The best heavyweight who never was

Ike

The heavyweight division is an interesting place right now and it’s sure to get more interesting with the re-emergence of one-time dreadnought Ike Ibeabuchi.

The Nigerian was the can’t-miss prospect in the 1990s when he was tearing up the division, laying waste to the likes of Chris Byrd and David Tua, but then he ran into trouble with the law.

On November 2001 he received sentences of two to 10 years for battery and three to 20 years for attempted sexual assault related to hiring a dancer to visit his hotel room in Las Vegas.

Ibeabuchi is 43 and hasn’t fought in 16 years, but he plans to fight on after being released from custody last month.

He’s already signed up with Manny Pacquiao’s advisor and has a fight date on Pacman’s next tournament bill in April, assuming he passes the stringent medicals.

At his peak, Ibeabuchi was a Mike Tyson lookalike with tremendous speed and power. “The President” fought for SA-born Cedric Kushner and looked for all the world like a champion in the making:

His ambition is laudable, but Ibeabuchi’s heavyweight dream must be a long shot. Although big guys typically mature in their mid-30s, action is what keeps them sharp and a 16-year layoff won’t have done Ibeabuchi any good. He could probably bang out a couple of contenders, but it’s unlikely he could hang tough with younger, faster fighters like Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua or Alexander Povetkin.

No matter. It’s a comeback unlike any other and will be compelling in every way.