Who did Ike Ibeabuchi knockout?

I think Ike was a top-level talent, a complete package. He had it all - strength, power, chin, decent speed, great work rate and stamine and pretty good skills. Physically I'd say he was more gifted than Holyfield, he hit harder, his chin was comparably good (great) and his stamina was as good as prime Evander's was. Even if we compare Ike to the one of the most gifted physically heavyweights ever in Lennox Lewis, I'd say they were about evenly gifted. Lewis hit harder, but Ike was a big puncher as well and had much better chin. Lewis was taller, but Ike had better work rate and stamina. So I think that by pure physical attributes Ike was more gifted than Holyfield and basically on the same level as Lewis. But what I didn't like about him was that he was somewhat predictable. He did the same thing, threw the same combinations over and over again. Lennox and Holyfield changed the tempo, they tried different things, they could look lethargic and then explode unexpectedly. Ike was more predictable. That's why I can't say he was going to become an ATG fighter for sure as some people claim... He might have or not... But he would have had to develop his game to became a great champion IMO. One thing we can say for sure though - even with the limited amounts of fights he had, Ike already proved he was very, very good fighter without clear weaknesses.

 

Had Byrd campaigned at Light Heavyweight, he might well have been proven to possess an ATG chin in that division.

Not really. Ibeabuchi scored one stoppage of note and he rightly gets much credit for it - but, in terms of speculatively pitting Ibeabuchi against Greats, it's just one fight on a 20-fight ledger.


You appear to be getting carried away when you frame the outcome of the Byrd/Ibeabuchi bout, as Ibeabuchi "doing what no one else could do to Byrd".

I think there are lots of Heavyweights, past and present, who could have flattened Byrd. But, let's face it, Byrd wasn't ascending into a great era of heavyweight boxing.

I'd suggest that Ibeabuchi did 'what no one else, who Byrd fought, did - until 2006'.

Both times Wlad Klitschko fought Byrd, the latter took a drubbing. The first time was drawn out and painful; the second time was faster and even more brutal.

Byrd was limited as a Heavyweight, which showed at the top tier. And, there weren't many in that top-tier, by then.

Seriously? Ibeabuchi broke down Byrd? That's overstatement, right there^.

Ibeabuchi was being run ragged by Byrd, who himself wasn't especially proven as a Heavyweight, at that stage.

Ibeabuchi was persistent, for sure - and he broke through with effect. That's Heavyweight Boxing.

Partly, quite probably. But, I'd say the price paid had as much to do with his age, as it did his weight.

The bout demonstrated how padded out he had been in his years as a Heavyweight and that he could have, in all likelihood, comfortably campaigned at 175lbs in his prime.

 

absolutely

 

It might be because he fought a whole lot of cans, who posed no offensive threat, whatsoever. That tends to have an impact on appearances - Wouldn't you agree?

Moreover, if you're a savage puncher, in against a shot-to-**** journeyman, throwing at a rate of 60+ punches-per-round (almost all of which are powershots) and landing at a connect-percentage of 50-60%, you'd really expect to be having an early night - not going into the 9th round of a 10-rounder.

 

Yes, there is. He got paid 7-figures not to put on a performance, for which there was no public interest and no competitive challenge.

How many orthodox boxers seek out southpaws because they like fighting them so much?

Wrong. Grant was a fight Lewis took, which had been arranged before WBA mascot, Ruiz, was forced ahead of the queue (after having initially agreed to the Lewis/Grant bout). The Grant fight made more sense and Ruiz turned down an alternative date to face Lewis, with King then forcing the issue in the courts.

As above - and it seems you don't think Ruiz was any particular threat, anyway.

 

Of course his level of opposition has an impact on appearances. But I've seen plenty of boxers against all levels of competition, and I'm pretty confident in my ability to recognize a very hard puncher when I see one. It's not quantum mechanics.

And I think you're mischaracterizing his fights a bit. Ibeabuchi threw plenty of jabs and softer, stay-active/score-points "power punches." He didn't throw every punch with full leverage--when he did the difference was apparent visibly and audibly. He wasn't just some caveman who marched around throwing fully-loaded bombs non-stop. Incidentally, most of your description seems to fit Marciano more than it fits Ibeabuchi...

 

Had he applied this perceived power consistently at the top-tier we might know for sure.

It’s one thing for Ibeabuchi to have the freedom to tee-off, at will, against less than mediocre opposition, many of whom were physically over-matched from the outset and had little in the way of offense. It’s another to be facing men your own size with a stiff, precision jab and artillery behind it, delivered from all angles.

As it is, you are self-certifying your aesthetic appreciation of a big man throwing his fists at weak things. Good for you.

Not in any way that makes a difference to the point being made.

Ibeabuchi had solid power, for sure, he was just not a Shavers/Lyle/Foreman/Tyson/Bowe/Lewis etc etc etc type of puncher and this is obvious, regardless of whatever it is you thought you were seeing back then.

Had he a half-decent offense to deal with, from a man of similar or larger stature, then we'd have seen something more measurable. But, it wasn't to be and that is a shame - but the pity of it isn't going to lead me towards making big, speculative and baseless claims, with a seemingly innate expectation that I'll be taken seriously.

 

I agree. I think Cobra is just moving the goal posts back 500 meters with his top ten puncher comment. No one here said that.

I tend to think he using the 36 weight lbs difference with singularity to diminish Byrd, however if he thinks that way he should probably rate Ike very highly as he has a clear weight advantage over most ATG"s. He can clarify.

 

Are you suggesting the purse to fight Byrd was less than the step aside money? If you saw Lewis vs. Ocasio, you get a hint as to why he wanted no part vs Byrd. Ocasio went the distance. Lewis himself said he dint like Southpaws. Theres no way around that/ I disagree, fans wanted to see Lewis vs Byrd, and Lewis KO Ruiz.

??? Byrd was the mandatory correct? How many champions drop belts to avoid others? Please answer. Its a shameful thing in the eyes of boxing, and optics for Lewis were not good.

Grant was a hype job, exposed in victory vs Goltoa. If you saw that fight, you knew he was meat vs Lewis. I guaranteed you Byrd would have lasted longer than Grant and put up a better fight.

He was a threat to the fans and capable of winning matches with his antics.

 

Yep - Ibeabuchi punched very solidly - but, to my mind, any 240lb+ man should be able to punch hard, with a fair wind.

Either way, as you suggest, determining where Ibeabuchi compares amongst other, more proven punchers, is purely a subjective assessment, which I find to be quite unreliable; especially, with some of the quite obvious, fan-driven agendas, we see pushed on these boards.

 

His power is a tad overrated but Byrd is still a very good knockout victory, mind you. I don't care about that weight excuse

 

I was using your logic, by showing you Ike stopped Byrd faster than the field did, which included Wlad to qualify him as a puncher. I still want to see your top 15 if you up to it, and I'll show you who I think Ike would have beaten.

 

Man Machine said what? Izon a better puncher than Ike and Vitali?