EX HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP RIDDICK BOWE?S MUAY THAI DEBUT ENDS IN DISASTER
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 15 Jun 2013
Former heavyweight boxing champion Riddick ?Big Daddy? Bowe's debut in Thai kickboxing ended in disaster in Pattaya, Thailand.
The Bangkok Post reported it ended with a thud in the second round.
The 45 year old Bowe, wincing in pain and clutching his shins, limped out of the ring after taking a beating from 30 year old Russian Levgen Golovin who connected with repeated kicks to Bowe?s shins.
The former heavyweight champion later admitted: "It's much harder than boxing.?
The Post reported that Bowe lost his balance and fell five times before the bout was ended by technical knockout after his last fall.
Bowe said later "You can recover from a head shot or a body shot, but when you get kicked in the leg it lasts a long time. My leg is still hurting. I don't know how long it's been ? fifteen minutes?"
Bowe who last fought in 2008 admitted that he decided to try Muay Thai because he was bored with retirement and needed the money. He earned a purse of $150,000 from Thai promoters striving to increase the international appeal of Thailand's national sport.
Bowe beat Evander Holyfield in 1992 to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. Now weighing 136 kg, Bowe was heavy and slow and barely landed a punch in Friday's fight.
Despite the pain in his legs, Bowe smiled for the cameras after the fight and mustered some optimism. He said "I had a lot of fun. I'm going to do it again. Next time it's going to be different. I'll be back soon."
But his Russian opponent said it was clear that if Bowe continued to engage in kickboxing or Muay Thai, "It would be a big mistake. It's not for him," Golovin added "He's too slow and a bit too old."
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