After a couple of short comeback attempts, Riddick Bowe once again has announced he will be back in action. This time, however, it is not a boxing ring he will be competing in.
At the Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, a press conference was held to announce Bowe’s upcoming Muay Thai debut which will take place in Thailand on May 13. The event, which is being promoted by Kokiet Group Co., Ltd. and Golden Glove Co., Ltd., also features MMA veteran Marvin Eastman, and kickboxing great Dewey “Black Kobra” Cooper, who were also present at the press conference.
Bowe has not competed since 2008, when he defeated Gene Pukall by unanimous decision. He seems to be confident that he will be able to successfully make the transition from boxing to a sport with far fewer rules, and allows kicks and elbows, something he never had to worry about in boxing.
During his prime competitive years, Riddick Bowe was one of the best heavyweight champions of all time. With an outstanding record of 43-1, his only loss was to Evander Holyfield, a fighter he beat twice during their legendary trilogy. During 1992-1993, he was as popular as any athlete alive, even equaling Michael Jordan in endorsement deals.
In addition to working with his boxing trainer, Thell Torrence, he has enlisted the services of the legendary Master Chan to help him get acclimated to Muay Thai. Whether he can learn enough in the time before the fight remains to be seen. Fellow boxing veterans James Toney and Ray Mercer have similarly tried to cross over into other combat sports, with poor or very limited success.
Marvin Eastman is another fighter on the card who will be known to many Americans who may not necessarily be big fans of Muay Thai. Eastman is a veteran of MMA, having fought many times in the UFC, compiled an overall record of 18-14 in mixed martial arts. His last fight was a victory in April of 2012 against Dimitry Zabolotny. Unlike Bowe, however, Eastman is well versed in Muay Thai, having competed and trained kickboxing and Muay Thai for years.
Dewey Cooper, more than anyone, knows what it is like to compete in multiple combat sports. It is believed that Cooper is the only fighter to have amassed a winning record in kickboxing, MMA, and boxing. A legendary kickboxer, Cooper is looking forward to competing in Thailand, the “Mecca” of Muay Thai.
The entire card is as follows:
Riddick Bowe vs. Levgen Golovin – WBC & WMC Muay Thai Super Heavyweight Championship
Dewey Cooper vs. Fred Sikking – WMC Heavyweight Championship
Marvin Eastman vs. Ricardo van den Bos – WPMF Super Heavyweight Championship
Armin Pumpanmuang vs. Kaolai Kaennorsing – WMC & WPMF Light Heavyweight Championship
Saiyok Pumpanmuang vs. Chike Lindsay – WPMF Middleweight Championship
Singmanee Kaewsamrit vs. Malic Groenberg – WPMF Welterweight Championship
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- Riddick Bowe with Kim Couture
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- Kim Couture and Anthony Brown
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- Dewey Cooper
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- Master Chan
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- Cooper, Bowe, Eastman
