Boxing’s all-time, all-prison team

Let’s select a team of guys who did hard time who distinguished themselves in the ring, a top performer for each weight class.

I’ll start it off:

Heavyweight: Ike Ibeabuchi kidnapped the son of his former girlfriend and crippled the 15-year-old when he ran head-on into a concrete embankment at high speed in a suicide attempt; ttacked escorts in his hotel room in Las Vegas on two different occasions, spending time in Nevada prison; got out and violated parole on an old charge in Arizona to get himself locked up again; bizarre behavior and severe mental problems.

Honorable mention: Clifford Etienne, who learned to box in prison in Louisiana, had a decent career (found his ceiling when he started facing top guys), currently serving 105 years without possibility of parole after robbing a business in Baton Rouge, carjacking a vehicle with a woman and her children and pulling a gun on police officers after he was run down.

Cruiserweight: Open to suggestions

Ligh heavyweight: James Scott beat two No. 1 contenders while in Rahway (NJ) state prison, convicted of armed robbery and then murder (first trial ended in a hung jury, convicted on retrial); learned to box in a NJ prison while incarcerated on a prior charge.

Super middleweight: Open to suggestions.

Middleweight: Carlos Monzon, undisputed champion for seven years, murdered Alicia Muniz by strangling her and throwing her off a second-floor balcony; previously jailed several times for domestic violence and also beat up several paparazzi.

Junior middleweight: Tony Ayala, ******, was a rising ‘can’t-miss’ contender but had several sexual assault charges — the last of which got him sentenced to 35 years as a repeat offender. Made a comeback when being released that fell flat after a few wins.

Welterweight and below: Open to suggestions.

 

The boxing/criminality scale is in the eye of the beholder. As you see fit.