I scored it 115 to 113 in favour of Ike ibeabuchi … but it could have either way !! Your scorecards ?
I had Ike winning, and was excited by the potential fights ahead for him,,,,,and I was shot down in flames.
I had it 115-113 Ibeabuchi but it could've gone either way. But I felt like Ibeabuchi won too many of the early rounds.
I don't even remember, but I will contribute this... Most people are going to say Ike, not because he won convincingly...he didn't...but because the narrative has developed. "It was tough fight, and you could have seen it as a draw...hell, even Tua winning by a point would not have been a screwjob or anything. But I had Ike up by two on my scorecards..." Or something like that. Once the narrative developed over time, it becomes a pseudo-fact. No reason to revisit it.
But often folks saw it this exact way. I saw it on HBO at the time. Ike landed more & yes won a bunch of early rounds. I cannot see how Tua likely won more rounds-well it was close enough someone can see it that way, but I do not see it.
This is what I wrote the last time I viewed it. The first time I watched it I had Ike by a point. David Tua v Ike Ibeabuchi Round 1: 10-9 Ike Round 2: 10-9 Ike Round 3: 10-9 Ike Round 4: 10-9 Ike Round 5: 10-10 Even Round 6: 10-9 Tua Round 7: 10-9 Tua Round 8: 10-9 Tua Round 9: 10-9 Ike Round 10: 10-9 Tua Round 11: 10-9 Tua Round 12: 10-10 Even Total: 115-115 Draw (actual scores: 115-114, 116-113 and 117-111 all for Ike) I think I agreed on only about half of Harold Lederman's card, but one thing we did agree on was that this is a very difficult fight to score. Not so much for the reasons he stated (that with heavy's it is hard to see inside work) but, my reasoning that, do you score for the heavier, eye-catching blows or the consistent ones. You have to find a happy medium for yourself - something no one else can show you. For instance the 9th round that Harold scored for Tua and I gave Ike. I thought Tua did very little that round but threw and landed a couple of haymakers. I was more impressed with the busier Ike and that jab of his, which I feel is one of the best jabs I've seen a heavyweight throw. Hard and pin-point. Anyways, I'm on my soapbox, suffice to say a great fight and I'll bet everyone has a different score on this one. Just a tough fight on the judge, let alone the combatants.
Bullseye ... it was an amazing fight , neck and neck w Bowe-Holyfield 1 for best heavyweight fight of that generation .. Ike became the story because he came from nowhere to show such toughness and skill .. the pace kept and the bombs thrown and landed by both were insane .. I always thought it was razor close , narrative aside but we never saw that Tua again either .. he was never as dedicated and focused and willing to leave it all in the ring as he was that night .. and Ike went on the become one of the great what ifs ...
Ac dc with Bon Scott vs ac dc with Brian Johnson ? I always liked Johnson better !!!! And his version of sin city smokes bons