Heavyweights : Mike Tyson vs Ike Ibeabuchi

[Woldemar]

Your opinions?IMO Tyson would won this by decision

[Kalan]

The Ike Ibeabuchi who destroyed Chris Byrd -- versus the Tyson who fought James Smith.

Ike wins with blazing fast hands and the quick uppercuts that nailed Byrd -- much like Buster Douglas was hitting Tyson all night with but lacked great resistance, super strength, and punching power... Buster did have fast hands and eventually got Mike out of there... Ibeabuchi-Tyson would be more like Foreman-Frazier, but on a grander scale.

[Heartbreak_Kid79]

Depends on which version of Tyson.

A prime Tyson would win .... however when they were both contenders fighting in the same era- 1999-2000 - and Tyson wasn't the same fighter. . it would be a much closer call

[Cygnus475]

It would be a fairly close fight. Might resemble the second Ruddock fight or the bone crusher fight but with more action. Both guys had lots of guts, granite chins, and power. Tyson by close but clear decision due to superior agility and ring iq.

[BoxBuzz]

So Ibeabuchi fights Tua to a virtual tie, some even say he lost that fight with Tua, but out and out beats Tyson?

Anybody hear how that sounds?

Ah well, Tyson was issued a presidential pardon, due to conflicting incarceration timelines.

So we'll never know.

[Kalan]

BuzzBox... Ike Ibeabuchi had 16 fights and David Tua was 27-0... And it was a UNANIMOUS DECISION because Ibeabuchi landed many more clean effective punches... That was as well as a very green Heavyweight could be expected to do versus a prime Tua...

Now you may have heard that Chris Byrd beat David Tua... When Ibeabuchi had only 19 fights he had more connects than Byrd... pinned him on the ropes less than halfway through the fight... and blew him away... Not something a green Heavyweight generally does to a slick 26-0 boxer.

Tyson did not look good against 42-1 underdog Buster "Chinless" Douglas.

[BoxBuzz]

Kalan it's not inconceivable....in fact you appear to assume it as a given.

I'm just saying that Ibeabuchi's record is too lean (in my opinion) to call this in his favor.

Are you saying that Ike's style would be too much for Mike? Or his height? Strength? Size?

And as much as I'm on board with saying that the best of Buster beats the Best of Mike Tyson 3 out 5 times, I'm not sure the fight we saw represented the best of Mike. And if it was the worst of Mike...(which many believe) he did almost pull it off. I do think that Buster brought his A game that night.

Did Buster have a glass jaw? Cut and dry?

[gilgamesh]

We never really got to find out how good Ibeabuchi really was or could've been, but based on what I saw of him I wouldn't favor him to beat a Prime Mike Tyson. I didn't think Ibeabuchi deserved the decision over Tua personally, and that's one of his standout wins on his record. Assuming Ibeabuchi and Tyson fought in the late 90's I'd probably have favored Ibeabuchi because Tyson wasn't Tyson anymore at that point, but both at their best I'd go with Tyson to win a decision. Ibeabuchi's reputation far exceeds his accomplishments or ability.

[BoxBuzz]

Below you will see the full roster of Ike's opponents.

Is there anyone there of note other than Tua...(questionable win) and Byrd? Yep he caught Byrd...

He earned a 75% KO ratio if you add his TKO's to the number.... that could be considered impressive...but against whom?
Remember, in the fight with Tua...it wasn't Ike that was considered the KO artist....despite the muscular physique.
Tua was the harder puncher.



1. Ismael Garcia Win KO
2. Calvin Lampkin Win PTS
3. Ron McGowan Win KO
4. Keith Walton Win UD
5. Martin Lopez Win KO
6. Terry Porter Win TKO
7. Greg Pickrom Win TKO
8. Calvin Lampkin Win KO
9. Gary Butler Win KO
10. Mike Acklie Win TKO
11. Herman Delgado Win TKO
12. Anthony Wade Win PTS
13. Rodney Blount Win KO
14. Calvin Jones Win TKO
15. Marion Wilson Win UD
16. Marcos Gonzalez Win KO
17. David Tua Win UD
18. Tim Ray Win TKO
19. Everton Davis Win TKO
20. Chris Byrd


He was beginning to make a statement...but really it was just a mumble before he was incarcerated.

Way too much imagination coming from the "what iffers"

Chamberlain vs Ike?...........There's some politics in that one.

[Kalan]

Kalan it's not inconceivable....in fact you appear to assume it as a given.

I'm just saying that Ibeabuchi's record is too lean (in my opinion) to call this in his favor.

Are you saying that Ike's style would be too much for Mike? Or his height? Strength? Size?

And as much as I'm on board with saying that the best of Buster beats the Best of Mike Tyson 3 out 5 times, I'm not sure the fight we saw represented the best of Mike. And if it was the worst of Mike...(which many believe) he did almost pull it off. I do think that Buster brought his A game that night.

Did Buster have a glass jaw? Cut and dry?

Damned right Buster Douglas had a glass jaw... Mike Tyson wasn't big, tall, or strong enough to take advantage of the tinkling... Chris Bryd DIDN'T have a glass jaw.. Ibeabuchi was simply a great puncher -- and Ike was putting the finishing touches on his boxing development in that fight -- his 20th straight win... YES, I'm saying Ike would be too much for Tyson the way Foreman was too much for Frazier... Ike was 6'2.5 X 245 for little Chris Byrdie, tweet..tweet... His physicality and boxing proficiency development was miles up from the Tua fight... Even Byrd was not so slick of a boxer that he could finesse a sophisticated version of Ibeabuchi -- and Tyson was known for getting tagged often and parked by Douglas, Holyfield, Lewis, and other gents... What those 3 had in common was being bigger, taller, faster, stronger, more skilled, and smarter than Iron Mike... Ibeabuchi---no dummy---fits the model to a T

Off the subject... Ibeabuchi was very dumb with his personal life, but very clever with his fists for a fellow with 19 fights.. Foreman was the opposite -- a crack businessman and image shaper if he wasn't a clever boxer.. Like father like son right? Often the kids have the same traits, but so often they don't.

[BoxBuzz]

Kalan, Rong, with a capital R. If i were you, I'd begin by studying the list of opponents that the President faced.

Barely a Dewey in the bunch....that is to say, anyone who had a pulse. But please tell us of their achievements. Tua and Byrd....and that's it.

So OK..he was getting better. And/but he needed to.

Tua NOT Ibeabuchi was the more powerful hitter in that match....and Tua really fought him to a draw. Just no clear winner despite the call. Ike was not one punch specialist by any means.

Below in quotes are some examples of comic genius.


YES, I'm saying Ike would be too much for Tyson the way Foreman was too much for Frazier... Ike was 6'2.5 X 245 for little Chris Byrdie, tweet..tweet... His physicality and boxing proficiency development was miles up from the Tua fight... Even Byrd was not so slick of a boxer that he could finesse a sophisticated version of Ibeabuchi -- and Tyson was known for getting tagged often and parked by Douglas, Holyfield, Lewis, and other gents... What those 3 had in common was being bigger, taller, faster, stronger, more skilled, and smarter than Iron Mike... Ibeabuchi---no dummy---fits the model to a T


Where do I begin?
1. When Mike was at his best, the size stats you give for Ike were not all that different than the guys Tyson was going through like Kleenex
2. Byrd was not doing all that bad at being elusive....he just couldn't go the distance....so your right, or at least half right on that.
3. All of those "tags" as you put it took place later when Mike was past his mental sharpness prime. He was well past his best, it's like you have dementia on timelines when your doin' your "happy yappin".
4. Ibeabuchi----- no dummy. .......... Ike may never make it into the hall of fame, but that quote could. Even if I kinda sorta get that your context is within the ring....that dog still don't hunt.


No one has ever accused me of being a Tyson advocate....I think he's mightily over rated. But your elevation of Ike based on his resume is highly entertaining.

[Kalan]

Kalan, Rong, with a capital R. If i were you, I'd begin by studying the list of opponents that the President faced.

Barely a Dewey in the bunch....that is to say, anyone who had a pulse. But please tell us of their achievements. Tua and Byrd....and that's it.

So OK..he was getting better. And/but he needed to.

Tua NOT Ibeabuchi was the more powerful hitter in that match....and Tua really fought him to a draw. Just no clear winner despite the call. Ike was not one punch specialist by any means.

Below in quotes are some examples of comic genius.


YES, I'm saying Ike would be too much for Tyson the way Foreman was too much for Frazier... Ike was 6'2.5 X 245 for little Chris Byrdie, tweet..tweet... His physicality and boxing proficiency development was miles up from the Tua fight... Even Byrd was not so slick of a boxer that he could finesse a sophisticated version of Ibeabuchi -- and Tyson was known for getting tagged often and parked by Douglas, Holyfield, Lewis, and other gents... What those 3 had in common was being bigger, taller, faster, stronger, more skilled, and smarter than Iron Mike... Ibeabuchi---no dummy---fits the model to a T


Where do I begin?
1. When Mike was at his best, the size stats you give for Ike were not all that different than the guys Tyson was going through like Kleenex
2. Byrd was not doing all that bad at being elusive....he just couldn't go the distance....so your right, or at least half right on that.
3. All of those "tags" as you put it took place later when Mike was past his mental sharpness prime. He was well past his best, it's like you have dementia on timelines when your doin' your "happy yappin".
4. Ibeabuchi----- no dummy. .......... Ike may never make it into the hall of fame, but that quote could. Even if I kinda sorta get that your context is within the ring....that dog still don't hunt.


No one has ever accused me of being a Tyson advocate....I think he's mightily over rated. But your elevation of Ike based on his resume is highly entertaining.

1. BuzzBox you're talking like a moron after a lobotomy. Going through Frank Bruno (your Kleenex) isn't going through Buster Douglas.. Mike was in his prime for Douglas. The size stats were unusual for a guy of Ibeabuchi's speed, power, and cleverness, not for other big guys. Don't be deliberately stupid.
2. Byrd was great at being elusive until he met Ibeabuchi.. That's why he was 26-0.. He WASN'T elusive vs Ike.. He got trapped on the ropes and taken out, which looked inevitable from the start of the fight.. The President was laughing his ass off after the 3rd or 4th round.. He knew the fight was his and he could end it anytime he wanted to. He was super relaxed compared to earlier fights. His skills were getting there.
3. The Douglas fight happened when Tyson was 23. Still in his sharp prime. And he didn't go through Tucker like Kleenex either. Tucker wasn't that strong, but Mike was dealt a few hard ones from TT as well. It was the Tucker fight that convinced Douglas he'd have little trouble with Mikey.
4. The dog hunts very well. Ibeabuchi had a boxer's brain. He didn't have a businessman's brain.. a saint's brain.. or a lawyer's brain.. Ike was like a little kid who wanted his Maypo.. He figured the sex industry worker was there for 1 reason -- to give him big time head.. I think Deontay Wilder got in trouble for something similar, and saw no jail time -- so I'm not sure 16 years in the clink was appropriate.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

In his prime Tyson blows him away in 4

[gregor]

If we are discussing prime Tyson, he wins.

If we are talking about a hypothetical fight after Ike-Byrd, I would go with Ike... at this time Mike was ready to go.If Botha could give him all kinds of trouble, Ike would be probably too much at this point.

[Kalan]

We know a prime Tyson could not get big plodders James Smith and Toney Tucker out, or deck them... and we know Buster Douglas trounced Mike.

We also know Ike Ibeabuchi was coming on very strong at the time of his incarceration... I see it as an extremely problematic fight for Mike, but not for Ike.

[Seamus]

The X factor here is, what would happen if the fight goes into the 2nd half and Tyson has already hit Ike with everything but the kitchen sink and he's still standing. One of Tyson's biggest weaknesses was not having a Plan B.

[Cygnus475]

The X factor here is, what would happen if the fight goes into the 2nd half and Tyson has already hit Ike with everything but the kitchen sink and he's still standing. One of Tyson's biggest weaknesses was not having a Plan B.

Tyson could still possibly win. He could box if he had no choice, as seen against Tucker and Tillis. He would get mentally discouraged if Ike took his best punches but, on the flip side, Ike doesn't really have the tools to win a decision over a polished and elusive fighting machine like prime tyson.

Ike has a 3 or 4/10 punchers chance if he can wear Tyson down and land enough clean shots.

[foxdog1923]

Fuk Chris Byrd. He sucked horribly and thats why on youtube his highlights reel suck bigtime. Tua and Ibeabuchi was the fight not Byrd. He ran well from Tua and outpointed Tua.

Prime Tyson would be too fast for Ike.

[Kalan]

Ibeabuchi had 16 fights going against Tua... He was bigger, faster, more skilled, and more a finished product versus Byrd... Byrd was undefeated and at his very best... After Byrd was ravaged by Ibeabuchi, Klitschko twice, and Povetkin, he wasn't that impressive anymore.. He was a little guy and had the living crap knocked out of him by then.. But versus Ibeabuchi, Tua, Purrity, McCline, Oquendo, and Holyfield he was a damned good boxer.

[keithmoonhangover]

Prime vs Prime, it isn't even close. Tyson all day long. Tyson is a totally different proposition to Tua.

[foxdog1923]

Ibeabuchi had 16 fights going against Tua... He was bigger, faster, more skilled, and more a finished product versus Byrd... Byrd was undefeated and at his very best... After Byrd was ravaged by Ibeabuchi, Klitschko twice, and Povetkin, he wasn't that impressive anymore.. He was a little guy and had the living crap knocked out of him by then.. But versus Ibeabuchi, Tua, Purrity, McCline, Oquendo, and Holyfield he was a damned good boxer.

Are you talking about Chris Byrd? You do realise Byrd wasnt that good right? Were talking Mike Tyson and Ibeabuchi here, real fighters and you want to put lame as Byrd up there with them? God damn!!

[BoxBuzz]

Kalan, Rong, with a capital R. If i were you, I'd begin by studying the list of opponents that the President faced.

Barely a Dewey in the bunch....that is to say, anyone who had a pulse. But please tell us of their achievements. Tua and Byrd....and that's it.

So OK..he was getting better. And/but he needed to.

Tua NOT Ibeabuchi was the more powerful hitter in that match....and Tua really fought him to a draw. Just no clear winner despite the call. Ike was not one punch specialist by any means.

Below in quotes are some examples of comic genius.


YES, I'm saying Ike would be too much for Tyson the way Foreman was too much for Frazier... Ike was 6'2.5 X 245 for little Chris Byrdie, tweet..tweet... His physicality and boxing proficiency development was miles up from the Tua fight... Even Byrd was not so slick of a boxer that he could finesse a sophisticated version of Ibeabuchi -- and Tyson was known for getting tagged often and parked by Douglas, Holyfield, Lewis, and other gents... What those 3 had in common was being bigger, taller, faster, stronger, more skilled, and smarter than Iron Mike... Ibeabuchi---no dummy---fits the model to a T


Where do I begin?
1. When Mike was at his best, the size stats you give for Ike were not all that different than the guys Tyson was going through like Kleenex
2. Byrd was not doing all that bad at being elusive....he just couldn't go the distance....so your right, or at least half right on that.
3. All of those "tags" as you put it took place later when Mike was past his mental sharpness prime. He was well past his best, it's like you have dementia on timelines when your doin' your "happy yappin".
4. Ibeabuchi----- no dummy. .......... Ike may never make it into the hall of fame, but that quote could. Even if I kinda sorta get that your context is within the ring....that dog still don't hunt.


No one has ever accused me of being a Tyson advocate....I think he's mightily over rated. But your elevation of Ike based on his resume is highly entertaining.

1. BuzzBox you're talking like a moron after a lobotomy. .

Honestly? You wouldn't really notice the difference.....having a lobotomy makes you a moron...there would be little need for the procedure, if you already qualified.

I hope you don't get overly worried on those times when we agree on things...it doesn't mean your losing touch with reality...much the opposite, it probably means your coming out from under the ether. When you are correct, I just think of the ol' stopped clock theory. You are right twice a day...or just once if you are using military intelligence.

[Kalan]

BuzzBox, your clock is digital and it stopped displaying any numbers at all... It's face went blank like your brain.

And you can have a lobotomy if you're a moron...to quiet you down if you're creating a hassle for your caretakers... You'll end up quite a bit dumber, but who cares??? You were too dumb to think for yourself in the first place... Your thinking process takes 2 things into consideration BuzzBox... What was this guys' historical reputation -- and what does everybody else think about this? ... That means you can't think for yourself because you're always citing everybody else's opinions.

Most people don't know very much about Ike Ibeabuchi... They can't form a realistic view of his boxing and punching skills...and didn't see the Chris Bryd fight... Most people were of the opinion that Joe Frazier would beat George Foreman... They didn't think the size and strength differential was a big deal -- and they didn't take their styles of fighting into consideration -- just their reputations.

[Klee Gluckman]

The Tua fight could have gone either way and Tua definitely won the later rounds of that fight. Ike would not have much chance against a defensive fighter like Tyson. Tyson would make Ike miss too often he's not Tua. Props to Ike for what he achieved when he was focused.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Two mentally weak guys. I'd pick Tyson, but Ike had the tool set to win this.