32 years ago
Riddick Bowe vs Michael Dokes
Date: 6th February 1993
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, USA
Title: WBA & IBF World Heavyweight Titles
Promoter: Madison Square Garden Corp
Referee: Joe Santarpia
Tv: HBO World Championship Boxing
Riddick Bowe
(
32
-
0
-
0
)
Weight: 243 lbs
Michael Dokes
(
50
-
3
-
2
)
Weight: 244 lbs
On February 6, 1993, Riddick Bowe defended his WBA and IBF heavyweight titles against former WBA champion Michael Dokes at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event, billed as "The Homecoming," marked Bowe's first fight since winning the undisputed heavyweight championship from Evander Holyfield in November 1992.
Dokes, who had not fought for a world title since losing the WBA belt to Gerrie Coetzee in 1983, was looking to join an elite group of fighters who had regained the heavyweight championship after previously losing it. However, the 34-year-old challenger's preparation for the bout was questionable. Reports suggested he had stopped training and indulged in large meals, resulting in significant weight gain.
The fight, televised on HBO as part of the World Championship Boxing series, began with Bowe as a heavy favourite, with odds of 16-1 in his favour. The champion wasted no time asserting his dominance, unleashing powerful combinations from the opening bell. Midway through the first round, Bowe scored a knockdown after a three-punch combination sent Dokes into the ropes. Although Dokes took the mandatory eight count, upon the fight's resumption, he was immediately met with a relentless assault from Bowe.
With Dokes pinned against the ropes and failing to mount any significant defence, referee Joe Santarpia stepped in and stopped the contest at 2:19 of the first round, awarding Bowe a technical knockout victory. The decision was met with controversy, as Dokes and his team argued that the stoppage was premature, while the crowd at Madison Square Garden expressed their dissatisfaction with chants of "bullshit."
Despite the protests, Santarpia defended his decision, stating that Dokes' eyes appeared "glassy" and that he had failed to protect himself against Bowe's onslaught. The punch statistics supported this assessment, with Bowe landing 55 punches, including 37 power shots, compared to Dokes' mere 12 landed punches out of 25 thrown.
In the fight's aftermath, Bowe expressed his belief that Santarpia had allowed the overmatched Dokes to absorb too much punishment and that he might have seriously hurt the former champion fight. This sentiment was echoed by George Foreman, who, as an analyst on the HBO broadcast, expressed surprise at the duration of the fight given Dokes' inability to defend himself effectively.
Riddick Bowe vs Michael Dokes on YouTube
