The Power of Prevention He was at the pinnacle of professional boxing. I was ready to reign in the world of heavyweights. At only 26 years old, his fierce style was reminiscent of the brutality of Mike Tyson.
It was 1999, and the Nigerian already had a perfect record of 19 consecutive victories14 of them by knockout, an achievement that left no doubt about his skill and the violence with which he prevailed against his rivals. The fans saw him as the next great figure in boxing, however, his next fight was going to mark the beginning of the end of his short career.
At least until now, the legend will put on the gloves again and cross the ropes 25 years later, to star in one of the most anticipated comebacks in history.
The calendar marked the March 20, 1999at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Ike The President Ibeabuchi, as he liked to be called, faced the undefeated Chris Byrd in a key fight. The American arrived with a streak of 26 consecutive victories, and expectations were high. The fight was brutal; With his speed and strength, Ibeabuchi sent Byrd to the canvas twice (one of them with a devastating uppercut) and, with 50 seconds left in the fifth round, knocked him out.
The victory positioned him as one of the main contenders for the title of the heavyweights, without knowing that this was going to be his last presentation before experiencing a series of controversial episodes that would take him from stardom to ostracism. While he became fearsome inside the ring, outside, the boxer’s legal and personal problems were going to end his career. After that fight, Ibeabuchi was ultimately going to be sentenced to prison.
However, their problems They had been accumulating for two years1997, when he was involved in an incident that alarmed everyone and seemed to be a warning of what was to come.
For no apparent reason, Ibeabuchi put his ex-girlfriend’s son in his car and crashed the car at full speed against a concrete pillar in Austin, Texas. He was unharmed, but the 15-year-old suffered serious injuries. The incident was described as a “suicide attempt” with kidnapping, and, according to the media at the time, the boxer avoided jail after settling the payment of $420,000 in a civil lawsuit. Despite the seriousness of the event, He only spent three months behind bars.
That year, the Nigerian had already gained notoriety for another memorable fight. It was his victory against David Tuain which They broke records for punches thrown in a heavyweight showdown. The fight was distinguished by the brutal number of attempts: 1,730 in 12 rounds, of which 975 were from Ibeabuchi, reaching an average of 81 blows per round, an extraordinary figure for that division.
That fight not only gave him the victory by unanimous decision, but also consolidated his reputation as a formidable challenger to the WBC titlewhich at that time defended Lennox Lewis. However, his behavior outside the ring seemed to worsen after each victory. “Since that fight with Tua he thought he could do whatever he wanted. He was mentally ill and dangerous. The people around him were afraid of him.“But he overlooked everything,” admitted his former coach. Curtis Cokeswho had begun to fear his pupil’s lack of control.
Despite his erratic and violent behavior, Ibeabuchi continued fighting and accumulating victoriesearning the respect of fans and critics. His last performance before disappearing from boxing was in the aforementioned fight against Chris Byrd, a fight that reinforced his position as one of the most feared boxers in the division.
However, shortly after, he again faced legal problems after being accused of attempted rape by a casino worker in Las Vegas. According to local media Thebladengr, The 21-year-old dancer claimed Ibeabuchi tried to sexually assault her in a closet after she demanded advance payment for her services. The version of events was disputed in court, but the accusation was serious enough to take him to a trial in which he ended up being convicted, despite the African claiming a bipolar disorder badly treated.
The sentence he received kept him away from boxing for several years. During his time in prison, Ibeabuchi He tried to appeal his conviction repeatedly and worked to rehabilitate himself, staying in shape and hoping to one day fight again. However, legal problems continued to dog him.
After a brief release from Nevada prison in 2014 and while planning his return to the ring at the event Pacquiao vs. Bradley, was arrested again in 2016 in Arizona for violating his probation. He was subsequently transferred to the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and remained in their custody until September 2020when was finally released, as detailed by the media Cnnigeria at the time.
His immigration situation complicated his life even more, since, after his release from prison, remained in an immigration detention center due to paperwork issues. Ultimately, his name disappeared from the ICE database between June and August 2021, leading many to assume that he had been deported to Nigeria or that he managed to regularize his status and remain in the United States.
Since then, Ibeabuchi has been preparing for his return to boxing, focusing on regaining his physical condition. At 51 years oldis ready to face the Egyptian Ayman Farouk Abbas (4-10-1, 1 KO) at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Center in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on December 7. Although the fight is only scheduled for six rounds, fans’ expectations are high; They hope to see an Ibeabuchi in the ring who remembers the relentless boxer of his youth.
This match isn’t just a comeback fight, it’s his chance to show that he still has the power and stamina that once made him stand out as one of the most feared heavyweights in boxing.
