Ike Ibeabuchi is the most talented boxer of all time

[ShaneMosleySr]

Ike Ibeabuchi took up amateur boxing in 1991 at the age of 18.

In less than two years, he beat an eventual Olympic bronze medalist in an amateur competition.

In 1994, after boxing for only three years, he won the Texas Golden Glove State Championship.

In June of 1997, at the age of 24 and after boxing for only six years, he won the WBC International Heavyweight title by convincingly beating David Tua. That was Tua’s first loss and he would not lose again until November of 2000, when he lost to undisputed champion Lennox Lewis.

In March of 1999, at the age of 26, he fought undefeated and future heavyweight champion Chris Byrd. He knocked Chris Byrd out and beat him so mercilessly that Larry Merchant of HBO questioned if Chris Byrd should even box professionally.

Who the hell beats the crap out of the two best boxers in their generation after taking up boxing six and eight years prior? Who beats an eventual bronze medalist in their second year of amateur boxing?

No one except Ibeabuchi is my guess.

[BoxingIsGreat]

Ike is a fighter I never forget about. His fight against Tua is still vivid in my head. So sad that career was cut so short.

Good thread. Green K.

[mlac]

'convincingly beating David Tua' er yeah no, it was a 7-5 either way / draw type of fight. Do you actually watch fights or do you just read the scores off boxrec and base your opinions on that?

[Tatabanya]

The President is probably the greatest wasted talent in the heavyweight history.

[mlac]

The President is probably the greatest wasted talent in the heavyweight history.

The way he suddenly went so off the rails, leads me to believe that the amount of bombs he ate in the Tua fight possibily gave him CTE which led to the crazed behaviour later on.

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 ego, 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."[1][2]

[ShaneMosleySr]

I have never heard one person claim Tua won that fight.

I also scored it wider for Ibeabuchi than you did.

So that’s where I got “convincingly” from.

'convincingly beating David Tua' er yeah no, it was a 7-5 either way / draw type of fight. Do you actually watch fights or do you just read the scores off boxrec and base your opinions on that?

[boogbx]

Ike is the man but I disagree that he beat Tua, I gave Tua Man the nod. I felt he landed the better punches but it is still to this day one of the greatest HW fights ever.

Ike’s ko of Byrd was beyond memorable because of the viciousness, I loved every second.
Reminded me of Kirkland vs Tapia or Tua vs Ruiz.

This is coming from a Chris Byrd fan.

Ike’s the man, him and Valero are the 2 biggest what ifs in recent memory.

[BKM-]

Not only the greatest boxer of all time but the greatest human being of all time as well.

[mlac]

I have never heard one person claim Tua won that fight.

I also scored it wider for Ibeabuchi than you did.

So that’s where I got “convincingly” from.

It was a back and forth war the entire fight, at no point did Ike dominate round after round, which is what you are insinuating.

Convincing implies domination, which is what this fight was not. It was the epitome of a close fight where arguments can be made for both fighters.

[Thraxox]

It was a back and forth war the entire fight, at no point did Ike dominate round after round, which is what you are insinuating.

Convincing implies domination, which is what this fight was not. It was the epitome of a close fight where arguments can be made for both fighters.

You are talking to someone who thinks their opinion is above others.