1990s unbeaten heavyweight returns to action after 25 years this weekend

Former heavyweight contender Ike Ibeabuchi is to have the first fight of his ‘comeback’ this weekend in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ibeabuchi, 20-0 (15), is set to return to the ring at the age of 52 in what his first bout since stopping Chris Byrd in 1999. The heavyweight, nicknamed ‘The President’, has been away from the ring for over two decades following his arrest and eventual conviction for battery with intent to commit a crime and attempted sexual assault.

The fighter was imprisoned until 2015, then briefly released before violating his probation and being sent back to jail for an additional four years. It was reported by Boxing News last year that Ibeabuchi was originally scheduled to fight Farouk Abbas in a since-cancelled bout.

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Now, Ibeabuchi will face fellow Nigerian Idris Afinni, 18-8-2 (15), over twelve rounds. Afinni, according to BoxRec, mostly fights out of Nigeria and has no opponents on his record of note. However, Afinni only tends to weigh in for his bouts at around 200lbs, much lighter than Ibeabuchi in his prime.

The original opponent on Saturday for Ike Ibeabuchi was set to be Danny Williams, 55-33 (42), best known for stopping Mike Tyson in 2004. Williams pulled out of the bout beforehand due to injury.

Williams confirmed this in an email to The Independent, saying that the injury had been picked up during sparring. His last bout, also according to BoxRec, was in 2023 when he lost on points over four rounds in Estonia.

Before his convictions, Ibeabuchi was one of the most-feared heavyweight prospects of the mid-to-late 1990s. Fans will remember his 1997 bout with David Tua, held at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, as having then the most punches thrown in a heavyweight bout (Ibeabuchi won on points).

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However, mental-health troubles and criminal convictions derailed a once-promising career. Before being sent to prison, Ibeabuchi also tried to kill himself and a fifteen-year-old passenger by crashing a car. While both survived, the child suffered injuries so grave that they reduced the likelihood of his ever walking normally again.

According to Luke Williams, whose book President of Pandemonium focused on Ibeabuchi, the heavyweight was deported from the US for probation violations. The violations included a refusal to sign various forms with his probation officer in Arizona, where Ibeabuchi had based himself following his initial release.

After being released again in 2020, Ibeabuchi was taken into custody by ICE agents, before being deported at some point between June and August 2021.

Now, Ibeabuchi is set to return at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

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