Bowe/Mathis "no contest"
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from August 1994.
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Mathis was taking punishment from Bowe when he dropped to his right knee. Bowe then fired a right uppercut that left Mathis flat on his back.
Referee Arthur Mercante Sr. ruled the punch was intentional. But Larry Hazzard, chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, said Mercante did not think the punch warranted a disqualification, so the bout was ruled a "no contest." Immediately after the fight ended at 2:11 of the fourth round, Bowe went to Mathis and said, "You were down. I didn't know. I'm sorry."
"I went down on one "knee," Mathis said. "I didn't know what he was going to do, but he came over and hit me up."
Bowe explained that the much-shorter Mathis had been fighting low (in a crouch) the whole fight. It was certainly an attention-getting return for the 27-year-old Bowe, fighting for the first time since he lost the IBF and WBA heavyweight titles. in a rematch with Evander Holyfield last Nov. 6.
It wasn't the kind of attention a fighter wants. Bowe has signed for a fight against WBC champion Lennox Lewis, but no site or date have been set and no WBC sanction has been received yet.
The 1.96-meter (6-foot-5) Bowe, who weighed 112 kilograms (247 pounds), came out to finish Mathis at the opening bell. He landed a couple of hard rights to the head in the first round, but was missing badly. In the second round, Bowe again landed some power punches to the head, but Mathis kept moving and landed a couple of left hooks. In the third round, Bowe got his powerful left jab working, and a big right to the head hurt Mathis with 20 seconds left. Mathis kept scrapping, however, and in the fourth round Bowe's left eye began to close. Suddenly, the fight was over and the controversy had begun.
The 75-year-old Mercante also was the referee when Mathis' father, Buster Sr., was stopped in the 11th round by Joe Frazier in 1968. The elder Mathis trains his son, but does not travel to his fights because of health problems. Bowe's record remained 34-1 with 29 knockouts. The 24-year-old Mathis, from Grand Rapids, Mich., remains 14-0 with three knockouts.
