‘I’m no punch bag for Riddick Bowe,’ says heavyweight turned cage fighter

LEICESTER, U.K. - June 24, 2013 - PRLog -- ‘Yeah, he was a hero of mine,’ says Potter, who faces off against 45-year-old ‘Big Daddy’ Bowe at Leicester’s Club Republic on August 3. ‘But I’m going there to show off my stuff, to show what I can do. I’m not going to be a punch bag for Riddick Bowe.’

The fight, which is being promoted by Top Dog Promotions and sanctioned by the European Boxing Federation, is a double comeback for both Potter and Bowe.

Thirty-eight-year-old Potter took up MMA cage fighting in 2010 and built up a 5-2 record before an eye injury forced him into retirement in January this year. He ran a pub in his native Walthamstow, East London for a spell before going 21-0 (21) on the unlicensed circuit. At one stage was rumoured to meet Danny Williams in an unlicensed fight, having lost to Williams by TKO in the sixth round of a British and Commonwealth heavyweight title fight back in 2000.

Referring to it as an ‘honour’ and a ‘privilege’ to be in the same ring as Bowe, Potter appreciates that he’s up against a boxing legend. Before retiring in 2008, Bowe forged a formidable record of 43 wins in 45 fights, with just one loss, and has the status of being a former undisputed world heavyweight champion after beating Evander Holyfield in 1992 to claim the WBC, WBA and IBF titles. But Potter is unfazed by the prospect of trading blows with the 45-year-old American.

‘There’s no way he’s going to want to be shown up by a fighter who’s unknown in the States, so he’s going to give it his all. But I know everything there is to know about Riddick Bowe. I’ve followed him since he was an amateur. I know he’s got a fantastic right uppercut, but the trick I’ve got up my sleeve is he doesn’t know anything about me. That’s my advantage. He won’t know what to expect.’

Bowe will be looking to prove a point against Potter following his own humiliating foray into martial arts – a disastrous attempt at Thai boxing in Pattaya, in which he was floored five times and stopped in two rounds without landing a punch.

Many have questioned Bowe’s return to the ring. Lennox Lewis, who beat Bowe in the 1988 Seoul Olympics to win the Super-heavyweight gold medal took to Twitter last week to describe the forthcoming bout as ‘madness’.

Potter, who has been involved in boxing and martial arts since he was 13-years-old said 300lbs Bowe was ill-prepared for the rigours of muay Thai.

‘He [Bowe] flew out to Thailand about a month before the fight and just did a bit of bag work and training,’ said Potter. ‘To try and get yourself fit in that time, forget it. He got paid well for it though. But I think he bit off more than he could chew.

‘He was like a fish out of water. Thai boxing is a totally different sport. Unless you’ve trained for years you’ve got no chance. He should stick to boxing.’

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1.      Riddick ‘Big Daddy’ Bowe v Mark ‘The Great White Shark’ Potter is a Top Dog Promotions.

2.      Details of the undercard are available at: www.topdog-sports.com

3.      The show is on August 3, 2013 at Club Republic, Sandacre Street, City Centre, Leicester LE1 3AG. Telephone 0116 251 1442 for club details.

4.       Tickets start at £27.00. A 10% discount is available for all online bookings at: www.topdog-sports.com.

5.      The main event is a 3x2 bout sanctioned by the European Boxing Federation.

6.      For more information contact Scott Lansdowne on +44 7521 063 038 or via email at press@topdog-sports.com or topdogpromotionsltd@gmail.com.