Report: Riddick Bowe Won't Fight Lamar Odom After Evander Holyfield's Performance
September 22, 2021
Promoters have removed Riddick Bowe from his Oct. 2 fight against former NBA star Lamar Odom, according to TMZ Sports.
TMZ Sports reported Celebrity Boxing founder Damon Feldman made the decision after watching Evander Holyfield's one-sided loss to Vitor Belfort. The 58-year-old Holyfield mounted almost no offense en route to a first-round TKO.
That Bowe vs. Odom was sanctioned at all was condemned by many who questioned whether the former heavyweight champion was fit to compete.
Lou DiBella @loudibellaNo. Just NO!!!! This is barbaric and beyond dangerous. The fact that no regulatory body has already put the kibosh on this is shocking and unacceptable. This isn’t sport. This isn’t <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/boxing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#boxing</a>. This is a human train-wreck waiting to happen. WTF! <a href="https://t.co/s8oUWk5RrQ">pic.twitter.com/s8oUWk5RrQ</a>
The concern grew after footage from one of Bowe's training sessions surfaced.
The 54-year-old's last fight of any kind was a Muay Thai encounter with Yevgeniy Golovin in 2013. His last foray in a boxing ring was 2008. As far back as 2000, lawyers for Bowe argued in court he had suffered brain damage that caused him to plead guilty in 1998 to a charge of domestic violence.
TMZ Sports reported Bowe will remained involved in next month's pay-per-view as a referee for Paulie Malignaggi's exhibition against Corey B.