I think the Bowe who beat Holyfield in 1992 was sensational so I'll go with Bowe by either UD or late-TKO.
We'll never know how Ike would do against a big man of Bowe's prime caliber but if you had to judge based off of the inside fight he lodged against prime Tua, a short man, you might favor Ike. Bowe wouldn't get him out of there if David didn't with the sheer volume and force of the shots he was firing and landing.
Agreed. The fly in the ointment with a guy like Ibeabuchi is/was how the guy would've dealt with the pressure of a big fight. Those unstable guys don't seem to handle big pressure very well & I just don't think Ike would've either. And I don't think Ike lasts very long at the top if he did make it there, anyway. For the above reason and the fact the guy had already been through a ton of trainers. My guess is the guy wins a bout with Bowe and loses a rematch and pretty much is a win a few lose a few guy at that stage for the remainder of his career. He was putting on weight afterall and that trend could very well continue as far as physical degradation is concerned. And the guy certainly did get hit. The far bigger problem is mental issues and he was going to have to carry a lot more weight on those shoulders, once he got to the top.
He handled pressure pretty good against Tua. He also overcame a lot of frustration swinging and missing against Byrd, but Bowe was a different animal. He would be going against a different kind of fighter. Who knows, Ibeabuchi didnt show me enough against a fighter of prime Bowes skillset to beat him in only 20 fights, but it would be a good fight for sure. He seemed to keep himself together pretty good in the ring.
But there's a lot more weight on those shoulders once the big expectations are there. Some folks handle it a lot better than others. Pressure to succeed and pressure to stay on top. Especially once the big money starts rolling in. Like i said, if he beats a Bowe , it'd be a close decision and a lot of new issues and problems coming along with the victory. Tua was a big favorite for their bout and it was Ike that rose to the occasion and surprised folks. If they thought he was going to provide that stern of a test, there was no way the Duva camp would've taken on an Ibeabuchi at the time. They did have plenty of options other than an Ike bout. As for Byrd, he was the rare breed that will fight anyone anytime and anywhere. I'm sure if he had different management, that Ibeabuchi fight never ever takes place. They would've gone in another direction and fought a lessor opponent for essentially a decent payday. But Byrd fights anyone & is a road warrior to boot. Ibeabuchi did have endurance and a decent enough chin. Threw every punch in the book and it was a left uppercut that caught the byrdman. He certainly got hit though and was sort of 1 dimensional in his attack. And personally, I like the Bowe chances when he fights guys he has a big size advantage over. And if they fight 3x, I think it's a 2-1 series and think neither guy is going 3-0 against the other becuase of their faults.
Bowe. More proven. Ibeabuchi could whack but isn't gonna' cause Bowe as much trouble as Holy. It would be an absolute war but Bowe has his brilliant right uppercut on the inside and his strength to hold his own in there, and the size and jab to win the fight at any other range. A close, competitive fight but with Bowe doing the better work throughout. 116-112 decision.
Without a doubt it would be a war and a back and forth close fight. Also Ibeauchi is much stronger than Holyfield and similar in style so Bowe doesnt have quite the same size advantage but his reach/height still help him. Bowe is the more dynamic force though and I think this gives him the edge
This is difficult, Bowe burned out before he could cement a legacy, Ibeabuchi self-destructed before he made any inroads .. I'd go with Bowe simply because in the couple of fights were he shone he looked like a great fighter, displaying some nice fluid skills, a great left jab and an attacking nature that always took the fight too you .. Ibeabuchi's win over Byrd was nice but his fight with Tua is constantly over-rated by people, and for that matter Tua is constantly over-rated .. I thought Tua was the epitomy of a 1 dimensional fighter, he had nothing but a dynamite left hook and in regard to the Ibeabuchi v Tua fight, that fight could have easily gone the other way or at least a draw, Tua came back into that fight big time in the late rounds .... Bowe didnt last long but i think in his best days he was vastly better than anything Ike ever showed, Bowe would pepper him with the jab, throw some rights and Bowe could put some sharp combinations together at his best, but he was sloppy and open at times, whether Ike was really good enough to take advantage is another matter .. Bowe UD (in his best days)
Tua really wasnt overated. He was brought along pretty tough and fought the better contenders on his way up through the rankings probably the best of his whole class. The problem with Tua was that to make it all work he had to stay active and in shape. He was one dimensional but his tremendous pressure along with his power usually caught up with all his opponents sooner or later. When Dan Duva passed away and Main Events was broken up Tua became a free agent and signed with Dan Goosens America Presents. Goosen proceeded to feed him a steady diet of stiffs after he secured his IBF shot against Rahman, ultimately so he could cash him out against Lennox Lewis. Who knows if he would have done better against Lewis, but I think the Tua that fought in the mid 220's would have stood a much better chance. I also think if Tua had signed with Don King he most likely would have held a major belt at some point in the later part of the 90's.
Wholeheartedly agree. It's rare that I like a guy to sign up with Don King promotions, but this would be a classic example. Look at the brilliant job DKP did with Ruiz and he was just a little bit after the Tuaman. Talk about opportunities. I'm sure Tua gets more than 1 title shot under King and it would never have been against Lewis and against guys he'd match up better with.
