BoxRec

Lennox vs Ibeabuchi would have been a good fight.
Lennox was the better boxer, and also has 8 inch reach and 3 inch height more than Ike so Lennox would have won the jab war from the outside.

On power I would say they were about equal, but Lewis would have used the reach to land first.
Chin advantage goes to Ike, but you cant score with the chin.
endurance advantage Ike, but Lewis bombs would have brought that about even.

It would have been a tough fight, similar to Mercer Lewis and Lewis would have won a UD here. Not by mile, but confortably. Ike would have made it to the end, but not even close to winning the decision.
Ike was too raw to beat the master pugilist. And if he didnt stay in his shell and hope for a decision he might have been clocked too.

We could have had a good fight, like Mercer Lewis, but unfortunately Tuamans pubches drove Ike mad. That is hardly Lennox`s fault.

Ike was good, but not good enough to beat Lewis. Sure he had a punchers chance, but any big guy has a punchers chance. I dont think Ike had the skills to beat Lewis`s jab and right hand upper cut to be able to come close enough to ko Lewis.

It would have been a good fight and it is a pitty it didnt come about.
The same as Bowe Lewis. Could have been good fight but that one didnt happen either.
Too bad.

Ike was not the monster puncher some are making him out to be. He had a heavyweights punch but not enough so that he would be known for it. Lewis himself hit way harder. The Byrd punch was a great shot but landed on a guy way lighter. I haven't watched it in a while but I seem to remember scoring Ibeabuchi/Tua for Tua. Tua came back after being outworked early on. I know a few people who also score it that way.

I read in one of the boxing magazines (Boxing News i think) that when Ibeabuchi sparred with Hasim Rahman, Rahman battered him. If this is the case then i'm pretty confident that Lewis would have no problems disposing of Ike.

The quiet man 2004 wrote:I read in one of the boxing magazines (Boxing News i think) that when Ibeabuchi sparred with Hasim Rahman, Rahman battered him. If this is the case then i'm pretty confident that Lewis would have no problems disposing of Ike.

Exactly. Ibeabuchi was about the same level as the likes of Tua, Rahman etc, a generation of Heavyweights that Lewis bested. Admittedly there was always the chance that Ibeabuchi might land a bomb but that could be said about almost any Heavyweight out there.

Some of these idiots make it sound like Ike had blasted away everyone on his record inside 2 rounds like a young Tyson. Even Tua was shafted against Ibeabuchi which shows they were round or about the same level. And how many rounds did Tua win from a focused Lewis?

Give it up people, Lewis proved himself the best of 3 generations of Heavyweights and has now retired as champion. He did it, he won, you were wrong, get over it!!!

Kilburn wrote:It's turned out to be a heck of a loss for boxing.

...but one giant leap for mankind