07.06.04 – By Lee Hayes: Last night, after watching a replay of Oscar DeLaHoya vs. Felix Strum, I decided I wanted to watch boxing the way it’s suppose to be. So I popped in Ike Ibeabuchi vs. David Tua. What a treat. Even after viewing it for about the 20th time, I still get chills from this fight that many fans have already forgotten. A shame.
About half way through the fight –which I had been watching with a progressively, chilled admiration- I said out-loud to myself, “I am furious with Ike Ibeabuchi!” And I sincerely felt a deep anger towards the man. “He cheated us!” I said to myself. He was “it”, the next in line. Our “President”, I thought. He could have dominated like a Tyson, Lewis or Holyfield, and he cheated us. The Nigerian heavyweight, with the punch of Sonny Liston. (Along with his scowl), ripped-off the boxing public, and our “President”, turned out as noble as Richard Nixon. The price has been stiff.
One the current boxing scene, there appears, at least, to be no heavyweight that poses a serious threat to WBC Heavyweight Champion, Vitali Klitschko. Whether you are a Klitschko fan or not, this poses a problem. That being that, the doubters will never see Klitschko in that characterizing, career defining fight. The other problem is that the fans of the big Ukrainian heavyweight may never get to see their favorite man reaching his pinnacle. Watching Klistchko at his best, under adverse conditions. As a part of a super fight the magnitude of the one we lost, when Lennox Lewis announced his retirement.
Whether you believe that Ike would have walked right through Vitali, or that Vitali would have given Ibeabuchi all he could handle, we all must admit, this was our super fight. The fight that I believe could have revived the division, with much needed energy.
My personal opinion is that – Curtis Cokes trained – Ibeabuchi would have become the “Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World”. He had the best stamina I have seen in a heavyweight, since Larry Holmes. He had the punch of a Sonny Liston or an Earnie Shavers type powerhouse. He always threw in combination, for an entire fight. He had above average to good hand speed, which out-side of Mike Tyson, is rare at heavyweight. He also appeared to have an anvil chin.
All in all he was a near perfect model of a heavyweight.
When Ike Ibeabuchi, committed the selfish crime of rape, against a lap dance girl he had summoned to his Las Vegas hotel room, at the Mirage, he robbed us of what was rightfully ours, like the career felon he is.
And I for one am furious…
This author appreciates all your comments and suggestions: