Ike Ibeabuchi - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Ikemefula "Ike" Charles Ibeabuchi (born February 2, 1973 in Isuochi, Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

) is a former professional heavyweight

Heavyweight

Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...

boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

who defeated highly ranked contender David Tua

David Tua

David "Tuamanator" Tua is a New Zealand professional heavyweight boxer, fighting out of South Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.He is a former WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion....

and future heavyweight titlist Chris Byrd

Chris Byrd

Chris Cornelius Byrd is a retired and former professional boxer. He is the former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion. His nickname is "Rapid Fire".- Early life :...

. Ibeabcuhi's ring nickname is "The President." After compiling a record of 20-0 with 15 knockouts, he was imprisoned following charges that he tried to rape a woman in Las Vegas in July 1999.

Amateur career

Ibeabuchi planned on joining the Nigerian military before he witnessed Buster Douglas knockout Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson

Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...

in 1990. Inspired by the fight, Ibeabuchi started boxing.

Ibeabuchi twice defeated countryman and eventual 1996 Olympic bronze medalist Duncan Dokiwari

Duncan Dokiwari

Duncan Dalnajeneso Danagogo Dokiwari is a Nigerian boxer. At the 1996 Summer Olympics he won a Men's Super Heavyweight bronze medal, together with Aleksey Lezin of Russia.-Background:...

. He emigrated to the Dallas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

area with his mother in 1993 and won the Dallas and Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

Golden Gloves tournaments in 1994.

Professional career

Under the guidance of former world welterweight champion Curtis Cokes

Curtis Cokes

Curtis Cokes is a former boxer from Dallas, Texas, United States. Cokes was world welterweight champion, and he was famous for his training regimen, which he also imposed on other boxers training with him.-Pre-championship career:...

, Ibeabuchi made his professional debut with a second round knockout of Ismael Garcia on October 13, 1994.

Battle with David Tua

After winning 16 straight fights against club fighters and journeymen, Ibeabuchi made a big jump in competition and fought undefeated prospect David Tua

David Tua

David "Tuamanator" Tua is a New Zealand professional heavyweight boxer, fighting out of South Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.He is a former WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion....

for the WBC

World Boxing Council

The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...

International

----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...

Heavyweight

title on June 7, 1997. Tua was 27-0 and considered by many analysts to be the "next Tyson."

The fight was nothing short of spectacular. Both threw bombs and neither took a backward step all night. They set a heavyweight record with 1,730 punches thrown. Ibeabuchi also set the individual record by throwing 975 punches and averaging 81 per round. The heavyweight average is around 50. Ibeabuchi won by a unanimous decision with scores of 117-111, 116-113, and 115-114. The fight established Ibeabuchi as a top contender.

Troubles outside the ring

Immediately after the fight with Tua, Ibeabuchi began complaining of a terrible headache. He was taken directly to the hospital where he underwent several tests, including an MRI. From what the latest advances in scientific technology could detect, there was nothing at all wrong with him. He showed no evidence of brain bleeds or swelling. Nothing was found and he was sent home with a clean bill of health.

After being released from the hospital, Ibeabuchi began to swear that he was being plagued by demons; evil spirits that only he and his mother could see.

A couple of months after the Tua fight, distraught over a perceived snub in the WBC rankings, Ibeabuchi abducted the 15-year-old son of his former girlfriend and slammed his car into a concrete pillar on Interstate 35 north of Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

. According to the criminal complaint, the boy suffered "numerous injuries" from the accident "and will never walk normally again." Ibeabuchi was charged with kidnapping and attempted murder, but the courts concluded he was trying to commit suicide and he was sentenced to 120 days after pleading guilty to false imprisonment. He also paid a $500,000 civil settlement.

"It was a very frustrating case because what he did wasn't as clearly criminal as what I expected him to get involved with down the line," said District Attorney John Bradley, who prosecuted Ibeabuchi. "I fully expected that his contact with the criminal justice system had not ended with our county. We weren't able to get him examined, but it sure seemed to me -- even if he was a heavyweight boxer looking at making millions of dollars -- that he should have been committed to a psychiatric community and treated."

Ibeabuchi developed a new persona based on his nickname, "The President." At times when he was being churlish or refusing to complete a simple requirement such as attending a weigh-in, his handlers would appeal to The President's regal nature by convincing him it was the noble thing to do. "There were times when he thought he was really a president," boxing promoter and former HBO Sports executive Lou DiBella

Lou DiBella

Louis John DiBella, Jr. is a boxing promoter and television/film producer. He is Founder and CEO of DiBella Entertainment based in New York City...

said. "He would get into these mental states where he insisted on people calling him The President. It was his alter ago, where 'I am The President,' not of the United States, but maybe the world."

Promoter Cedric Kushner said Ibeabuchi on two occasions had to be literally dragged onto airplanes before fights because of perceived demonic forces.

Once Ibeabuchi wielded a knife during a dinner meeting in New York to discuss a possible three-fight HBO deal. "We were having a fine meal at a nice restaurant," Kushner said, "and mid-course Ike picked up a big carving knife, slammed it into the table and screamed 'They knew it! They knew it! The belts belong to me! Why don't they just give them back.'" "That was a peculiar experience," Kushner said. "That wasn't the type of conduct I expected to romance the guy from HBO. (Ibeabuchi) was like a Viking."

Comeback

Ibeabuchi returned to the ring after thirteen months of inactivity and scored a first round knockout over journeyman Tim Ray in July 1998. Two months later, he stopped journeyman Everton Davis in nine rounds.

Ibeabuchi's next fight would be against Chris Byrd

Chris Byrd

Chris Cornelius Byrd is a retired and former professional boxer. He is the former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion. His nickname is "Rapid Fire".- Early life :...

in March 1999. Byrd, a 1992 Olympic silver medalist and a future world heavyweight champion, was a quick and slick southpaw with a record of 26-0.

While training for the Byrd fight, one of Ibeabuchi's sparring partners, Ezra Sellers, cut him during a sparring session.

The cut was on the left eyelid and would take four stitches. Sellers had his gloves and handwraps removed by Jay Wilson, Ibeabuchi's assistant trainer. Afterward, Sellers retrieved his wedding ring from his gym bag and went over to apologize.

Ibeabuchi spotted the ring and accused Sellers of intentionally cutting him. Sellers said Ibeabuchi then kicked him in the right knee.

"As I was falling, I grabbed him and he wound up on top of me, straddling me, and he was punching my head and then he was choking me, and finally they pulled him off me," Sellers said. "I said, 'Your own trainer wrapped my hand,' and that sent him off after (Wilson)."

Sellers left the gym to find a policeman. That's when he realized he couldn't walk and took a cab instead to a hospital. He was told to forget a March 12 boxing date because of torn knee ligaments.

After leaving the hospital, he filed charges. So did Wilson.

A former Kushner matchmaker, Bill Benton, was dispatched by the promoter and HBO to check on Ibeabuchi. Benton said the Sellers incident was "just a gym skirmish" and the fight with Byrd went off as planned.

After four rounds, the three judges had the fight scored even: 38-38, 39-37 for Ibeabuchi, and 39-37 for Byrd. In the fifth, Ibeabuchi landed a devastating left hook that sent Byrd to the canvas. Byrd made it back to his feet but was quickly sent back down. Byrd once again rose, but was trapped against the ropes and taking punishment as the referee waived it off at the 2:59 mark.

Following the win over Byrd, Ibeabuchi turned down $700,000 to fight fringe contender Jeremy Williams

Jeremy Williams (boxer)

Jeremy Williams is a former professional boxer and mixed martial artist.-Amateur career:As an amateur, he was the 1989 and 1990 United States amateur Light Heavyweight champion and the 1990 and 1991 National Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight champion, and is a member of the Golden Gloves hall of...

and $1 million for a showdown with the undefeated Michael Grant

Michael Grant (boxer)

Michael Anthony Grant is a professional heavyweight boxer. He is 6' 7" tall, with an 86' reach. A natural born athlete before boxing he blossomed into a three-sport star at Chicago's Harper High School...

Imprisonment

In July 1999, Ibeabuchi was staying at The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas when he phoned a local escort service and had a woman sent to his room.

The 21-year-old woman said she was there to strip and nothing else. She claimed he attacked her in the walk-in closet after she demanded to be paid up front.

"He invites her up to his room and begins to get physical with her," said Christopher Lalli, a Clark County chief deputy district attorney. It got loud enough that people in the adjoining room notified hotel security.

"When they enter the room," Lalli said, "a woman, naked from the waist down, is running toward them."

Ibeabuchi barricaded himself in the bathroom, and police discharged pepper spray under the door to coax his surrender.

Ibeabuchi's defense faced the further difficulty of the Clark County DA's reopening of a similar sexual assault allegation from eight months earlier that took place next door to The Mirage, at sister-property Treasure Island Hotel and Casino

Treasure Island Hotel and Casino

Treasure Island Hotel & Casino is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, USA with 2,664 rooms and 220 suites, and is connected by tram to The Mirage as well as pedestrian bridge to the Fashion Show Mall shopping center...

.

He was released on bail and placed on house arrest -- able to train and fight again until his trial -- but he was remanded after two more sexual-assault allegations surfaced in Arizona.

"The troubling thing for us was this was not an isolated incident," Lalli says.

Lalli says the case against Ibeabuchi's crimes at The Mirage was solid. There was physical evidence, eyewitness testimony, a pattern of unacceptable behavior.

"It was evidence you don't have nine times out of 10 in these cases when you go to trial," Lalli said.

Ibeabuchi was deemed incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a state facility for the mentally ill. Medical experts concluded he exhibited bipolar disorder, and a judge granted permission to force-medicate him. Eight months later, 2½ years after his arrest, he was ruled cogent enough to plea.

He entered an Alford plea

Alford plea

An Alford plea in United States law is a guilty plea in criminal court, where the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence...

, conceding the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him while not admitting guilt. Had he gone to trial and been found guilty of rape, he could have received 10 years to life in prison, but instead he got two to 10 years for battery with intent to commit a crime and three to 20 years for attempted sexual assault, to be served consecutively.

Ibeabuchi was paroled on the first charge in 2001 and has been denied parole on the second charge three times. He was denied parole in August 2004, in August 2007 and again in February 2009. He is not eligible for another hearing until May 1, 2012, at which time he will be 39. Ibeabuchi also faces likely deportation.

"We felt confident he was going to spend a good chunk of time in prison and then get kicked out of the country," Lalli said.

Since his incarceration, Ibeabuchi has earned two college degrees from Western Nevada Community College: an Associate of General Studies and an Associate of Applied Science in General Business.

Professional boxing record

Chris Byrd

Chris Cornelius Byrd is a retired and former professional boxer. He is the former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion. His nickname is "Rapid Fire".- Early life :...

|TKO
|5
|
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Everton Davis
|TKO
|9
|
|align=left|

Tim Ray
|TKO
|1
|
|align=left|

David Tua

David "Tuamanator" Tua is a New Zealand professional heavyweight boxer, fighting out of South Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.He is a former WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion....

|UD
|12
|
|align=left|

Marcos Gonzalez
|KO
|4
|
|align=left|

Marion Wilson

Marion Wilson, born October 19, 1956 in Florence, SC, is a heavyweight boxer. Marion, despite having faced a who's who list of heavyweight elite, has never been knocked out. He was once stopped, by Derek Isaman in 1991, which was due to a cut...

|UD
|10
|
|align=left|

Calvin Jones
|TKO
|2
|
|align=left|

Rodney Blount
|KO
|3
|
|align=left|

Anthony Wade
|PTS
|8
|
|align=left|

Herman Delgado
|TKO
|4
|
|align=left|

Mike Acklie
|TKO
|1
|
|align=left|

Gary Butler
|KO
|1
|
|align=left|

Calvin Lampkin
|KO
|2
|
|align=left|

Greg Pickrom
|TKO
|3
|
|align=left|

Terry Porter
|TKO
|3
|
|align=left|

Martin Lopez
|KO
|1
|
|align=left|

|align=left|
|-align=center
|Win
|4–0
|align=left|Keith Walton
|UD
|6
|
|align=left|

Ron McGowan
|KO
|3
|
|align=left|

Calvin Lampkin
|PTS
|4
|
|align=left|

Ismael Garcia
|KO
|2
|
|align=left|

|align=left|
|-align=center

External links

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