We always hear how Ike was the uncrowned Champ,the next coming if only he had not went away.But hindsight being what it is,I seriously wonder he would have had the mental make in the ring to stick around for too long.I dont see him getting out...if he did I think he would almost HAVE to make a ring return.
....I refer back to other "devistating" Nigerian heavyweights of the recent past: David Izon, Friday Ahunaya, Sam Peter, Duncan Dokiwari
If Ike Ibeabichi had continued his career without prison, without insanity, without anything else Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield would have ate him alive
And yes I have done a 180 on my stance for this issue but I mean there is a tendency for Nigerian heavyweights to explode on the scene and then immediately become average. In reality Ike had 2 big fights and 1 really solid showing vs a top level fighter at the time in David Tua. Chris Byrd was having his way with Ike until he got caught him. Let's be totally honest, Ike never fought a complete fighter like a Holyfield or a Lewis and I think that would have been his undoing.
Last edited by El Kabong; 01-14-2010 at 10:06 PM.
Imagine sharing a cell with the guy!!!!
Hopefully Ike doesn't return to a boxing ring as he would be nothing now. I believe if he is released he gets deported back to Nigeria.
Really enjoyed Ike's short stay at the top. The chasing Chris Byrd around the ring until he finally caught up with him and gave a beating too. Only a year later Byrd beat Vitali Klitschko and went the 12 round distance with Wladimir. Yet Ike had him out of there in 5 rounds.
As for the Tua fight well the relatively unknown Ike went 12 hard rounds mainly toe to toe with the hard hitting Samoan. Tua was coming off impressive wins over John Ruiz, Darroll Wilson, David Izon and Oleg Maskaev. I believe the fight holds the record for most punches in a Heavyweight fight - it certainly broke the record at the time.
Ike had decent power, a solid chin, great stamina and he would often throw 100 punches a round. He would have been a very formidable threat to the reign of Lennox Lewis.
At the time 1999/2000 you had Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko, Hasim Rahman, David Tua and Michael Grant as the main contenders along with Ike Ibeabuchi. For me Ike was the main threat as it didn't matter what style you had his overcame it.
He would have outslugged Vitali and quite frankly destroyed Rahman and Wladimir. Still its a case of what might of been and Ike can never get back to where he once was.
This guy could have owned the division at one point in time.....With the exception of Lennox Lewis and Tua he was tjhe most dangerous fighter in HW boxing...He was not just strong but skilled with a rock hard jaw....
Then again he made Tyson's outrage look like mild tantrums.....
He is where he belongs
I missed his entire run. I didn't have cable at the time.
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