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Everytime I hear or see Ike's name mentioned, I get cold chills thinking about what this guy could have been. He stood toe to toe with one of the hardest hitting heavyweights ever, David Tua. He obliterated Chris Byrd by horrific knockout, something that hadn't been repeated until 2006, 7 years later. If he were competing today, it would be absolutely sick. I don't think there's one heavyweight in the world today that could go the distance with him. Maybe Peter and Vitali, but with Ike's workrate, I just don't know. Either of them against Ike could have been the damndest heavyweight fight ever. Anyway, here it is:
http://www.*************.net/columns.../102772398.php
By Scoop Malinowski
Ike Enwereuzor is an American-based journalist originally from Nigeria. He has known Ike Ibeabuchi since 1991 and has maintained a friendship with the heavyweight phenom, even to this day.
Ibeabuchi is undoubtedly one of the most mysterious and misunderstood boxing talents of recent times. Not much is known about "The President" other than his extraordinary boxing talents and his out-of-the-ring troubles which have presently reduced the former leading contender for the World Heavyweight title into his current status: prisoner.
So, in an attempt to shed some more light on the man who perhaps is the greatest heavyweight fighter on the planet today, I asked Enwereuzor to share his perspective on the curious enigma named Ike Ibeabuchi:
I have known Ike Ibeabuchi since 1991. He's a lovely and Godly man. He's also been in church activities. He's certainly not the guy the media tried to color him. The case he has can be against anyone out there. He's not the lion that eats humans outside the ring. His case is very strange as I have been to the courtroom during this case. I have been to court in Las Vegas and also Arizona.
On slight changes to Ike after the punishing war with David Tua: Ike's fight with Tua could have touched his brain just like any other boxer that gets hit a lot in ring. Remember the fight between Ibeabuchi and Tua was highest punch totals ever thrown in a heavyweight fight. The fight with Tua has no connection with his current alleged crime. I'm not a doctor who diagnosed him but I observe a little difference in his behavior, but not much. I can tell you Ibeabuchi could be a little stubborn but not crazy, almost all boxers have same ego.
You know when the boxers get hit a lot, they get blurry - their brains can function in different ways. Just like a little change, like he might be a little slower with things after the Tua fight. And he already had a hot temper, so just like, Ike is Ike. Ike could be a little tempermental too. Ike wanted to get out of jail and tried to get out. And it hasn't been easy. So he actually decided to go to school in jail. So he kinda forgot boxing a little bit. He wanted to do it (boxing) but for whatever reason, they're not letting him out. The guy's just dealing with his spirits right now. I think he's fighting a spiritual war now. If God wants him to come out and be a champion, God will make him do that. But if God wants to make him a priest - because he's also very religious - he also look forward to doing that.
He's also interested in engineering. That is what his aspiration was. But he took boxing because he felt he had it. Because his father used to be one of the strong men of Nigeria. He knew people like **** Tiger, all people that were into athletics. His father was involved, so he was naturally strong. So when he saw Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas in 1990, that's when he actually decided to box. He started to box in 1990. I met him in 1991 in Nigeria, when he was still an amateur.
We ended up finding each other here in the United States also. I saw him beat Duncan Dokiwari in the amateurs. He knocked him out in the first round with a body shot. Duncan was like, Good bye, see you later. Ike had what it took to be a world champion. He was ready to fight anybody. He proved it with Tua, he proved it with Chris Byrd. Lennox Lewis - Ike would have smoked him. That's just my opinion. He would have knocked him out. Because he would have put the pressure on. He wouldn't have fought him like Tua fought him. Tua was looking for one punch to take him out. But Ike would go with every punch - your head, your shoulder, everything. He would go for everything. Lewis would get knocked out, just like Rahman got him. Because he would get a little relaxed. And then, the next thing you know, when you don't expect it, he would have knocked him out. Ibeabuchi was on a mission to becoming a heavyweight champion of the world.
Lewis was asked many times if he would fight Ibeabuchi but Lewis kept saying, "Let him fight others before me." but I think Ibeabuchi was very close to beating Lewis or any others. Ibeabuchi was ready for Lewis just like he was ready for Tua and Byrd.
Ibeabuchi was becoming great and the devil tries to take him out of the
picture.
If Ibeabuchi could get out today I still think he can beat all the boxers
out there. He has been training in jail plus he knows boxing already, all he needs is to be in shape, he'll be ready to go. But if they hold him more years longer then I can't predict what future will bring, condition will be a factor.
Stay tuned next week for another perspective on Ike with a member of his management team.
http://www.*************.net/columns.../102772398.php
By Scoop Malinowski
Ike Enwereuzor is an American-based journalist originally from Nigeria. He has known Ike Ibeabuchi since 1991 and has maintained a friendship with the heavyweight phenom, even to this day.
Ibeabuchi is undoubtedly one of the most mysterious and misunderstood boxing talents of recent times. Not much is known about "The President" other than his extraordinary boxing talents and his out-of-the-ring troubles which have presently reduced the former leading contender for the World Heavyweight title into his current status: prisoner.
So, in an attempt to shed some more light on the man who perhaps is the greatest heavyweight fighter on the planet today, I asked Enwereuzor to share his perspective on the curious enigma named Ike Ibeabuchi:
I have known Ike Ibeabuchi since 1991. He's a lovely and Godly man. He's also been in church activities. He's certainly not the guy the media tried to color him. The case he has can be against anyone out there. He's not the lion that eats humans outside the ring. His case is very strange as I have been to the courtroom during this case. I have been to court in Las Vegas and also Arizona.
On slight changes to Ike after the punishing war with David Tua: Ike's fight with Tua could have touched his brain just like any other boxer that gets hit a lot in ring. Remember the fight between Ibeabuchi and Tua was highest punch totals ever thrown in a heavyweight fight. The fight with Tua has no connection with his current alleged crime. I'm not a doctor who diagnosed him but I observe a little difference in his behavior, but not much. I can tell you Ibeabuchi could be a little stubborn but not crazy, almost all boxers have same ego.
You know when the boxers get hit a lot, they get blurry - their brains can function in different ways. Just like a little change, like he might be a little slower with things after the Tua fight. And he already had a hot temper, so just like, Ike is Ike. Ike could be a little tempermental too. Ike wanted to get out of jail and tried to get out. And it hasn't been easy. So he actually decided to go to school in jail. So he kinda forgot boxing a little bit. He wanted to do it (boxing) but for whatever reason, they're not letting him out. The guy's just dealing with his spirits right now. I think he's fighting a spiritual war now. If God wants him to come out and be a champion, God will make him do that. But if God wants to make him a priest - because he's also very religious - he also look forward to doing that.
He's also interested in engineering. That is what his aspiration was. But he took boxing because he felt he had it. Because his father used to be one of the strong men of Nigeria. He knew people like **** Tiger, all people that were into athletics. His father was involved, so he was naturally strong. So when he saw Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas in 1990, that's when he actually decided to box. He started to box in 1990. I met him in 1991 in Nigeria, when he was still an amateur.
We ended up finding each other here in the United States also. I saw him beat Duncan Dokiwari in the amateurs. He knocked him out in the first round with a body shot. Duncan was like, Good bye, see you later. Ike had what it took to be a world champion. He was ready to fight anybody. He proved it with Tua, he proved it with Chris Byrd. Lennox Lewis - Ike would have smoked him. That's just my opinion. He would have knocked him out. Because he would have put the pressure on. He wouldn't have fought him like Tua fought him. Tua was looking for one punch to take him out. But Ike would go with every punch - your head, your shoulder, everything. He would go for everything. Lewis would get knocked out, just like Rahman got him. Because he would get a little relaxed. And then, the next thing you know, when you don't expect it, he would have knocked him out. Ibeabuchi was on a mission to becoming a heavyweight champion of the world.
Lewis was asked many times if he would fight Ibeabuchi but Lewis kept saying, "Let him fight others before me." but I think Ibeabuchi was very close to beating Lewis or any others. Ibeabuchi was ready for Lewis just like he was ready for Tua and Byrd.
Ibeabuchi was becoming great and the devil tries to take him out of the
picture.
If Ibeabuchi could get out today I still think he can beat all the boxers
out there. He has been training in jail plus he knows boxing already, all he needs is to be in shape, he'll be ready to go. But if they hold him more years longer then I can't predict what future will bring, condition will be a factor.
Stay tuned next week for another perspective on Ike with a member of his management team.
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