Ike Ibeabuchi vs Bonecrusher Smith

I will go with Ike to win with his pace, in fighting, and his jab.

 

James was something of an Ambush Merchant, Be it first rounds against a Slow starter Mike Weaver or Disenchanted Witherspoon, or a Last Round throw of the Dice against Bruno, He briefly tried twice against Tyson, He He Also caught Holmes with a good shot but when he couldnt capitalise he went into his shell, instead of trying to construct a means to Victory James seemed to hope for the Jackpot shot

As we know from the Tua fight Alone Ike was able to maintain a ferocious pace in a firefight. he was durable and hard hitting, he will endure, he might get caught with a good shot or two in the early going but coming through them would probably dent the "Iffy" zest for protracted Battle of James, He may be a Bonecrusher...But before he can do that he has to be a "Muscle-Pounder.." I do not think he gets there, His scavengers mentality might cause him to fold in the last third.

 

Ibeabuchi is the king of hypothetical matchups despite having only 2 fights against named opponents, one of which he arguably lost....

 

Tua vs Ibeabuchi was a match up of unproven prospects. They were not yet elite fighters. Ibeabuchi vs Bryd was a match up where you could argue Bryd made a mistake. There is absolutely nothing else to go on.

As it happens, I quite liked ike but in truth he was nothing more than a promising muscle man when his career was cut short. That's it.

The two known guys he beat developed into good fighters so that enhances him somewhat although I don't know why. There was nothing outstanding on Tua or Byrds records BEFORE they met Ike and there was certainly nothing at all on Ikes record that even made him stand out BEFORE meeting Tua.

Coulda woulda shoulda. There's not enough to go on.

 

Tua vs Ibeabuchi was a match up of unproven prospects. They were not yet elite fighters. Ibeabuchi vs Bryd was a match up where you could argue Bryd made a mistake. There is absolutely nothing else to go on.

As it happens, I quite liked ike but in truth he was nothing more than a promising muscle man when his career was cut short. That's it.

The two known guys he beat developed into good fighters so that enhances him somewhat although I don't know why. There was nothing outstanding on Tua or Byrds records BEFORE they met Ike and there was certainly nothing at all on Ikes record that even made him stand out BEFORE meeting Tua.

Coulda woulda shoulda. There's not enough to go on.

 

Tua and Byrd were ranked contenders, unbeaten in a good number of fights when Ibeabuchi beat them.

 

I'll go with Ike by decision. Good enough chin to take Bonecrusher's shots. Meanwhile he's fast enough to land a lot against James.

 

But the results Ike recorded between those two wins were no more impressive than a multitude of other half decent fighters who beat the same guys.

Not that Bonecrusher was that hot but I think ike needs a resume before he is afforded any kind of automatic supremacy. I think ibeabuchi was an idea that people get carried away with. He beat two good fighters before they were proven. Then he went to prison.

 

What? A multitude of "half-decent" fighters? What's this "multitude" you speak of?

Other than Ike, who beat Byrd? There was Wlad Klitschko and NOBODY until the end of Byrd's career.

And other than Ike, who beat Tua? There was Lennox Lewis, Byrd and NOBODY ... until the end of Tua's career.

Ike's wins over the undefeated 28-year-old Byrd and the undefeated 25-year-old Tua were very impressive and remain so ... because other than Wlad and Lewis, nobody else beat them until they were 40ish.

And Ike beat them first, before Lewis and Wlad.

Ike makes Bonecrusher quit inside five. Smith lacked heart.

 

I'm talking of Everton Davis and Tim Ray the two fights between Byrd and Tua. A multitude of guys, decent and half decent, recorded simular results as ike beating Davis and Ray. Nothing that outstanding there. The Byrd and Tua wins were good wins but ultimately wins over two unbeaten guys who had yet to beat rated fighters. As good as he looks, Ikes whole resume is wins over guys who had not beat "at the time" rated fighters.

 

Ike had too much rhythm and flow and power for Bonecrusher. But BC had that one punch power that could change everything in a split second. Favor Ike but one mistake would be fatal.

One thing about Ike he always made great fights with his aggressive fearless style. You wonder if BC's power would alter Ike's approach.

 

I disagree with the idea that Bonecrusher had one-punch power. Bonecrusher usually had to club a guy a half-dozen times to get a knockout. Fighters who weren't known for their chins, like Marvis Frazier, Michael Moorer, Adilson Rodrigues, etc., all did just fine moving around a little and not letting Bonecrusher hit them more than once a time.

People weren't bouncing Ibeabuchi off the canvas in the ring or in sparring. He was good at boxing and moving. And was more or less a phenom at the time his career ended.

On the other hand, if not for the Witherspoon rematch, when a bloated Spoon claimed he took a dive, Smith would've been all but forgotten. He failed against nearly everyone.

Limited career as it was, Ike didn't fail against anyone.

 

No he wasn't a phenom. Ike showed promise. That is not the same as being Joe Louis or Mike Tyson. I hoped ike would fight Lewis. But he was already spiralling out of control outside of the ring.

He certainly did not look a phenom before the Tua fight, between the Tua fight and Bryd fight.

Everton Davis? Nothing phenomenological there.

 

Oh please. The 25-year-old Olympian David Tua had already knocked out Ruiz, Maskaev, Izon and Wilson and was rated #3 by the WBC when Ibeabuchi beat him.

It's not like Tua just put on a pair of gloves and didn't know what he was doing.

This is nonsense. It's not like Tua and Byrd never amounted to anything. Nobody except IKE and Wlad beat Chris Byrd until Byrd was an old fighter.

Nobody beat Tua except IKE and Lewis and Byrd until Tua was 40.

Looking back, the Tua that Ibeabuchi defeated was probably the best version of Tua to ever step in the ring - certainly better than the Tua that Lewis and Byrd defeated (who had to take ice baths and wrap himself in plastic to get in "shape").

You had to be good to beat Tua and Byrd, especially when they were at their best ... because basically nobody did but Ike and two first-ballot Hall of Famers.

If they'd fought, Bonecrusher wouldn't have been in Ike's league. If you can't beat Marvis Frazier or Adilson Rodrigues, you aren't beating Ike Ibeabuchi.