Former world heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe of Fort Washington is looking to continue his recent comeback attempt in Washington and has applied for a license with the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission.
The 37-year-old Bowe (41-1) defeated Marcus Rhode at Fire Lake Casino in Oklahoma on Sept. 25 of last year. It was his first fight in nearly eight years, during which time Bowe made news out of the ring. He first joined the Marines, but left after 11 days of boot camp. In February 1998, he was charged with kidnapping his wife and children. He later pled guilty to interstate domestic violence. After extensive appeals, he served 15 months and was released last April.
Bowe's application, first reported by USA Today, will be reviewed by the board on March 8.
"We'll treat Riddick Bowe like we treat every other fighter and promoter that comes through the District of Columbia," said Michael Brown, the vice chairman of the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission. "He's going to go through the same kind of testing and application process, and doctors will make a medical recommendation and we'll look at all of the other information and make a decision."
According to a source with knowledge of the commission's proceedings who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Bowe's largest hurdle will be obtaining medical clearance. Bowe's attorneys in his 1998 case argued for a shorter sentence by claiming Bowe had brain damage suffered from boxing.
"Obviously, as the world knows, he has some medical issues," the source said.
-- Jake Schaller
