others question the skills of the former undisputed heavyweight champion following a second straight disqualification victory over Andrew Golota on Saturday night.

Bowe was knocked down twice and was on rubbery legs in the late rounds before he was knocked down by a low left and right, leading referee Eddie Cotton to disqualify Golota for flagrant blows.

Golota already had been penalized a point for a low blow in the second and another point for an intentional head butt in the fourth.

Larry Hazzard, the New Jersey boxing commissioner, said the disqualification was up to Cotton’s discretion.

“I hope Mr. Holyfield will give me another fight,” said Bowe, who has beaten Evander Holyfield in two of three meetings. Holyfield is the WBA champion, having stopped Mike Tyson in the 10th round Nov. 10.

Perhaps Bowe should listen to his mother.

“Women don’t like boxing,” Bowe said. “She still wants me to retire.”

Bowe was in such trouble that trainer Thell Torrence could be heard on television telling him after the seventh round, “If you don’t show me something this round, I’m going to stop the fight. You’re not doing anything in there.”

Golota won the eighth round and apparently had the fight in hand despite the two penalty points.

Golota, who was born in Poland and lives in Chicago, has power and an excellent left jab. He also can take a punch. But he has a growing reputation as a dirty fighter.

He also was disqualified in the seventh round for repeated low blows against Bowe on July 11 in Madison Square Garden, touching off a riot. Saturday, the crowd of 12,013 at the Convention Center was generally well-behaved.

A victory would have been worth millions of dollars to Golota.

“I don’t think Andrew Golota throws punches low on purpose,” promoter Dino Duva said. “He makes mistakes. He’s our fighter and we’re sticking by him. I still think Andrew Golota is a good fighter, the best heavyweight in the world, but he’s got to make some changes.”

“I’m not as dumb as I look,” Bowe said. “I’m not going to fight Andrew Golota again.”

Who will, if he doesn’t have to?

Trainer Lou Duva, Dino’s father, and Roger Bloodworth told Golota after the fourth round to stay away from body punches.

“I wish I knew what makes him do that, what makes him instinctively go low,” Duva said.

Golota’s fouls marred the kind of match that fight crowds crave and critics of boxing detest.

Golota, 239, knocked Bowe, 235, down in the second and fifth rounds, but he was cut over the left eye and was knocked down in the fourth round. He also went to a hospital with an injured jaw.

Bowe was on the point of exhaustion in the last few rounds, and Golota, also tiring, needed only to jab to get the victory.

A CompuBox analysis credited Golota with landing 408 of 638 punches, including 276 of 418 power punches. Bowe connected on 216 of 476 blows, including 134 of 273 power punches.

Two judges had Golota leading by two points. The third had him ahead by four. Golota seemed to be winning the ninth round.

Also on the pay-per-view card, Ray Mercer put himself into the heavyweight picture with a unanimous decision over former WBC-WBA champion Tim Witherspoon.