When former heavyweight contender Ike Ibeabuchi returned to the ring earlier this year after more than 25 years out of the ring, he had lost his prime and his reflexes but had his undefeated record intact. Now he doesn’t even have that.
The 52-year-old “President” suffered his first loss on Wednesday, dropping a unanimous decision to the comparatively youthful Kabiru Towolawi at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria. The scores were 117-111, 115-113 and 115-114, all for Towolawi, a 45-year-old from Lagos who had turned pro at age 36 as a light heayweight.
The hulking Ibeabuchi, whose promising career was cut short in 1999 he was imprisoned after being convicted of attempted sexual assault and battery, was the aggressor throughout, landing big shots with the right and left hook, but was limited to throwing one at a time. Towolawi, though much smaller, was the busier of the two, outboxing Ibeabuchi in between the odd punch or two. As Ibeabuchi faded, Towolawi was able to land straight rights which swelled up Ibeabuchi’s left eye.
Ibeabuchi could do nothing more than applaud politely as Towolawi was declared the winner.
The win snaps a two fight losing streak for Towolawi, while the loss ends an unbeaten run for Ibeabuchi which began with his debut in 1994. Prior to Ibeabuchi’s incarceration, he was one of the most promising heavyweight contenders, having inflicted the first defeats on the records of David Tua, in a 1997 Fight of the Year candidate, and future titleholder Chris Byrd, whom he stopped in five rounds in 1999.
Ibeabuchi returned to the ring in August with a third round stoppage of Idris Afinni at the same venue.
