- Title: UNITED STATES: HIDE TO DEFEND title AGAINST BOWE
- Date: 7th December 1994
- Summary: (NEW YORK CITY) (DECEMBER 7, 1994) 1. RIDDICK BOWE ENGLISH SPEECH: "ON THE ELEVENTH OF MARCH, ME AND HERBIE ARE GOING TO DO BATTLE. I GUESS I CAN'T SAY MUCH, BUT HERBIE HIDE IS GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE. AGAIN, HE HAS WHAT I WANT AND I DON'T CARE IF IT'S THE 'BBB' title, AND IF I'M GOING TO BE CALLED THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD, THEN THAT'S WHAT I WANT. I ANTICIPATE IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT FIGHT. I DON'T THINK HERBIE WILL COME AND RUN LIKE LARRY DONALD DID, SO HE'S GOING TO BE THERE TO FIGHT AND IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT WHILE IT LASTS, BUT I THINK, WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS, I'M GOING TO BE THE MAN ONCE AGAIN. THANKS." 2. HERBIE HIDE ENGLISH SPEECH: "I'D LIKE TO SAY HELLO TO EVERYBODY. EVERYONE CAN KEEP TALKING ABOUT LARRY DONALD. I'VE NEVER SEEN LARRY DONALD. WHEN I HEARD THAT RIDDICK BOWE PUNCHED LARRY DONALD AND LARRY NEVER HIT BACK, I THOUGHT I WOULDN'T EVEN BOTHER WATCHING THE FIGHT, BECAUSE THE MAN TO ME IS A COWARD. WHEN ANYONE HITS ME IN THE RING OR OUT OF THE RING, I'M GOING TO HIT BACK. I'M TAKING ON RIDDICK BOWE. I FEEL THAT I'M THE BEST HEAVYWEIGHT OUT THERE, BECAUSE I'M TAKING A CHALLENGE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TURNED DOWN. I'M TAKING HIM BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN MYSELF THAT I WILL BEAT THE MAN. I WILL GIVE RIDDICK BOWE THE HARDEST FIGHT OF HIS LIFE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH." 3. BOWE AND HIDE POSING TOGETHER FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS AFTER PRESS CONFERENCE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 22nd December 1994 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA2MLLFI4H844CHGREZQQ4AX7BD
- Story Text: Herbie Hide of the United Kingdom will defend his World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight title against former world champion Riddick Bowe of the United States.
The two boxers told a press conference in New York their fight will be on March 11 in Las Vegas.
Bowe said Hide would be in trouble, it would be a great fight but once the smoke cleared he would be the winner.
Hide said he was taking on Bowe because he was the best heavyweight currently fighting. He was taking on a challenge many boxers had turned down because he believed in himself.
The 12-round fight will be recognized as being for the WBO championship held by the unbeaten Hide.
If Bowe wins, he would fight Cuban Jose Luis Gonzalez in June and either Evander Holyfield or Lennox Lewis in the autumn, according to Seth Abraham, president of Time Warner Sports, who have the TV broadcasting rights for the Bowe-Hide fight through their company Home Box Office.
But it is unclear how much recognition the fight for the WBO championship will receive. Home Box Office is not promoting it as a championship and does not recognize the WBO.
Bowe's manager, Rock Newman, said the fight between Bowe and Hide will show who is the real heavyweight champion of the world.
But The World Boxing Council recognizes Oliver McCall as champion, and the International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Association champion is George Foreman.
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