Ike Ibeabuchi v.s Rocky Marciano

I think what it comes down to is the excitement some fans get about a bodybuilder who can actually fight. What level he fought at dosnt appear to count.

We have to constantly make an allowance for those who put such stock into what these guys look like, even though there is no historical importance.

Take the bodybuilder part away from Ike and there is far less interest.

...A prospect who was locked up just as he became a contender?

Physique over substance all over again...

 

Who is this one handed heavyweight ?Not Tua ,if you believe that he was one handed you definitely aren't qualified to talk about him!

People keep repeating something they've heard/read until they think it is true .
They need to stop repeating BullSh*t and actually watch the guy who they are pontificating on, FIGHT on film.
It boils my p*ss to keep seeing this ignorant cr*p on boxing sites!:fire:twisted:
Short? What was the height differential between Tua and Marciano and who had the longer reach?

 

This is how I see it.

Unfortunately we are starting to see a new generation of boxing fans, who don’t value anything other than physique in a fighter.

Ibeabuchi is an interesting "what if", and nothing more.

He might have been a future lineal champion, or he might just have been another Tua.

 

The young boxing fans are akin to those that watch the WWE. It's not about the wrestling....it's about size and muscle. WWE that's very important. In the sport of boxing it's a bit down the list regarding what makes a great fighter. In fact it's not on the list at all.

 

It's tough to rate Ike and frustrating because he was a true talent that we never saw enough of .. he had decent speed and ring intelligence. He is the only guy to catch a prime Byrd and take him out .. he had terrific stamina and a monster chin as the bout against perhaps the best Tua ever showed .. he could box and he could punch and he was a big guy .. I don't see how the much smaller Marciano , who won by overpowering and out muscling guys lasts more than a few rounds .. no knock on Rocky but weight divisions exist for a reason ..

 

Nail on the head.:good

 

Given Ibeabuchi’s temperament, you might conclude that he would probably have ended up nearer the lower end of the range of possible scenarios, had he managed to stay out of prison.

 

To get a perspective on Ike his whole career needs to be looked at not just the two noted fights he had that everybody talks about. In his fight with Greg Pickrom nobody cared who he was. Have you even seen that fight? He gets knocked down by a former light heavyweight!

Intrestingly in the commentary for ike's fight against 210 unbeaten Greg pikrom the commentator says "greg looks the same size, these are both big guys" at that point greg is considered the better prospect -( especially after he knocks ibeabuchi onto one knee) the commentary discuss the merits of cruiserweights, something is said about this because Pickrom had started out at 174 so "would he make a great cruiserweight?". the other guy says "who would want a cruiserweight unless he had to?" which kind of explains the whole 1990s heavyweight ethos.

Here we have two muscular heavyweights comparable in size and frame only one once weighed 174 pounds. Nobody wanted to be a cruiserweight.

We need to remember this was the time fighters vegan to explore different training. Bulking up. Muscles. It went into overdrive.

It begs the question that if cruiser did not exist would fighters need to build themselves up beyond its limit?

Now i am not suggesting there is proof if ibeabuchi was ever smaller than 220 but the guy was not naturaly proportioned. On checking the record of pickrom (comparable frame to ibeabuchi remember) his bodymass grew by 35lb within his first year as a pro. Is that natural?...

 

By tua do you mean a ranked contender for nearly a decade who nearly, beating top contenders, and a few former or future titlists.

 

Ike wasn't knocked down by a cruiser sized fighter, he just lost his balance after a right hand landed on his jaw.

 

I hate to break the news to you, but boxing is a physical sport, where physical advantages come in play. It is not a dancing competition and it is not some magical science from bygone mystical eras. In the end, you have to physically outmatch your foe. For every time a small man walks the tightrope to victory over a much larger foe, there are dozens of examples where the larger foe wins on simple, brute advantage.

Just look at the career of Jim Jeffries.

 

You haven't done yourself or Rocky many favors there.

 

Yeah, Ike just lost his balance after he was punched. That's how the ref saw it, anyway.

 

I think you missed my point

 

It's also got a lot to do with being the best in your own time. Ike was a "what if" kind of guy. He never got around to proving anything or even reaching his own potential. He could gave been the next Micheal Grant. The hype around Grant before Lewis put things into perspective was out of this world.

Since size and the importance of being a big muscle man is such a huge factor you must also pick Carnera over most 190lb champions too?