Ike Ibeabuchi (1997-98) vs Riddick Bowe (1992-93) - who was better and who would win?

I count Riddick Bowe as probably the most technically skilled "Super Heavyweight" ever.

This was not consistently displayed because its hard to show skill when you have one eye on your bad conditioning. It was never perfectly executed -he is a heavyweight after all. Hell, if heavyweights were students at the "Ray Arcel School of Boxing Technique," they'd be kept back as a class.

Bowe's defeat of Holyfield was impressive in every way. I'm very partial to skill and experience, and I like his size and speed too.

But Ike would beat him.

He'd hurt Bowe at some point, and Riddick would not recover. Remember what Holyfield did in the rubber match? Ike does something similar and Bowe falls, and if (IF) he is bold enough to get up, he won't finish.

Ibeabuchi is too strong. Too powerful. And he was, in fact, well-schooled. Ike would do what Golota should've done, but he'd do it to the best version of Riddick. He was better than Golota -that other coulda/shoulda/woulda been.

The heavyweight division, as a class, was lucky that his career ended because I honestly believe that the brain damage stats would have risen remarkably in the division as a class ... especially given these poor dopes we got these days. Especially the Americans.

Ike was a beast.

I know what I saw.

Ike was a beast.

 

A very controlled and accurate one at that.

 

Golota was a capable fighter, 6'4 240 plus big man. He was undefeated at 28-0 and had just stopped another up and coming contender in Danell Nicholson. Golota just turned out to be a mental midget. Ive asked you to explain your prior arguement to which you switch it up with the same thing over and over. He avoided big punchers because he was beaten by Lewis in the olympics and didnt contest the outcome and threw his belt in the trash rather than fighting him?? Please explain how he avoided Tyson and Morrison? Your claiming you followed the sport closely??
I suppose you could say he avoided Ruddock if anyone, but that had a lot to do with the WBC and Don King. Holyfield did the same thing. Bowe also (after the Holyfield fight), signed a multifight agreement with HBO for a potential 100 million, the richest contract in boxing to date, which included a Lewis fight down the road rather than opting to face Lewis right after Holyfield. I guess that was a stupid move right?
If Golota was not a big puncher why is Ray Mercer, who you say Bowe ducked?? Who has he ever knocked out, Tommy Morrison?? Who else has he knocked out that classifies him as such a monstrous puncher?

So lets be clear. Tyson was in jail, so Bowe couldnt possibly face him even though you say Bowe ducked him. There was no reason to face Morrison because he was knocked out by Mercer whom Bowe was scheduled to fight as per his first or second defense under his HBO contract but you say Bowe ducked Morrison. Ruddock, who Bowe opted to fight for the WBA mandatory spot instead of dealing with Don King and the WBC and who else? I cant think of anyone else? The Lewis fight was going to happen at some point. Lewis was stopped by Mcall, which further pushed it back and Bowe retired after the second Golota fight, a supposed tuneup for Lewis which was going to happen had he won in inspiring fashion.

 

Bowe was not even close to the same fighter when he faced Holyfield in the rubber match and Golota, he fought on pure heart. There was no proof that Ike was in the class of a prime Holyfield or Bowe. We were close to finding out though as King had stolen Ike away from Kushner and was very close to matching him against Holyfield before the tracks fell off.

 

Ike would have given Bowe hell. The way he stood toe to toe with Tua proved his strength and durability, I can't see Bowe stopping him. The Bowe who fought Holyfield was a beast as well though and I'm sure this fight would have been a classic seesaw battle.

I would favour Ike over any version of Bowe other than the one who fought Holyfield. It would be close but Bowe by a close decision.

 

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Add the great Jazzy Jeff Wooden to your list of potential ATG's of the period. He barely lost a disputed majority decision against the great David Tua in the similar manner Ike won.

 

it would be a great fight but gotta go with bowe. you saw more of what bowe could then you saw of ibeabuchi. prime bowe ibeauchi two highlights are beating and undersized hw in bryd and winnign a close fight with tua, and as previously mentioned, a guy who is overrtaed around here. and he didnt look so great against marion wilson

 

Riddick bowe wins............. Ike was a myth....

 

I think the only fighter you could claim Bowe ducked was Lewis and even then that is debatable, I don't believe he ever faced a big puncher but I don't think this was by design rather it was just the way the cards fell, lets face it we talk about Golota' problems but Bowe's were worse I mean the man kidnapped his family at gunpoint this actually far worse than anything Golota did.

I suppose you could say that Bowe and Ibeabuchi were both as mad as rattlesnakes.

Also I hear a lot of rubbish about Tua here the man had huge legal and contractual disputes and this affected most of his later efforts in tha ring.

 

How the heck is that debatable? He signed a contract to fight him, then refused and rather gave up his championship belt, you know, the one every boy dreams of his entire life, rather than facing Lewis. I can hardly think of a more clear example of a champion ducking a challenger in the history of boxing.

 

x2:good

 

Look, you simply focus on the lesser important point than on the primary and fool no one.

Bowe was destroyed by Lewis.

Bowe and his management threw their title in the garbage rather than defend against Lewis.

They knew Bowe's chin would not hold up against Lennox.

Your defense of Golata is a pathetic reach. Again I ask, who did he ever defeat ?

Despite your jibber jab, the word on Bowe from all the trainers who saw him as an amateur in NY was his heart and his chin. Fact: He was knocked out multiple times in his amateur career at advanced stages. His chin was simply , always a question mark. He was big and talented enough to defeat the second raters you listed but against the very best big punchers they were quite concerned ..It's clear you simply do not know the fact ...Historians of the division such as Teddy Atlas and Emanuel Steward have also made mention of this many times in interviews through the years ...

The man gave up a heavyweight championship title rather than fight Lewis. What more is there needed o be said ...

 

No Im disputing what you originally posted. You obviously have no answer.

No he wasnt, it was a debateable stoppage, which is besides the point of your original statements, besides it was the olympics. Jorge Luis Gonzalez stopped Bowe too, was he scared of him??

Your still skirting the question. I smply compared him to Mercer who was just as unproven as a big puncher, unless you put a lot of stock in knocking out Tommy Morrison. Again Golota was an up and coming contender at the time, undefeated with a good knockout record. If Bowe and company were so weary of punchers, they wouldnt have chosen Golota as an HBO fight? Do you have any inside info on Golota as a weak puncher? Word from Roger Bloodworth and company was that Golota was a big strong kid that was hurting guys like David Tua in the gym. Its easy to say now who did Golota ever beat but at the time, would you have considered a 6'4 240 plus undefeated man who was stopping contenders a weak puncher?
They also wouldnt have chosen Jorge Luis Gonzalez. Gonzalez had beaten Bowe far worse than Lewis in the amatuers, was undefeated as a pro, albeit against second rate competition, but still he was a threat they could have avoided, especially considering he had a win over Bowe as well. Would have steered clear of Bert Cooper as well, he had Holyfield almost out in his first defense of the title as well as hurting many top class fighters.

Despite your jibber jabber you have completely changed the entire discussion to Lennox Lewis. Im still waiting for you to list all these dangerous punchers he avoided? Yes Bowe was known to be lazy in the gym, but he showed plenty of heart and balls in his fights, and especially in his trilogy against the feather fisted small Evander Holyfield.

Yes he did, he gave up 1/3 of his undisputed title, just as Lennox Lewis did and Mike Tyson did, for reasons more than just ducking an opponent.

 

WHy are you laughing, no one considers Holyfield a concussive puncher