Riddick Bowe says with three months of training, he'd whoop the hell out of Deontay Wilder ... and the dude is dead serious.
"I'd tap that ass," Riddick tells TMZ Sports.
Bowe is 50 years old now and Deontay's a 33-year-old coming off the fight of his life ... but the boxing legend says none of that matters.
"If you gave me three months, I'd tap that ass. Give me three months, we could do it ... If you gave me three months, yessir. Without question."
So, what makes the retired boxer so confident? He tells us his relationship with Wilder's trainer, Mark Breland, is the key.
"I know exactly what he's thinking and when he's thinking it!"
As for Wilder's right hand ... Bowe says that could be a problem, but, "When I get up, I'll put my foot in your ass!"
BTW ... Deontay ain't the only one Bowe's got his sights set on -- he's callin' out Shaquille O'Neal too!
"Shaq Daddy, let's make it happen, Shaq! Let's do the damn thing. Let's rumble, young man, let's rumble!"