I feel like this should have happened in 1998. Ike was always destined to be a headcase. He had already beaten Tua so this fight should have happened. Strangely, I can see Ike having at least a 50 percent chance of winning it. The Lewis who beat Tua probably decisions Ike. But the version that got staggered vs Briggs? Yeah I can see Ike finding him early and never letting go.
I don't recall any talks of Lewis-Ibeabuchi, other than maybe from fans who wanted to see it. According to Wiki, Ike was out for 13 months due to legal problems after beating Tua in June 1997. He won a couple fights after coming back, then beat Byrd in March 1999. The only fights offered to him after that, according to Wiki, were Jeremy Williams and Michael Grant, both of which Ike turned down. That was around the time legal problems ended his career. This is what The Ring's Annual Ratings for 1999 looked like. Not sure why the title was listed vacant, since Lewis beat Holyfield in November 1999, but this is what's listed: Title: Vacant 1) Lennox Lewis 2) Evander Holyfield 3) Michael Grant 4) Ike Ibeabuchi 5) David Tua 6) Mike Tyson 7) Vitali Klitschko 8) Andrew Golota 9) Derrick Jefferson 10) Oleg Maskaev I think Ike could have gone around 7-2 against this group perhaps, maybe 8-1 depending on what Ibeabuchi-V. Klitschko would have looked like at that time, which I really have no idea. Lewis is the one solid loss for Ike though IMO. Ibeabuchi was damn good, but I never liked the Lewis matchup for him. Lewis was at his best when threatened, which would have been the case here. I can see Lewis keeping Ike at bay with that jab, and dropping enough right hands on him to maybe get a late stoppage, or at least a clear decision.
brilliant post. Thanks for this info. While I agree a focused Lewis wins a decision over Ike, what if Lewis fights a sloppy round 1 like he did vs Briggs? He could get into a lot of trouble. Ike has himself to blame. He should have been fighting g in 98.
Yes, Lewis was by no means a lock to win that one. If Ike managed to find Lewis' chin the way he did Byrd's, it could have been a McCall/Rahman situation all over again. I think Lewis beats both Rahman & McCall 9 times out of 10 though, whereas Lewis maybe beats Ike 7 or 8 times out of 10, but that's just my guess. Wish we could have seen it all play out.
