From Wikipedia:

A couple of months after the Tua fight, Ibeabuchi abducted the 15-year-old son of his former girlfriend and slammed his car into a concrete pillar on Interstate 35 north of Austin, Texas. According to the criminal complaint, the boy suffered 'numerous injuries' from the accident 'and will never walk normally again'. The courts concluded Ibeabuchi was trying to commit suicide, and he was sentenced to 120 days in jail after pleading guilty to false imprisonment. Ibeabuchi also paid a $500,000 civil settlement.

Ibeabuchi developed a new persona based on his nickname, 'The President'. At times when he was being churlish or refusing to complete a simple requirement such as attending a weigh-in, his handlers would appeal to The President's regal nature by convincing him it was the noble thing to do. "There were times when he thought he was really a president", boxing promoter and former HBO Sports executive Lou DiBella said. "He would get into these mental states where he insisted on people calling him 'The President'. It was his alter ago, where 'I am The President,' not of the United States, but maybe president of the world."

Once, Ibeabuchi wielded a knife during a dinner meeting in New York to discuss a possible three fight HBO deal. "We were having a fine meal at a nice restaurant", Promoter Cedric Kushner said, "and mid-course Ike picked up a big carving knife, slammed it into the table and screamed 'They knew it! They knew it! The belts belong to me! Why don't they just give them back?'" "That was a peculiar experience", Kushner said. "That wasn't the type of conduct I expected to romance the guy from HBO. He (Ibeabuchi) was like a Viking."

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Following the win over Byrd, Ibeabuchi turned down $700,000 to fight fringe contender Jeremy Williams, and also turned down $1 million for a showdown with the undefeated Michael Grant.

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In July 1999, Ibeabuchi was staying at The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas when he phoned a local escort service and had a woman sent to his room. The 21-year-old woman said later she was there to strip and nothing else. She claimed Ibeabuchi attacked her in the walk-in closet after she demanded to be paid up front. Ibeabuchi barricaded himself in the bathroom and police discharged pepper spray under the door until he surrendered.

Ibeabuchi's legal defense faced the further difficulty of the Clark County DA's reopening of a similar sexual assault allegation against him from eight months earlier which took place at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. Ibeabuchi was released on bail and placed under house arrest, able to train and fight again until his trial. He was remanded after two more similar allegations surfaced from Arizona.

Ibeabuchi was deemed incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a state facility. Medical experts concluded he exhibited bipolar disorder and a judge granted permission to force-medicate him. Eight months later, two and a half years after his arrest, he was ruled cogent enough to plea.


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Ibabuchi, who remains on lifetime probation in the State of Arizona, failed to begin a required treatment program. Ibeabuchi is being held until September 25, 2019, by Arizona, and will complete supervision on March 25, 2020, at which time he will be 47 years old, at which time he will face a detainer issued on February 16, 2018, by the United States Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE).



I think Ike could have absolutely held a title, but I'm not certain how much more than that he'd achieve not because of any lack of talent but because A: Up to that point in his career he had just conquered guys who were very good at 1 thing, not well rounded fighters and B: His mental state varied from batshit crazy to extremely batshit crazy.


I believe well rounded fighters like Lennox and Holyfield would have ruined Ike...Ike allowed David Tua to hit him, yeah he took the punches, but that's not the picture of long term success because those punches add up. I would have loved for him to continue his career and not been in all that trouble outside the ring, but he fucked up and followed each fuck up with a newer more impressive fuck up.