‘My father told me against Ike Ibeabuchi you’re fighting a crazy man. There’s something wrong’
An excerpt from President of Pandemonium: The Mad World of Ike Ibeabuchi by Luke G. Williams
THE final time Ike Ibeabuchi appeared in a boxing ring was on March 20, 1999, when he confronted fellow unbeaten contender Chris Byrd on the Emerald Lodge and On line casino in Tacoma, Washington. Ibeabuchi’s five-round destruction of Byrd that evening would enter boxing legend. However the truth that the unbalanced boxer might even struggle that evening was a miracle. On this excerpt from his e-book President of Pandemonium: The Mad World of Ike Ibeabuchi, Luke G. Williams recreates the chaos that surrounded the Ibeabuchi-Byrd bout and captures the recollections of those that have been there –together with Chris Byrd, Invoice Benton, and Eric Bottjer.
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WHEN he was slated to reach in Tacoma for his heavyweight showdown with Chris Byrd, Ike Ibeabuchi sat with Invoice Benton over 800 miles southeast, within the departure lounge of Salt Lake Metropolis Worldwide Airport. Benton – a former matchmaker for Ike’s promoter Cedric Kushner – had been tasked with guaranteeing Ike confirmed up for the struggle.
“They have been flying from Phoenix to Tacoma and had a stop-off in Salt Lake Metropolis,” Bob Spagnola – one in all Ike’s managers – recalled. “Then Ike determined – and it was simply Invoice and Ike there – ‘No, Invoice, I’m not getting on any extra planes. The spirits have instructed me I can’t get on one other airplane.’”
With Ibeabuchi so near a shot on the heavyweight title, Benton refused to provide in. “He didn’t prefer to fly to start with,” Benton stated. “We have been about midway and had a connecting flight when Ike stated, ‘My spirit tells me to not get on this airplane.’ We missed two connecting flights and have been simply sitting within the airport. Finally I stated: ‘Pay attention, we’re gonna do one in all two issues: get on the airplane or return residence’. Ike turned to me and stated: ‘Invoice, in case you inform me to get on the airplane, I’ll get on it, however I’m telling you now, my spirit is telling me to not get on this airplane’. I stated: ‘Properly we’ve missed two different ones. So let’s get on this airplane and go.’ We received on the airplane and had an actual bumpy flight. I assumed, Oh no, Ike’s gonna be up my ass about this. Certain sufficient, in Seattle we received off the airplane and he checked out me and stated: ‘My spirit was proper’. I stated: ‘Hey, I don’t have a spirit!’”
Kushner’s assistant Mitch Winston – who had staked $22,000 on Ibeabuchi to lose, having witnessed the boxer’s troubled psychological state – vividly remembers seeing Ike arrive with Benton on the Emerald Lodge and On line casino. “[Ike] was shirtless, with a toothpick in his mouth, carrying denims and a jean jacket, a black cowboy hat, darkish sun shades, and cowboy boots. He was pissed on the world, intense and unsmiling.” Winston additionally famous that, regardless of his lack of sparring, Ibeabuchi seemed in terrific form. “His darkish aura and ripped physique jogged my memory of Clubber Lang from Rocky III. It dawned on me he should have been coaching alone [like] Clubber Lang, within the non-public confines of his condo, away from all conspiracies and demonic forces.”
Ron Scott Stevens, who had joined Cedric Kushner Promotions in December 1998 as a matchmaker, admitted he prevented Ibeabuchi each time he might throughout struggle week. “The entire week I used to be like, ‘Please, let me keep away from this man!’ In the future they requested me to convey up some lunch for him. I knocked on the door and couldn’t wait to get the hell away. He was a tough man to be round. He was intimidating and scary. You by no means knew what he was gonna do or say. I noticed Sonny Liston after I was 11 years outdated, I suppose it should have been when he fought [Floyd] Patterson, and after I noticed Ibeabuchi I noticed Liston. Liston was this mysterious man who was supposedly managed by the Mob and was very sinister. Ibeabuchi had that darkish aura round him as properly.”
All through struggle week, Ibeabuchi’s conduct shifted between eccentric and unnerving. Every morning he left his resort room and marched up and down the resort parking zone like a soldier getting ready for struggle. Winston witnessed the spectacle with disquiet. “For my part, Ike actually thought he was a soldier within the army, going right into a ‘kill-or-be-killed’ battle.”
Byrd additionally famous Ibeabuchi’s military-style spectacle. “After we received to the resort, he [Ibeabuchi] was exterior wanting on the sky, strolling backwards and forwards,” Byrd remembered. “My father checked out me and stated: ‘You’re combating a loopy man. There’s one thing flawed with him. He’s simply on the market strolling up and down, wanting on the sky’. My entire staff, my spouse, all people, we have been like, that’s very unusual.”
Later, Byrd’s father and coach Joe ran into Ike’s coach Curtis Cokes within the on line casino foyer. The 2 males had recognized one another for years. When Byrd noticed Ibeabuchi wandering round, agitated and staring on the ceiling, he requested: ‘Curtis, what’s he doing?’ Cokes apparently replied: ‘Joe, that dude is gone.’ Publicly, Cokes maintained an upbeat facade telling the Austin American-Statesman: “Ike’s in fine condition and his angle is sweet. That is the largest struggle of his life. [It] ought to result in a world-title struggle.” Cokes predicted the bout wouldn’t impress folks based mostly on model: “Chris makes everybody look dangerous. He hasn’t fought a good, clear, fulfilling bout in his profession. It is going to be ugly – until you get him out early so that you simply don’t need to see the remainder of that junk.”
Byrd’s awkward southpaw model and his skill to hit with out being hit have been the main explanation why no different prime heavyweight had but dared to face him. He had a 26-0 file and was – together with Ibeabuchi – habitually prevented. “He not solely beats ’em, he embarrasses ’em,” stated his lawyer and agent John Hornewer. Byrd recalled how assured he was. “I used to be undefeated, I used to be on my method to the title. I assumed I used to be the person, untouchable. I assumed, You may’t whup me! I don’t care! Convey me the most effective heavyweight! No one can whup me! When the struggle was made I instructed [ESPN analyst] Max Kellerman: ‘He ain’t gonna contact me, he’s massive and clumsy and sluggish similar to the remainder of them!’”
Because the struggle drew nearer, Ibeabuchi brought on bemusement on the conventional “fighter assembly” performed by HBO. “Ike’s conduct was very odd,” Eric Bottjer – one other Kushner worker – stated. “Larry Service provider and Jim Lampley have been there. I used to be there. Ike walked in carrying sun shades and a cowboy hat and sat down. The primary query was, ‘Ike, we perceive you have been lower throughout coaching, we wished to know did this have an effect on your preparation in any manner?’ Ike stated nothing and simply sat there for, I don’t know, 10 seconds. It might not sound like a very long time however whenever you’re in a room full of individuals ready for a solution it’s an eternity. Lastly in a really lispy, high-pitched voice he stated: ‘What lower?’ That just about ended the interview. They usually final half-hour or so. I used to be checking the time and after solely about 13 minutes Jim politely ended it. When Ike left, Jim checked out me and stated, ‘That man’s loopy.’ Which he was.”
One other assembly served to antagonise Invoice Benton, including to the siege mentality across the fighter. “All the blokes from HBO have been there and everybody was speaking like Byrd had already gained the struggle,” Benton remembered. “I stated, ‘You understand what guys, I don’t suppose I needs to be right here. I characterize Ike Ibeabuchi and also you guys are speaking like he’s already misplaced. I don’t know the way a lot you understand about boxing however evidently it isn’t very a lot. Ike’s gonna knock him out; Byrd’s too open to get hit’. All of them simply chuckled.”
Ibeabuchi picked up on Benton’s bitter temper. “Ike stated to me: ‘What’s flawed? Are you anxious?’ I stated, ‘Ike, I fear about each struggle.’ He checked out me and stated: ‘I’ve already fought this struggle thrice [in my head] and I gained all thrice. I’m gonna knock the man out.’ I replied: ‘I’m glad you’ve received the safety of a constructive thoughts.’”
In his dressing room earlier than the struggle on Saturday evening, nonetheless, Ibeabuchi’s thoughts didn’t appear constructive, settled, or safe. In reality, simply as he was anticipated to enter the ring he knowledgeable his staff he could be staying put – until he was introduced a Snickers bar.
“I didn’t see the incident however I used to be instructed later that Ike refused to go within the ring till he had a Snickers,” Bottjer confirmed. “I perceive that [Ike’s manager] Steve Munisteri needed to go discover a Snickers after which everybody needed to look forward to Ike to eat it.”
Ike then ate the Snickers bar, and the struggle was on.
