Riddick Bowe back at Caesars Palace to enter Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame

By Jesse Granger

Saturday, July 30, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Boxing legend Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe, who will be inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame tonight, has many fond memories of fighting in Las Vegas.

The crowning achievement of his career came in 1992 at the Thomas & Mack Center when he outlasted Evander Holyfield for 12 rounds to claim the WBA, WBC and IBF and heavyweight titles.

Bowe won 11 times in Nevada with matches up and down the Strip at places like the Mirage, MGM Grand, the Riviera and Caesars Palace. The Brooklyn native made his professional debut in the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, knocking out Lionel Butler in the second round.

He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last year, but after fighting for years in Las Vegas, this one is different.

“It means a lot to me,” Bowe said Friday at a fan meet and greet at Caesars Palace. “I started my career in Reno, Nevada, and just have so many wonderful memories of Las Vegas. I just beat so many guys here that people didn’t think I could beat.”

Bowe ended Pierre Coetzer’s 17-fight winning streak with a seventh round knockout in 1992, and handed Larry Donald his first professional loss in 1994.

“I think the difference is for whatever reason I felt like I was a favorite here, and because everybody in this town always showed me love that made a big difference,” Bowe said. “This is a little more personal because I trained here for so many fights. It’s kind of like me going home so I’m loving it.”

Decades later Bowe is still adored by the fans, as he was swarmed for pictures and autographs at the meet and greet.

“I’ve been retired for 15 years and for people to still show me so much love, it’s off the chain,” Bowe said. “It’s overwhelming sometimes and even makes you want to cry.”

Bowe is part of the 2016 Hall of Fame class that includes former champions Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Ricardo Lopez, Pernell Whitaker and Freddie Little, and women’s boxing pioneer Christy Martin.

“Big Daddy” headlines the class as the only heavyweight in boxing history to hold titles in all four major organizations — WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO.

But for all of the great memories Bowe has made in Las Vegas, the most memorable moment of his career will always be his only loss here — Nov. 6, 1993 at Caesars Palace. Bowe was successfully defending his heavyweight title against Holyfield through seven rounds when one of the most bizarre moments in boxing happened.

A parachutist named James Miller, who had been circling the open-air arena, crash landed into the ring and became entangled in the ropes before ringside spectators mobbed him and beat him unconscious.

The fight was delayed for nearly half an hour, and Bowe went on to lose to Holyfield by majority decision. He blames "Fan Man."

“I was bewildered that he would come into the ring,” Bowe said. “I believe that he really cost me the fight because it took me so much longer to warm up because it was cold that night.”

Back at the scene of the catastrophe, 23 years later, Bowe is still suspicious of the way things unfolded on that night.

“It really gave Holyfield an advantage,” Bowe said. “I think it was a set-up. They set me up.”

The fourth-annual induction dinner is 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. at Caesars. Tickets are priced at $300 and $175, and can be purchased here .