by James Slater: It seems former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe cannot give up the ghost and retire for good. Scheduled (according to BoxRec) to fight again on September the 12th in Gyor, Hungary, the former champ will box one Zoltan Petranyi on a card that will also be promoted by his opponent. Also set to appear on the card is cruiserweight Lasse Johansen of Denmark, a former opponent of David Haye..
Bowe, now just a few days shy of his 41st birthday and inactive since April of 2005, simply will not call it quits – even though everyone knows he should. Badly overweight and in no way resembling the once great natural athlete he was in his prime, Bowe runs the risk of injury by wanting to fight on. First coming back in September of 1996, after an eight year absence, “Big Daddy” proved nothing by despatching the oft-beaten Marcus Rhode in two rounds. But then, in his second return bout, against the tough-but-limited Billy Zumbrun, a portly Bowe shipped an alarming number of head shots on the way to a debatable split decision win. This fight proved beyond any doubt that the former champ had no business being in a boxing ring anymore.
Since then, there have been a number of planned fights – only for the action to be scrapped late in the day. After not having heard much of anything from Bowe, it seemed he had seen sense and aborted any further plans to fight on. But now, against Hungary’s Petranyi, the soon to be 41-year-old is at it again. Just what Riddick hopes to achieve by boxing on is anyone’s guess. He surely cannot believe he will once again get within a mile of a heavyweight title fight.
In Petranyi, Bowe will at least be facing a fellow veteran – and a less than devastating punching veteran at that. Aged 42 and with a so-so record of 40-20(8), the Hungarian has boxed his entire pro career in Europe and is probably best known for his losing effort against British heavyweight Danny Williams. Petranyi came over to Manchester, England back in 2005, losing badly to Williams as he did so. Indeed, the visiting fighter was sent to the mat no less than five times before going out in the 3rd round. Aside from the up-and-coming Denis Boytsov, who KO’d him in two rounds, the 42-year-old has met no other overly recognisable names. He has been active, though, and has won his last four fights.
So what can we expect to see when he and Bowe collide in September? To be frank, not too much. Bowe is shot to pieces, Petranyi is nothing anyway near special, and we all know the fight should not be happening. Bowe MAY get himself a win. But even if he does, what will it mean? Well, it might mean the former champ will be foolish enough to take a win as a sign that he should carry on in his fruitless comeback campaign. For that possibility alone, it would be better if the man from Hungary won in a couple of months time.
Riddick Bowe, 42-1(33) is no George Foreman, and his latest return will only end up badly for him as a result.