Ibeabuchi vs. Lewis who wins?

babulous · Post by **babulous** » 13 Jul 2004, 13:17

Back in the late 90's before Ibeabuchi went to jail, what if he would have had a fight w/ Lewis for the title? Who do u guy pick as the winner? I think the "President" would have won by ko, I also felt that he would have been the best hw in this era if he would have stayed out of trouble.

shanbopop · Post by **shanbopop** » 13 Jul 2004, 13:22

Ike would have knocked him out,he took Tuas shots an he(Tua) had a harder punch than lewis..Ibeabuchi KO 5

dempseyfire · Post by **dempseyfire** » 13 Jul 2004, 18:20

Lewis by decision. Lewis was faster, a smarter fighter, and importantly could outjab Ike all night, cause Ike didn't have much of a jab. Ike never showed at all he could deal with a good jab and reach. Maybe he could've, but Tua and Byrd wern't gonna show that.

harley_man · Post by **harley_man** » 14 Jul 2004, 10:57

dempseyfire wrote:Lewis by decision. Lewis was faster, a smarter fighter, and importantly could outjab Ike all night, cause Ike didn't have much of a jab. Ike never showed at all he could deal with a good jab and reach. Maybe he could've, but Tua and Byrd wern't gonna show that.

And I thought you didn't like big LL...

But I think you're right. Ibeabuchi wasn't around long enough to show me that he had anything more than a punch to upset Lennox. Lewis had skills. I'd have to say nine times out of ten that would trump Ike's punch.

dan1030 · Post by **dan1030** » 15 Jul 2004, 22:26

I'd say Ike had skills. Against Byrd he moved well, cut off the ring effectively and placed his shots nicely--resulting in his making more contact with Byrd in the early rounds than I think anyone else had at that point in Byrd's career. However, those skills needed to be refined by at least 5-6 more competative fights (assuming he kept improving with each fight) before he would have been ready for a fight with Lennox. As the Tua fight showed us, when Lewis respected a guy's power having a big puch and landing one are two different things.

dempseyfire · Post by **dempseyfire** » 16 Jul 2004, 00:11

dan1030 wrote:I'd say Ike had skills. Against Byrd he moved well, cut off the ring effectively and placed his shots nicely--resulting in his making more contact with Byrd in the early rounds than I think anyone else had at that point in Byrd's career. However, those skills needed to be refined by at least 5-6 more competative fights (assuming he kept improving with each fight) before he would have been ready for a fight with Lennox. As the Tua fight showed us, when Lewis respected a guy's power having a big puch and landing one are two different things.

That's b/c Byrd hadn't really faced anyone of note then . . .

The HBO broadcasting of that fight sucked. Ike was not being effective-he landed a few shots but Byrd blocked the wide majority of them and was countering effectively. Both Klitschkos, Oquendo, and even Tua in the early rounds had more success against Byrd then Ike was having. How they scored rd 2 for Ike b/c he landed two shots was beyond me. Byrd for most of that fight was making Ike look ridiculous with those winging home run shots. Of course until the uppercut . . . .

dan1030 · Post by **dan1030** » 16 Jul 2004, 02:16

dempseyfire wrote: That's b/c Byrd hadn't really faced anyone of note then . . .

That's fair

I still think Ike had a little more than just a punch (and great stamina, as displayed vs. Tua), but my earlier post may not have been clear--the main point is that at the point in his career that Ike went nuts and went away, he was still a good way off from being able to take Lewis, and we'll never know if the requisite skills ever would have been developed.

harley_man · Post by **harley_man** » 16 Jul 2004, 10:16

Dan - Yeah, that's a tough call. The Ike I saw was raw. Sure, some potential - both skill and power, mostly the latter. Lennox, I feel, showed far more at most stages of his career. Not that one guy's ascent can be used as a measuring stick for another's, though. I would have gone into this fight expecting a Lewis win but aware that one punch - a la the Byrd fight and Lennox's susceptibility - could end it.

Marciano Frazier · Post by **Marciano Frazier** » 16 Jul 2004, 13:29

I think Ibeabuchi has become far overrated due to the fact that he was never actually beaten in the ring. Plenty of heavyweights go 20-0, and yes, some of them even have two wins over contenders.

Just imagine if Micheal Grant had mugged somebody and been sent to prison instead of fighting Lewis. Then we'd still have lots of people saying he might've been great and might have beaten Lewis had they fought.

I don't think Ibeabuchi was the puncher he's been made out to be due to his stoppage of Byrd. He wasn't really all that great of a boxer, either, although he did have a very good chin. He just looked promising at the beginning of his career, but he's been blown out of proportion because he went to jail before anyone could show him up and beat him.

So essentially, I think Lewis would beat him pretty easily.

shanbopop · Post by **shanbopop** » 26 Jul 2004, 11:14

Dempsey you are the biggest lennox lewis nuthugger ive ever seen!!! I you think hes best hw in the history of the sport dont you?

J · Post by J » 26 Jul 2004, 11:25

shanbopop wrote:Dempsey you are the biggest lennox lewis nuthugger ive ever seen!!! I you think hes best hw in the history of the sport dont you?

ONE THINGS FOR SURE HE WAS BETTER THAN IKE.
not the best now but dserseving of a all time top ten in my opinion probably higher but time and opinion will judge this.

dempseyfire · Post by **dempseyfire** » 26 Jul 2004, 11:50

shanbopop wrote:Dempsey you are the biggest lennox lewis nuthugger ive ever seen!!! I you think hes best hw in the history of the sport dont you?

LOL there are some posters who wish I was . . . . .

I just don't believe Ike was the bee's kneez like so many think. This kind of over-elevation happens to every athelete with potential who retires/leaves a sport early.

Slapsie Maxie · Post by **Slapsie Maxie** » 26 Jul 2004, 12:26

Ike BETTER than LL

Puhleeze

II was a decent prospect ( probably just moving out of that category to genuine contender )

LL was a genuine top 10 of all time.

II may just have troubled the LL that failed to prepare for Rahman or who struggled at the tail end of his career against VK. But, he would have been a clear winner against II at any other stage in his career

Slapsie

Alister · Post by **Alister** » 29 Jul 2004, 10:07

babulous wrote:Back in the late 90's before Ibeabuchi went to jail, what if he would have had a fight w/ Lewis for the title? Who do u guy pick as the winner? I think the "President" would have won by ko, I also felt that he would have been the best hw in this era if he would have stayed out of trouble.

Narrowly beating Tua and KO'ing Chris Byrd is not enough to lead me to believe that he'd beat Lewis. And knowing that Kirk Johnson used to dominate him in sparring, I'd pick Lewis to outpoint Ibeabuchi rather comfortably.

Alister

Ibeabuchi vs. Lewis who wins?

Ibeabuchi vs. Lewis who wins?

Ibeabuchi

ike

Re: ike

Re: ike

Re: Ibeabuchi vs. Lewis who wins?