What Could Have Been: Ike Ibeabuchi

[Combat Talk Radio]

Ike Ibeabuchi abducted his estranged girlfriend's 15-year-old son one night in 1997 and was driving along the Interstate 35 in Austin with him in the car when he decided to ram it into a concrete pillar in an attempt to end it all.

Ibeabuchi was only 24, a heavyweight boxer at the peak of his powers, but who was slowly being consumed by his inner demons. As he was dragged away from the rubble, covered in blood and dust, wide-eyed and delirious, he thought he had ended his nightmare.

• Ike Ibeabuchi has spent almost the last 20 years in prison due to a string of convictions
• He was once considered one of the next great heavyweight boxers - and he remains unbeaten to this day
• But Ibeabuchi suffered with mental illness and his life spiraled out of control, ending in incarceration
• His mother claimed, however, that her son had been the victim of a plot by boxing promoters

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[Combat Talk Radio]

The going rumor is/was that Ibeabuchi was supposed to throw the fight against David Tua (because David Tua was the latest 'eye test' being pushed heavy by promoters), but instead would go on to basically outclass Tua in Tua's first (and arguably worst) loss.

Speculation is that he was either coerced to do the things he did shortly after, or was threatened and afraid for his life.

[JAB5239]

The going rumor is/was that Ibeabuchi was supposed to throw the fight against David Tua (because David Tua was the latest 'eye test' being pushed heavy by promoters), but instead would go on to basically outclass Tua in Tua's first (and arguably worst) loss.

Speculation is that he was either coerced to do the things he did shortly after, or was threatened and afraid for his life.

Ike was hardly That's worst loss in my opinion. That would be the Lewis fight where he was totally outclassed and nearly shut out. Ibeabuchi on thee other hand went off the deep end after the Tua fight.

Ike was a great talent, but in my eyes heever proved himself against another top notch big man. And by big I mean another guy who's height and reach would make it more difficult to use his natural ability. Loaded with talent and exciting, he is a true "what could have been".

[Combat Talk Radio]

Ike was hardly That's worst loss in my opinion. That would be the Lewis fight where he was totally outclassed and nearly shut out. Ibeabuchi on thee other hand went off the deep end after the Tua fight.

Ike was a great talent, but in my eyes heever proved himself against another top notch big man. And by big I mean another guy who's height and reach would make it more difficult to use his natural ability. Loaded with talent and exciting, he is a true "what could have been".

Lewis boxed at range and half ran while getting occasionally clipped on the chin.

Ibeabuchi stood his ground and went to war against the danger.

Tua was in his absolute physical prime against Ike and hadn't yet gotten fat like he was against Lennox.

Also, thanks partially to Ike, Tua had already been exposed as someone who ultimately had no answer for an effective jab pumped in his face.




In terms of the quality of win...I rate Ike's simply because Tua was at the time viewed as the next Mike Tyson and unstoppable.

[JAB5239]

Lewis boxed at range and half ran while getting occasionally clipped on the chin.

Ibeabuchi stood his ground and went to war against the danger.

Tua was in his absolute physical prime against Ike and hadn't yet gotten fat like he was against Lennox.

Also, thanks partially to Ike, Tua had already been exposed as someone who ultimately had no answer for an effective jab pumped in his face.




In terms of the quality of win...I rate Ike's simply because Tua was at the time viewed as the next Mike Tyson and unstoppable.

All true. But Tua wasn't beat badly. He took a beating, but so did Ike. It was a close fight, wheres the Lewis fight wasn't.

[Combat Talk Radio]

All true. But Tua wasn't beat badly. He took a beating, but so did Ike. It was a close fight, wheres the Lewis fight wasn't.

He wasn't beat dominant, but he was hurt. Lennox never hurt that man. That's the difference.

[JAB5239]

He wasn't beat dominant, but he was hurt. Lennox never hurt that man. That's the difference.

Apples and oranges. He also was never in the Lewis fight.

[Combat Talk Radio]

Apples and oranges. He also was never in the Lewis fight.

"At the end of the day", when you ask the question of which guy you wouldn't want to be in there with if you were Tua, the clear answer was Ike. Damage. The Hurt Game (at least at heavyweight). Not jabbing and running.

Lewis is that dude that two-pieced Rahman. That's who needed to make a statement against Tua.

[JAB5239]

"At the end of the day", when you ask the question of which guy you wouldn't want to be in there with if you were Tua, the clear answer was Ike. Damage. The Hurt Game (at least at heavyweight). Not jabbing and running.

Lewis is that dude that two-pieced Rahman. That's who needed to make a statement against Tua.

I disagree. Tua was in the fight with Ike right up till the end. He was never in the Lewis fight. To go a step further, Ibeabuchi may have won the fight, but he lost the war. That fight took such a toll on him he was never the same and complained he was being plagued by demons.

Ike was exciting. But he never proved he could best a top big man. Can we really guess at how he would have done against a guy as talented as Lewis or at tough as Boys Klitschko? I for one don't think so. He was a shooting star that burnt out quickly. And it may be directly attributed to David Tua.

[Combat Talk Radio]

I disagree. Tua was in the fight with Ike right up till the end. He was never in the Lewis fight. To go a step further, Ibeabuchi may have won the fight, but he lost the war. That fight took such a toll on him he was never the same and complained he was being plagued by demons.

Ike was exciting. But he never proved he could best a top big man. Can we really guess at how he would have done against a guy as talented as Lewis or at tough as Boys Klitschko? I for one don't think so. He was a shooting star that burnt out quickly. And it may be directly attributed to David Tua.

Actually, we do know how he'd perform.

He fought Tua's style to beat him at it. Same as Buster did for Tyson. Go in, get rid of fear, fight through fire.

Ike would have given pretty much every heavyweight EXCEPT Tyson the hard business. Tyson was too fast and would have dealt with him. But guys like Mitch Green? Ike would have stopped him. Holyfield minus PEDs? Ike takes it. Lennox is a toss up, Bowe takes an L, Golota low blows to get out of it, etc.