So, did you hear in regards to the fifty-something, previously imprisoned, extremely intimidating heavyweight about to return to the ring after a protracted layoff?
No, the different fifty-something, previously imprisoned, extremely intimidating heavyweight about to return to the ring after a protracted layoff.
It’s all about Mike Tyson within the boxing world this week, because the 58-year-old former heavyweight champ prepares for his first sanctioned boxing match since 2005. However only a wee bit extra below the radar, Ike “The President” Ibeabuchi, the 51-year-old former future heavyweight champ who went to jail earlier than he may safe a title shot, lately introduced plans for his first sanctioned boxing match since 1999.
Again in his native Nigeria, Ibeabuchi is slated to struggle on December 7, in a six-rounder on the undercard of a WBF (no matter that’s) featherweight title struggle, towards one Ayman Farouk Abbas, a 47-year-old heavyweight from Egypt who turned professional after his fortieth birthday and sports activities a file of 4-10-1 (1 KO).
It’s a struggle that really shouldn’t matter to anybody however Ibeabuchi and Abbas. It’s a struggle of no actual consequence when it comes to the worldwide boxing stage. There is no such thing as a reasonable probability {that a} 51-year-old man who hasn’t fought in 25 years goes to indicate again up and turn into an element within the heavyweight division. Sadly, he’s most likely not going to remotely resemble the fighter we keep in mind from his thrilling victories over David Tua in 1997 and Chris Byrd in ’99. I caught a latest video of Ibeabuchi banging simulated physique photographs right into a stack of automotive tires for 3 minutes and, whereas it’s exhausting to inform something from one spherical towards a stationary goal that doesn’t punch again, he seemed to be shifting with the pace and athleticism of, properly, a 51-year-old. A previously athletic 51-year-old, maybe. However a 51-year-old simply the identical.
Concerning the best-case situation when it comes to how far Ibeabuchi can go as a fighter now — and it’s extremely unrealistic he even goes this far, however let’s dare to dream — can be for him to copy the success of Tony Ayala, Jr. After a virtually 17-year layoff spent in jail, Ayala got here again at age 36, beat 5 restricted opponents, then gave former beltholder Yory Boy Campas a superb struggle earlier than succumbing after eight rounds. He fought 5 extra occasions after that, going 4-1, retiring at age 40, and heading again to jail quickly after.
By no means thoughts the return to jail or any of the opposite private darkness — when it comes to boxing, Ayala’s comeback noticed him turn into a low-level TV attraction once more and, although he didn’t reemerge as a contender, he at the least bought to the purpose the place he might be aggressive towards a contender.
However he was about 15 years youthful than Ibeabuchi is now, and was out of the ring for eight years fewer. It’s a serious longshot that Ibeabuchi enjoys whilst a lot success on this comeback as Ayala did.
The purpose is, this comeback struggle subsequent month shouldn’t have any ripple impact on the remainder of the game by any means.
As a human curiosity story, although, it’s fascinating — even when largely in that rubber-necking-at-a-car-wreck type of method. Not simply because Ibeabuchi was gone for therefore lengthy. However due to why he was gone for therefore lengthy. And never simply due to the crimes that landed him behind bars. However due to his psychological state that little question contributed to these crimes.
In 2017, I put collectively an oral history-style podcast for HBO on Ibeabuchi, and in an interview for podcast, Eric Bottjer, the matchmaker for Ibeabuchi’s promoter Cedric Kushner, put it bluntly: “He’s the one fighter I’ve ever labored with who was mentally ailing.”
Bottjer expounded over the course of our interview. “I used to be level clean,” Bottjer recalled of a dialog with Kushner. “I mentioned, ‘This man’s loopy. He’s going to harm someone. I don’t need it to be me otherwise you or anyone else. However he’s fairly able to killing someone.’”
When Ibeabuchi bought out of jail in 2015, Bottjer obtained a name from a pal in Las Vegas who relayed {that a} pal of his was coaching Ibeabuchi for a attainable comeback. Bottjer’s response: “I mentioned, ‘Look, do me a favor, and I’m not being dramatic right here: Inform your pal to not go round that man ever once more. Like, simply don’t go round him. He’s going to harm someone. He actually is.’”
The tales Bottjer and others advised that supported the notion of psychological sickness have been quite a few. There have been tales of Ike believing there have been evil spirits within the lodge air-con, refusing to fly as a result of there have been demons on the aircraft, refusing to go to a weigh-in except he was known as The President, refusing to struggle except somebody bought him a Snickers bar, turning down a proposal of $1 million to struggle Michael Grant and demanding $10 million, attacking a sparring accomplice as a result of he by some means satisfied himself that sparring accomplice wore a pointy ring below his boxing gloves, and stabbing a restaurant desk with a steak knife whereas out for a meal with then-HBO govt Lou DiBella.
Then there’s the intense stuff. Getting arrested for a violent outburst at an airport. Seemingly making an attempt to kill himself and a teenage passenger by driving a automotive right into a concrete pillar. The crimes towards a prostitute in Vegas that led to a sentence of 2-10 years for battery with intent to commit against the law plus 3-20 years for tried sexual assault.
I don’t know if Ibeabuchi is a distinct individual now, if his psychological well being has improved by both remedy or the passage of time, and if he’s not a harmful particular person outdoors the ring.
However as a common rule, I consider in second possibilities. No matter he could have performed prior to now, if Ike Ibeabuchi is bodily match to field, I assist him getting the possibility to take action. It received’t change his standing as the best “what if” of his era. However he’ll get one thing resembling solutions, for himself at the least, by getting an opportunity to field once more.
In his prime, sure folks round him neglected his varied points as a result of they noticed greenback indicators. It shouldn’t be like that now. No one figures to be making an attempt too exhausting to cowl for him, as a result of the possibility of Ibeabuchi producing actual cash is so terribly distant.
He’s not below the highlight that Tyson can be below on Friday night time. Fairly the alternative. Ibeabuchi will get to search out out if he can nonetheless struggle in any respect with hardly anyone watching him.
He had all the flexibility on this planet. It is a man who, in line with CompuBox, took 282 punches from Tua over 12 rounds and by no means appeared harm, and a person who walked down and knocked out the virtually unhittable Byrd. A fighter who can do these two issues is a championship-caliber expertise in any period.
“He positively was, apart from Lennox Lewis, the perfect heavyweight of his period, so far as expertise,” Bottjer advised me. “And he would’ve given Lewis a hell of a struggle.”
That fighter Bottjer describes, that fighter we noticed towards Byrd, that fighter we noticed towards Tua — that fighter is gone. He must be.
Ibeabuchi vs. Abbas is just not an essential struggle for boxing. Nevertheless it’s fascinating in its personal method. It’s a second probability 27 years within the making.
The man getting the second probability isn’t so younger anymore. Neither are any of the hardcore followers who’ve been anxiously awaiting today. Generations of fighters have come and gone since Ibeabuchi was final within the ring. The final time Ibeabuchi fought, present heavyweight prospect/contender Jared “Huge Child” Anderson was nonetheless eight months away from being born.
It is a weird story — more odd maybe than Tyson preventing a former Disney Channel star in 2024 for tens of millions of {dollars}.
I hope, most likely towards hope, that Ibeabuchi is of sound thoughts. And I hope, maybe extra realistically, that getting the possibility to struggle once more offers him some peace of thoughts.
Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with greater than 25 years of expertise overlaying the game for such shops as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, Ringside Seat, and The Ring (the place he served as managing editor for seven years). He additionally co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Principle. He has received three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Exterior boxing, he’s the senior editor of CasinoReports and the creator of 2014’s The Moneymaker Impact. He will be reached on X or LinkedIn, or through e-mail at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.
