Big Daddy flops on Muay Thai debut
Source: Agencies |
June 16, 2013, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
RIDDICK Bowe now understands why people warned him that Muay Thai is a dangerous sport.
"I would have to say, they have a valid point," Bowe said after his debut in Thai kickboxing ended with a thud in the second round. "It's much harder than boxing."
The former world heavyweight boxing champion had hoped to prove his critics wrong and show he could come out of retirement into an entirely new sport and revive some of his past glories.
But Bowe is now 45 and weighs 136 kilograms, and he looked it late on Friday in his first fight since 2008.
Slow and out of shape, the fighter known as "Big Daddy" took a big beating from unheralded 30-year-old Russian opponent Levgen Golovin, who attacked with repeated kicks to the shins that knocked Bowe off his feet five times. The bout was ended by a technical knockout after his last fall, with Bowe sitting on the ground clutching his legs, wincing in pain.
"You can recover from a head shot or a body shot, but when you get kicked in the leg it lasts a long time," Bowe said, as his trainer iced his left shin. "My leg is still hurting. I don't know how long it's been - 15 minutes?"
Not once during the brief fight, which ended 2 minutes into the second round, did Bowe land a punch or a kick.
But he was happy to trade barbs with reporters afterward, showing the wit that made him one of boxing's charismatic personalities during his brief reign as champion two decades ago.
"This ain't a setback, it's a getback," Bowe said of his comeback. "I had a lot of fun. I'm going to do it again. Next time it's going to be different."
Bowe escaped without serious injury and made US$150,000 for his Muay Thai debut.
"I would have to say, they have a valid point," Bowe said after his debut in Thai kickboxing ended with a thud in the second round. "It's much harder than boxing."
The former world heavyweight boxing champion had hoped to prove his critics wrong and show he could come out of retirement into an entirely new sport and revive some of his past glories.
But Bowe is now 45 and weighs 136 kilograms, and he looked it late on Friday in his first fight since 2008.
Slow and out of shape, the fighter known as "Big Daddy" took a big beating from unheralded 30-year-old Russian opponent Levgen Golovin, who attacked with repeated kicks to the shins that knocked Bowe off his feet five times. The bout was ended by a technical knockout after his last fall, with Bowe sitting on the ground clutching his legs, wincing in pain.
"You can recover from a head shot or a body shot, but when you get kicked in the leg it lasts a long time," Bowe said, as his trainer iced his left shin. "My leg is still hurting. I don't know how long it's been - 15 minutes?"
Not once during the brief fight, which ended 2 minutes into the second round, did Bowe land a punch or a kick.
But he was happy to trade barbs with reporters afterward, showing the wit that made him one of boxing's charismatic personalities during his brief reign as champion two decades ago.
"This ain't a setback, it's a getback," Bowe said of his comeback. "I had a lot of fun. I'm going to do it again. Next time it's going to be different."
Bowe escaped without serious injury and made US$150,000 for his Muay Thai debut.
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