Ike Ibeabuchi

alley · Post by **alley** » 19 May 2005, 07:13

What was his story? ... I can't remember now.
I know he beat Tua, and Byrd ..but then what happened to him. He was a pretty hard hitter it seemed, and very aggressive.

I just watched the Byrd fight last night from when I taped it years ago and Ibeabuchi looked like an animal in there. Not the kind of guy I would want chasing me around ..haha

Wasn't he always getting in trouble or something like that? and was Byrd his last fight because it says so on his profile here that he was, but I know that this is a wiki and his profile/record could be incomplete?

Thanks

wouter · Post by **wouter** » 19 May 2005, 08:02

He retired and became a preacher.

J · Post by J » 19 May 2005, 08:31

HAHAH thats cruel.

he is still in jail and will be for some time to come.

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 21 May 2005, 11:15

We will never know how good Ibeabuchi could have been in the past 6 years, but what a prospect he looked in March 1999. He'd just crushed an unbeaten Chris Byrd in 5 rounds when Byrd was at the peak of his elusive powers and nobody wanted to fight him. And a couple of years prior to that he'd outslugged an unbeaten David Tua, again a guy that nobody wanted to fight. Interestingly Ibeabuchi is still only 32 now so imagine how good he could have and still would have been but for his personal problems.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 21 May 2005, 11:48

A photo taken about a year or so ago.

Imagine sharing a cell with that messed up dude!

Ike of course would have been in the mix if he had stayed sane, but I don't think he was the unbeatable monster some like to make out. I have never seen the fight but I understand the Tua fight was very close and some thought Tua had won.

And Tua hasn't won a title yet.

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 21 May 2005, 11:55

Interesting pic, good to see he is keeping in trim in there

Sadly of course the guy was never 100% sane so I doubt he'll ever figure in the HW division again. That's not to say he won't fight again, look at Riddick Bowe, but not as any kind of serious contender.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 21 May 2005, 11:56

Chopping Right wrote:Interesting pic, good to see he is keeping in trim in there. Sadly of course the guy was never 100% sane so I doubt he'll ever figure in the HW division again. That's not to say he won't fight again, look at Riddick Bowe, but not as any kind of serious contender.

I've read though that when Ike gets out of prison the USA authorities may deport him back to Nigeria.

Syntax Error · Post by **Syntax Error** » 21 May 2005, 12:06

KOJOE90 wrote:A photo taken about a year or so ago.

Imagine sharing a cell with that messed up dude!

Ike of course would have been in the mix if he had stayed sane, but I don't think he was the unbeatable monster some like to make out. I have never seen the fight but I understand the Tua fight was very close and some thought Tua had won.

And Tua hasn't won a title yet.

He looks like Ice Cube in one of those mirrors that make you look fat!!!!

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 21 May 2005, 12:54

I have never seen the fight but I understand the Tua fight was very close and some thought Tua had won.

But did you catch the Byrd fight? For me Ike looked awesome in catching up with and stopping Byrd, and he really looked at the peak of his powers. Also the peak of his insanity of course. :(

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 21 May 2005, 12:59

Chopping Right wrote:
I have never seen the fight but I understand the Tua fight was very close and some thought Tua had won.
But did you catch the Byrd fight? For me Ike looked awesome in catching up with and stopping Byrd, and he really looked at the peak of his powers. Also the peak of his insanity of course. :(

Yes I did, but to be honest it's been about 3 years since I last watched it. I shall try and dig out the tape over the weekend and give it another watch.

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 21 May 2005, 17:07

KOJOE90 wrote:
Chopping Right wrote:
I have never seen the fight but I understand the Tua fight was very close and some thought Tua had won.
But did you catch the Byrd fight? For me Ike looked awesome in catching up with and stopping Byrd, and he really looked at the peak of his powers. Also the peak of his insanity of course. :(
Yes I did, but to be honest it's been about 3 years since I last watched it. I shall try and dig out the tape over the weekend and give it another watch.

Save yourself the trouble, it's all irrelevant these days anyway! Shame, but there you go.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 30 May 2005, 06:01

He was the best heavyweight prospect i had seen in years.

I was certain he would be heavyweight champ, i was just waiting, then i hear he gets carted off to jail, what a f#%n waste, he was a HUGE puncher.

He might still become champ at 40+ years of age, he really is that good, if prison life didn't f#%k him up too much like it did Tyson.

here are some stories

http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/st ... 772398.php

http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/st ... 329045.php

record-very impressive

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=005981

more stories

http://www.ikeibeabuchi.com/press_release.htm

http://www.ikeibeabuchi.com/news.htm

All this wasted, for what, banging some dirty stripper that was no doubt on Don King's payroll, it's a f#%n joke.

Syntax Error · Post by **Syntax Error** » 30 May 2005, 06:09

BADBLOOD wrote:He was the best heavyweight prospect i had seen in years.

I was certain he would be heavyweight champ, i was just waiting, then i hear he gets carted off to jail, what a f#%n waste, he was a HUGE puncher.

He might still become champ at 40+ years of age, he really is that good, if prison life didn't f#%k him up too much like it did Tyson.

here are some stories

http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/st ... 772398.php

http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/st ... 329045.php

record-very impressive

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=005981

more stories

http://www.ikeibeabuchi.com/press_release.htm

http://www.ikeibeabuchi.com/news.htm

All this wasted, for what, banging some dirty stripper that was no doubt on Don King's payroll, it's a f#%n joke.

Was he really that great?

I always thought he was too slow for my liking. He was, however very tough & powerful & would have wiped the floor with the current crop of dross, populating the division.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 30 May 2005, 06:24

Look at it this way, he knocked out Byrd who was 26-0 at the time, that was his last fight.

Nobody has ever done something like that to Byrd, plus he was 3-4 years younger than Byrd, he never even reached his prime

20-0, 15 KO's

beat 2 number 1 ranked, undefeated fighters, Byrd 26-0, Tua 27-0, and won 1 WBC belt, that he took with him to prison.

It's a waste, if he is 75% of what he was before prison, he will be the champ, even at 40+, he is a smart fighter with huge power.

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 30 May 2005, 06:31

He's also insane, as several incidents would suggest, and facing deportation on release. He might well fight again but it seems unlikely he'll be the force he was.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 30 May 2005, 06:42

Chopping Right wrote:He's also insane, as several incidents would suggest, and facing deportation on release. He might well fight again but it seems unlikely he'll be the force he was.

MISUNDERSTOOD

Not insane, no loony could ever figure out a way to knock out Byrd

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 30 May 2005, 06:54

BADBLOOD wrote:MISUNDERSTOOD
Not insane, no loony could ever figure out a way to knock out Byrd

Well that could be true, but that misunderstanding looks like it will keep him locked up a while longer and then deported. Mind you, when a fighter can generate big money like a red hot HW can sometimes legal problems can just go away. He did look awesome against Byrd I do agree, he knocked Byrd senseless to the extent Chris actually complained to the referee he hadn't been knocked down, when in fact Ike had nearly taken his head off! Great tactics that fight to slow the flightly Byrd down in only a few rounds, and that was Byrd at his elusive peak.