Riddick Bowe vs. Jesse Ferguson

Last updated
The Heavyweight Debate
Bowe vs Ferguson.jpg
DateMay 22, 1993
Venue RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Title(s) on the line WBA and Lineal Heavyweight Championships
Tale of the tape
Boxer Flag of the United States.svg Riddick Bowe Flag of the United States.svg Jesse Ferguson
Nickname "Big Daddy" "The Boogieman"
Hometown Brooklyn, New York Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Purse $7,000,000 $500,000
Pre-fight record 33–0 (28 KO) 19–9 (13 KO)
Age 25 years, 9 months 36 years, 2 months
Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 244 lb (111 kg) 224 lb (102 kg)
Style Orthodox Orthodox
Recognition WBA, IBF and Lineal
Heavyweight Champion
WBA
No. 12 Ranked Heavyweight
Result
Bowe defeated Ferguson via 2nd round knockout

Riddick Bowe vs. Jesse Ferguson , billed as "The Heavyweight Debate", was a professional boxing match contested on May 22, 1993, for the WBA and Lineal Heavyweight championships. [1] The fight took place in RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, was Bowe's second defense of the title he had won from Evander Holyfield in November 1992, and was the main event of a card that included a fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins for the vacant IBF middleweight championship, which Jones won.

Contents

Background

Since winning what was then the undisputed world heavyweight championship from Evander Holyfield in November 1992, Bowe had made one title defense. That came in February 1993 in a fight against former champion Michael Dokes, whom he knocked out in the first round to retain the WBA, IBF, and lineal championships he still held (he was forced to relinquish the WBC championship after refusing to defend against their number one contender, Lennox Lewis).

Ferguson, meanwhile, had largely been a journeyman fighter over the course of his career. His resume featured bouts against a series of former and future champions, but he had never once fought for a world title and had been defeated nine times when he entered a bout with 1988 Olympic gold medalist and rising contender Ray Mercer on the same night Bowe fought Dokes. Despite being a significant underdog, Ferguson outboxed Mercer and won a decision victory. [2]

Bowe, who had been seeking a fight with Mercer, instead chose to make his next defense against Ferguson. However, the IBF did not have Ferguson in its contender rankings and refused to allow Bowe to defend their title against him; therefore, when the bout was signed, only the WBA and lineal championships were placed at stake. [3] Despite his limited success and his status as a 40-1 underdog, Ferguson remained confident that he could defeat Bowe, vowing to get the victory by knockout. Bowe responded to Ferguson's claims by calling him a "knucklehead" while also threatening to "punish" his competitor. [4]

Bowe was a 40-1 favourite on fight night.

The Fight

Much like in his previous fight, Bowe was able to dominate the entire duration of the fight. Bowe was the aggressor from the opening bell, constantly having Ferguson on the defensive throughout the first round by effectively using his left jab. With less than 30 second left in the round, a left hook from Bowe sent Ferguson back into the ropes which led to Bowe landing another left hook 10 seconds later that dropped Ferguson to the canvas. Ferguson barely was able to answer the referee's 10 count, just managing to get up at the count of nine as the round ended. Only seconds into round 2, Bowe was able to land an 8-punch combination that again sent Ferguson to the mat. This time Ferguson was unable to get up and Bowe was announced the winner by knockout. [5]

Aftermath

After Bowe's two successful title defenses over marginal competition, the much anticipated Bowe–Holyfield rematch was announced to take place on November 6, 1993. Like the previous fight, the two fighters again went the full 12 rounds, this time though, it was Holyfield who would earn the victory, becoming the only man to defeat Bowe in his professional career.

Undercard

Confirmed bouts: [6]

WinnerLoserWeight division/title belt(s) disputedResult
Flag of the United States.svg Roy Jones Jr. Flag of the United States.svg Bernard Hopkins vacant IBF middleweight title12th round Unanimous decision
Non-TV bouts
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Egerton Marcus Flag of the United States.svg Andrew Maynard NABF Light Heavyweight Title8th round RTD.
Flag of the United States.svg Sharmba Mitchell Flag of the United States.svg Kenny Baysmore Catchweight (10 rounds)1st round KO.
Flag of Sweden.svg George Scott Flag of the United States.svg John StewartWelterweight (8 rounds)Unanimous decision.
Flag of Cuba.svg Jorge Luis Gonzalez Flag of the United States.svg Dwayne HallHeavyweight (8 rounds)1st round TKO.
Flag of the United States.svg Shannon Briggs Flag of the United States.svg Bruce JohnsonHeavyweight (6 rounds)1st round TKO.
Flag of the United States.svg Ben Simmons Flag of the United States.svg Anthony HardySuper Featherweight (4 rounds)Majority decision.

Broadcasting

CountryBroadcaster
Flag of the United States.svg  United States HBO

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References

  1. "Riddick Bowe vs. Jesse Ferguson". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  2. Bowe Brings Title Show To D.C., Chicago Tribune article, 1993-03-25, Retrieved on 2013-05-17
  3. Chesseburger, Cheeseburger for Bowe, N.Y. Times article, 1993-04-21, Retrieved on 2013-05-17
  4. Riddick Bowe Says Jesse Ferguson Hasn't Long To Live. The Challenger Says Otherwise., Philadelphia Inquirer article, 1993-04-22, Retrieved on 2013-05-17
  5. Riddick Bowe, Sports Illustrated article, 1993-04-31, Retrieved on 2013-05-17
  6. "BoxRec: Event".
Preceded by Riddick Bowe's bouts
22 May 1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by Jesse Ferguson's bouts
22 May 1993
Succeeded by
vs. Rocky Pepeli