Riddick Bowe secured a victory over Andrew Golota by disqualification on July 11, 1996, after Golota landed numerous low blows. The fight, which Golota was dominating, ended in the seventh round and was immediately followed by a large-scale riot inside Madison Square Garden.
The contest was intended to position Bowe for a major showdown with Lennox Lewis. The former undisputed heavyweight champion entered the ring at a career-high 252 pounds, having seemingly underestimated his unbeaten Polish opponent. That assumption was exposed from the opening bell. Golota, a 1988 Olympic bronze medalist, used a sharp jab and powerful right hands to control the action, repeatedly beating Bowe to the punch. The American looked slow and struggled to close the distance, absorbing significant punishment while searching for a single decisive blow.
Golota’s technical superiority was consistently undermined by his own illegal tactics. Referee Wayne Kelly issued multiple warnings for low blows in the second round before deducting points in the fourth and sixth rounds. One foul in the fourth sent Bowe to the canvas in clear pain, granting the former champion crucial recovery time. Still, Golota was comfortably ahead on all three judges’ scorecards entering the seventh round and was on course for a major upset. Instead, he threw another illegal punch below the belt. Bowe collapsed, and Kelly immediately disqualified Golota for his sixth low blow of the fight.
What followed became more infamous than the bout itself. Members of Bowe’s team entered the ring to confront Golota, igniting a brawl that involved security, spectators, and both camps. Golota was struck in the head with a walkie-talkie during the melee and required 11 stitches. Veteran trainer Lou Duva was taken from ringside on a stretcher after experiencing chest pains. The chaos effectively ended any prospect of a Bowe-Lewis fight, as Bowe’s poor performance damaged his standing. The two fighters met in a rematch five months later, which ended in almost identical fashion: Golota dominated the boxing before being disqualified again for low blows.
