88 Mike Tyson vs Ike Ibeabuchi

[Master]

Tyson was more than a bully he was skilled at his best and would be far cleverer than Tua. Tyson would find holes and exploit them. Still think Ike is standing at the end but like Razzor he would have busted ribs and jaw.

[El Kabong]

Hard to say...we saw Ike take Tua's punches, we saw Ike catch Byrd, but Tyson actually was the cream of the crop in the division and there was nobody to touch him at his best (in that era).

I'd go with Tyson by UD for this reason. #1 Tyson COULD box #2 We never saw Ibeabuchi reach his full potential and there were significant questions which hadn't been answered about him #3 This might be a generalization and I'm not saying "they're all alike" but you look at Nigerian heavyweights past and present: Sam Peter, David Izon, Friday Ahunaya, and Duncan Dokiwari and those guys all looked like monsters in the ring (they certainly did, don't believe me look at what was said about them before their first losses) right before they made the final step up in class, once they did that they looked slower, less skilled as boxers, less able to press the fight, less strong even....and with Ibeabuchi I'd play the odds that Ike was more like those guys rather than think he was "THE ONE" who was unbeatable. Ike certainly LOOKED like a beast though, his fight with Tua was a classic and his KO of Byrd was amazing....still there's the doubt in my mind that he'd fade at the highest level.

[bradlee180]

That'd be a fantastic fight.

I'd go with the prime Iron Mike in that one.

[Dark Lord Al]

Tyson was more than a bully he was skilled at his best and would be far cleverer than Tua. Tyson would find holes and exploit them. Still think Ike is standing at the end but like Razzor he would have busted ribs and jaw.

Yes Tyson is more skilled than Tua , but his chin isn't as good , and Ike is far better than Ruddock.
We have seen Tyson dropped , and Quit and cheat , Ike didnt show many weaknesses , im sticking to Ike by KO.

[Britkid]

Mr President was very ill in his prime, Tyson on the other hand had for a brief period found a way of shutting out his demons.

Tyson is too skilful and fast for Ibeabuchi in his prime. Maybe Ike's chin will eventually crack, maybe it would not, that to me is the main intangible of the fight.

Tyson by 'at least' lopsided decision...

[ross]

Tyson was more than a bully he was skilled at his best and would be far cleverer than Tua. Tyson would find holes and exploit them. Still think Ike is standing at the end but like Razzor he would have busted ribs and jaw.

Yes Tyson is more skilled than Tua , but his chin isn't as good , and Ike is far better than Ruddock.
We have seen Tyson dropped , and Quit and cheat , Ike didnt show many weaknesses , im sticking to Ike by KO.

Ike didnt show many weaknesses because he only fought 2 decent fighters. Tyson went through a whole division in the eighties and left no question.

[Master]

Tyson was more than a bully he was skilled at his best and would be far cleverer than Tua. Tyson would find holes and exploit them. Still think Ike is standing at the end but like Razzor he would have busted ribs and jaw.

Yes Tyson is more skilled than Tua , but his chin isn't as good , and Ike is far better than Ruddock.
We have seen Tyson dropped , and Quit and cheat , Ike didnt show many weaknesses , im sticking to Ike by KO.

Ike didnt show many weaknesses because he only fought 2 decent fighters. Tyson went through a whole division in the eighties and left no question.

Also 1988 Tyson would not get dropped he was too good.

[ross]

Ike may have a good chin but Mike didnt throw one left hook at a time. Not back then. Tis kimd of thread pops up all the time where certain people refuse to give any kimd of credit for what Mike was and achieved before King ruined him.

We may as well say that Jones Jr was also an overrated bully who was found to be taking steroids and because of all his numerous KO losses was just absolute shite

[FinitoElDinamita]

Most guys were intimidated before even stepping into the ring so they pretty much went in there with no confidence at all. Infact as soon as they got hit with the first punch, they knew they had no chance against mike.

Ike wouldn't have that problem and that kind of fearless mentality would be a huge factor. Mike only acted crazy but ike was truly crazy in the head, medically proven lol.

I don't know man. Ike was the complete package and perhaps he could have been the first to expose tyson, and not buster douglas.

[Britkid]

Most guys were intimidated before even stepping into the ring so they pretty much went in there with no confidence at all. Infact as soon as they got hit with the first punch, they knew they had no chance against mike.

Ike wouldn't have that problem and that kind of fearless mentality would be a huge factor. Mike only acted crazy but ike was truly crazy in the head, medically proven lol.

I don't know man. Ike was the complete package and perhaps he could have been the first to expose tyson, and not buster douglas.

I do not think Ike Ibeabuchi was anywhere near the 'complete package'. He had an illness that meant he choose to walk through David Tua's left hooks. That is not a smart decision, that is not sane, that is wrong. The people around Ike were just interested in money, not helping their man. If he had been given help to control his illness, I think he would very ordinary boxer. A slow lummox with a good chin and fair power, he would've lost to anyone with speed or a boxing brain.

I think Mr President would have been in grave danger if he was around in 1987/88 to fight prime Tyson, he would of been badly hurt, but because of his illness, he would just kept coming forward at Tyson, who unlike Tua, in his pomp had a lot more than a ferocious left hook in offensive arsenal...

[IamInuit]

Prior to fighting Tua, Ike really fought nobody with a winning record outside of say Anthony Wade. He had only fought over 8 rounds twice. Tua was his 17th fight. Tua on the other hand had fought 27 times. Tua at the time was being touted as the next Tyson and had recently blasted out Ruiz, Wilson, Izon and Maskaev. Tua had been fighting 10 and 12 round fights for 4 or 5 years. At the time, it was being said that Ike was a flash in the pan and a coddled contender. As it turns out he was not the sum of his past opponents. Dark Lord Al makes a great point in that Ike would have had no fear and it may have been Tyson who got intimidated. That is a huge factor imo. Tyson may have fought about 15 times in a year but let’s be honest here, he was spoon fed more than Ike or Tua. He never even fought any kind of a perceived threat until 1987 and that was Thomas. I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer here.

[Andre]

I think id go with Ike, but really it would depend on what had happened to each guy the days prior to fighting on if they'd be there mentally for it.

By 88 this guy was the only one to go 10 rounds, and all he had going for him was a big set of balls and the toughest beard you can ever have. Well he got stopped right in the tenth but thats the most Tyson had done.




Its a hard call, would Ike have been giving back what he was getting is the big question,Id say yeah he would? If so Id go with him. Cause for Mike to last 10 when being hit back is different than lasting 10 giving all the punishment and Mike wasnt used to taking any for long.

Then again Mike could bust his ribs and he could fold in 3.

[TysonBomb]

88 Tyson was the H2H GOAT

Ike is a monster as well but I don't see him beating the Tyson from that year

[Vendettos]

This wouldn't even be close, Ike was not as accurate.

Tyson was far too skilled for him.

Round 2 or 3 stoppage win for Tyson.