Riddick Bowe Loses Kickboxing Debut Without Landing A Single Blow

Riddick Bowe was imposing in the boxing ring, with a dangerous combination of strenght and speed that made him one of the best heavyweights of the 1990s. But in the kickboxing ring, it’s a different story.

The now 45-year-old Bowe made his comeback to the ring, only this time his sport of choice is Thai kickboxing. It didn’t go well for Bowe, who was knocked out in the second round.

Riddick Bowe was warned by many that kickboxing was much different than boxing, a dangerous sport he wasn’t prepared for.

”I would have to say, they have a valid point,” Bowe said. ”It’s much harder than boxing.”

It didn’t help that Bowe is now 45 years old, topping the scales at 300 pounds. He’s also been out of fighting for five years. Bowe’s opponent, Russian Levgen Golovin, threw off Bowe with kicks to his shins that knocked the former heavyweight off his feet five times.

Golovin won on a technical knockout when Bowe sat after one of the knockdowns in obvious pain. For Bowe, trained in the ring and used to protecting his chin, getting kicked threw him for a loop.

”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 after the bout. ”My leg is still hurting. I don’t know how long it’s been — 15 minutes?”

Still, Bowe was feisty with reporters after the fight, declaring that he intended to fight again.

”This ain’t a setback it’s a getback,” Bowe said, referring to his comeback. ”I had a lot of fun. I’m going to do it again. Next time it’s going to be different.”

Riddick Bowe knew a thing or two about hanging tough during his career. In a famous bout with Andrew Golota in 1996, Bowe suffered a series of hard punches below the belt, but still hung tough. Though Golota was winning the fight on points — despite deductions for his low blows — another cheap shot sent the bout into a brawl as Bowe’s crew jumped in to attack Golota.

They had a rematch several months later but the bout ended when Golota again unleashed a combo to Bowe’s testicles.

Riddick Bowe may have a long way to go in his kickboxing career, however. He failed to land a single punch or kick in his debut bout.