Ike Ibeabuchi vs Chris Byrd - HBO BAD 3-20-99
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00:00Two hot young prospects, both of them ranked by Larry Merchant
00:03at the beginning of the evening
00:04in the top ten of existing heavyweights at this moment.
00:08Aikibe Ibuchi has seen his career stifled
00:11since his big win over David Tua
00:13by emotional problems,
00:14problems with the law outside the ring.
00:17So why now does he want to fight Chris Bird,
00:20whose style could drive anybody crazy in the ring?
00:24It must be therapy, Jim.
00:26Stop facing your demons, facing your nightmares.
00:30It's like Tony Soprano going to a shrink
00:33and coming out an hour later
00:35either the king of the world or committed.
00:39But the boxing world does recognize
00:42the huge potential of Ibiabuchi.
00:45What the boxing world wants to see
00:47is whether he is going to be one of those fighters
00:50who can handle it,
00:51who has the stability to go on toward a title shot
00:55and perhaps even to be a champion,
00:57or whether he's going to go off somewhere
01:00like a Gulotta or an Oliver McCall
01:02or the late Tyson or Bo.
01:05What happened was this, a couple of months
01:07after he upset David Tua
01:10to put his career in very high gear,
01:13he was arrested for crashing into a wall
01:17with the teenage son of an ex-girlfriend,
01:21severely injuring him.
01:23The police said that Ibiabuchi was depressed
01:27and even suicidal.
01:29Since that time, there have been
01:31a couple of minor hair-trigger incidents,
01:34but I should caution you that none of this
01:36in any way is connected to drugs.
01:40So the question then is,
01:42is Chris Bird the cure
01:45for all of whatever problems he has?
01:47This, I gotta see.
01:49And give Ibiabuchi credit in agreeing to fight Bird.
01:52He takes a fight that probably none of the other
01:54top contenders would take at this time
01:57because Roy Jones, Chris Bird has that amazing ability
02:00to stand in front of you and be invisible.
02:03Fighters can't find him to lay a glove on him.
02:06But there's a worry about his entertainment value
02:09within the division, and there's this problem
02:11of people not wanting to fight him.
02:13Will the world come around to Bird
02:15if he just keeps winning,
02:17or must he consider at some point
02:19creating more entertainment value?
02:20I think Chris Bird just has to keep winning.
02:23Keep winning over opponents that the people
02:25don't perceive him as beating.
02:26Guys like Jimmy Thunder, who they didn't think he'd beat.
02:28Keep getting victories over these type of opponents,
02:31and then he'll show the world that he is most definitely
02:33a legitimate contender for the heavyweight title.
02:36All right.
02:38Tale of the tape now for Chris Bird against Ike Ibiabuchi.
02:42And you'll see that Ibiabuchi at 244 1β2 is a big heavyweight.
02:46That may not be his optimum weight,
02:48but certainly over 230, he's comfortable.
02:52Half-inch height advantage for Ibiabuchi,
02:541 1β2-inch reach advantage as well.
02:56He's 26. Bird's 28.
02:58Punch-tat numbers, Larry.
03:02Against David Chua, Ibiabuchi threw an amazing 81 punches
03:06around, the most ever recorded for a heavyweight.
03:09Bird throws a normal amount of punches,
03:12but compared to Ibiabuchi, they're just pity-pats.
03:17Key number there was the percentage landed,
03:20how much percentage can you land against Bird,
03:23and with the jabs, Ibiabuchi is more than just a brawler.
03:26He can jab as well.
03:29And rules of the bout with Harold Ibiabuchi Letterman.
03:33The Ike Ibiabuchi-Chris Bird fight is scheduled for 10 rounds
03:37using the state of Washington
03:38Department of Licensing rules, non-title.
03:41The standing eight count is in effect.
03:43The three knockdown rule is in effect.
03:45The doctor on the referee can stop the fight,
03:47and you can be saved by the bell in a 10th
03:49and final round only. Jim.
03:51All right, Harold.
03:53Relatively brief walkouts here.
03:55The dressing rooms are pretty close to the ring.
03:57Here comes Chris Bird, whose stable family life
04:01and nurturing background his dad,
04:04the 1992 Olympic boxing coach,
04:07has helped him to his present status in the sport.
04:10And you can see that when the situation requires it,
04:14Bird can put out a big punch output as well.
04:16But they're like dabs of paint on a canvas.
04:20He doesn't rip the canvas.
04:22Ibiabuchi does.
04:29What a thrill it must have been for this man
04:30to fight for his dad on the Olympic team in 1992,
04:34but look at the weight at which he fought in 92, Larry.
04:38A middleweight moving up to heavyweight today
04:40is remarkable.
04:41I mean, maybe middleweights who have moved up in the past,
04:44given the size of today's heavyweights,
04:46but as you can see, this is a family business.
04:50And Roy pointed out, of course,
04:52the David and Goliath factor that operates for Bird
04:56when he goes against a big puncher,
04:57as was the case December 13, 1997,
05:00against Jimmy Thunder in Ledyard, Connecticut.
05:04Thunder trying to land a knockout blow
05:07and being at first frustrated
05:08and then humiliated by Bird's continued attack.
05:13Well, there's certainly entertainment value
05:15in this volley if he can get up against
05:17some of those giant, ponderous heavyweights.
05:22He got the crowd to root for him that night.
05:25That has not normally been the case.
05:30Ibiabuchi, an assembly of God worshiper,
05:35enters to a religious hymn.
05:36One time, baby, one time.
05:38All right, all right, let's go.
05:39Have a business day, let's go.
05:41βͺ And he was born
05:43βͺ Was Ibiabuchi's darling
05:48Very unusual training camp for Ibiabuchi.
05:51He had a scuffle with a sparring partner.
05:53He's only sparring partner.
05:55He had two different trainers, maybe three.
05:58But the important one was with the sparring partner
06:00because he cut him over his left eyelid.
06:03We looked closely, couldn't see much there.
06:06We don't know if it'll be a factor tonight or not.
06:08And a closer look at the president, Ike Ibiabuchi.
06:11He's been here for six years,
06:12training to become an important heavyweight.
06:17Big win over Tua.
06:18Lives with his mother, who is a nurse.
06:20They moved from Dallas to Phoenix
06:22after the incident we described before.
06:24And as Larry told you during the Punch Dad graphic,
06:27Ibiabuchi set a record June 7, 1997,
06:30throwing more punches in a 12-round bout
06:32than any heavyweight ever charted by CompuBox.
06:36And they were power punches for the most part
06:39as he put together combinations all night long
06:42against the hard-hitting Tua.
06:45It'll be hard to duplicate something like that
06:48against Chris Burr.
06:49The new WBC!
06:53It was a unanimous decision victory for Ibiabuchi,
06:55which really put him on the map.
06:57Shortly after that began the scheme of personal problems,
07:00which have set him back.
07:02Let's go up to ring announcer Michael Buffer
07:03for the official introduction.
07:05Ladies and gentlemen, from the Emerald Queen Casino
07:08here in Tacoma, Washington,
07:10once again, Cedric Kushner Promotions,
07:13along with your undisputed, undefeated king of beers,
07:17Budweiser, this Bud's for you,
07:20present World Class Boxing,
07:22sanctioned by the Washington State Department of Licensing,
07:26Administrator Mary Jelvic,
07:28Manager Michael Schneider,
07:30our physicians at ringside are Dr. Peter Marsh
07:33and Dr. Jim Ferguson, timekeeper at the bell,
07:36and counting for the knockdown seconds, Curtis Leach.
07:39This bout is presented in association
07:41with Fight Night Incorporated.
07:43Your CKP matchmakers are Ron Scott-Stevens
07:46and Eric Botcher.
07:48The judges at ringside scoring this bout
07:50on a 10-point must system are Barry Druxman,
07:54Glenn Hamada, and Joe Macaluso.
07:57And when the bell rings,
07:59your referee in charge of the action, Ron Rall.
08:03And now, 10 rounds of boxing between undefeated heavyweights.
08:09Somebody's O must go.
08:13Ladies and gentlemen,
08:17let's get ready to rumble!
08:19Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner,
08:23wearing black trimmed with white,
08:25weighing 208 and three-quarter pounds,
08:28he comes to us from Flint, Michigan.
08:30He brings a perfect professional record to the ring,
08:3426 bouts, 26 victories, 14 by knockout,
08:39and he's ranked as high as number seven in the world.
08:43Ladies and gentlemen,
08:44here is the undefeated heavyweight,
08:48Chris Baird!
08:51And his opponent across the ring,
08:56fighting out of the red corner,
08:58wearing black trimmed with white,
09:00weighing 244 and one-half pounds,
09:04he comes to us from Dallas, Texas,
09:06and his first fight in the world.
09:09Weighing 244 and one-half pounds,
09:13he comes to us from Dallas, Texas,
09:15and his professional record, also perfect,
09:1919 bouts, 19 victories, 14 by knockout,
09:24and tonight, it's all on the line.
09:26Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the undefeated,
09:30Ike, the President, Ibeabuchi!
09:35Gentlemen, okay, I'll give you instructions
09:38in the locker room.
09:40Is there anything in the blue corner?
09:41Anything you want to add?
09:43Anything in the red corner?
09:44Anything you want to say?
09:46Okay, now listen, this is a 10-round fight, okay?
09:50Listen for my commands.
09:51Good luck to both of you.
09:52God bless.
09:53Let's go to work, gentlemen.
09:55Power is a big thing in any sport,
09:58but you have to be able to plug it in
10:00and make it work.
10:02Power is a big thing in any sport,
10:04but you have to be able to plug it in
10:07and Ibeabuchi plug his power into the elusive Bird.
10:13And, Roy, you spoke a lot in the last fight
10:15about the difficulties Cole created himself
10:17by adding so much weight to become a heavyweight.
10:19Chris Bird fought at 165 in the Olympics
10:22and made a calculated business decision
10:25to become a heavyweight.
10:26He's packed on a lot of weight,
10:27but he hasn't overdone it.
10:29He fights at 208 in three quarters.
10:31He's a professional.
10:32He's a professional to perfection.
10:34He did it just right.
10:35He didn't put on too much.
10:36He didn't do it too quick,
10:37and he did it at the beginning of his professional career.
10:41Is he the kind of heavyweight you would have been
10:43if you had decided to become a heavyweight?
10:45I would have tried to be.
10:46I don't even think I could gain that much weight.
10:48I don't think so, either.
10:53Ibeabuchi reaching and trying to find a way to land his jab
10:58to make matters even more difficult against Bird
11:00because of his hunt-and-peck style
11:02and the difficulty of finding him in there.
11:05He's a southpaw, too.
11:11We've mentioned to Bird that Ibeabuchi
11:14had thrown more than 80 punches around against Tua.
11:16The heavyweight average is 45 to 50,
11:19and Bird's eyes lit up.
11:20He said, I hope he tries to do that against me.
11:25Bird wants the opponent to be punching
11:27and attempting to reach him
11:28and take advantage of his opportunities.
11:35Ibeabuchi, for his part, says,
11:38I'll beat Bird the same way Foreman beat Mura.
11:42I said, Foreman had to lose nine rounds
11:45to get Mura in position to beat him.
11:55Ibeabuchi trying to stay under control,
11:58but he can't give anything to Bird to counter,
12:02so it's a very tactical fight right here.
12:05Tell you what, you'll find out how much patience
12:07Ibeabuchi has because he has to be very patient here.
12:11Ibeabuchi, so far, has shown more patience
12:15than his critics might have thought he would.
12:17Now he rushes forward and starts swinging
12:19to try to get at Bird after Bird landed
12:21a couple of shots to the body.
12:23He's got to punish him
12:25when he gets into those close situations.
12:28Bird ducking, slipping,
12:31going back outside to find his stance.
12:33Ibeabuchi collecting himself.
12:47There's a temptation for opponents to think
12:51that Bird can't hurt them,
12:53but as Jimmy Thunder found out,
12:55anybody over 200 pounds
12:57can tackle Wallop in the right situation.
13:05What he should be doing there is hitting him on the arms,
13:08hitting him any place he can get to him.
13:09Very good point, Larry.
13:11Shoot where the arm's down.
13:14Good shot.
13:26Difficult Chris Bird combination
13:28to punctuate round one.
13:30When Ibeabuchi goes back to his corner,
13:32he'll be listening to former world welterweight champion
13:34Curtis Coats, that man right there.
13:37When you get him against the ropes,
13:37you got to find him, okay?
13:40He's doing all right.
13:40and he's missing a few shots.
13:42Just keep on jabbing like you're doing, baby.
13:44That's the way you want to do it.
13:45Keep doing good.
13:47Okay, give it up.
13:50In Chris Bird's corner, he listens to his dad, Joe Bird,
13:54while his mother, Rose, functions as the chief second.
13:58I don't know whether he's feeling you out
13:59or that's the way he's fighting.
14:01But don't get Kelly.
14:03A big guy like that, he's 30-some pounds
14:05doesn't mean he's weak, but he's sharp,
14:07keeps his hands up, and catch him with that stiff jab.
14:10You got a good jab.
14:11Catch him with it.
14:12Show him something new that he don't think you have.
14:15Put his jab out there with a little 30 on it.
14:17Yeah, you're looking all right.
14:21Ibeabuchi fought the whole first round
14:23without throwing any right-hand leads.
14:26Right-hand leads are the common weapon of choice
14:29for a conventional fighter fighting against a southpaw,
14:32and there's one right there.
14:35He ought to be roughing him up right in here.
14:38Make him pay.
14:41As Bird is extremely quick and clever,
14:44you feel that his eyes see everything
14:46and react instantly.
14:48Well, Bird grew up training.
14:50It's a story that's been told many times.
14:52In an indoor, downstairs, 12-by-12-foot basement gym
14:57in his home in Flint, Michigan,
14:59and it's there that he learned the style
15:01of standing against the ropes,
15:03tempting the opponent in,
15:05and then making the opponent miss.
15:08Bird is a defensive fighter
15:10who's comfortable against the ropes.
15:12It's kind of a constant rope-a-dope.
15:15Ha-ha-ha.
15:18Ibeabuchi lands a left,
15:20gets Bird back to the ropes,
15:22just misses with a right.
15:24Ibeabuchi's hand speed for a big man
15:27may be a new experience for Bird.
15:29I think it is.
15:31That's the first time I can recall
15:32a big guy hitting Bird within the first two rounds.
15:35And landing a hard body shot,
15:38and you got a guy who's elusive in the head,
15:40as Bird is,
15:42and one textbook move is to go to the body,
15:44and Ibeabuchi has shown some of that
15:46in the first couple rounds.
15:47Pounds Bird back with a right to the chest.
15:50He's got a lot of power in his left hand,
15:52and he's got a lot of power in his right hand.
15:54Ibeabuchi's right hand to the chest.
15:56Just misses with a left.
16:14The three-or-four punch flurry
16:16and get the heck out of there
16:18is Bird's stock and trade.
16:20He's very smart, because he hit Ibeabuchi's body
16:24and he's still in the fight.
16:27Those punches couldn't take away the power from a mouse.
16:30Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
16:33Ibeabuchi's starting to tee off and swing wildly,
16:36but now the right-hand lead lands for him.
16:40I don't know, Larry.
16:42Go ahead and get hit with one of them
16:43and see if you still think that way.
16:45It looked like pretty good punches to me.
16:49Swinging and missing.
16:51Good experience against Chris Byrd.
16:54Byrd taunting Ibeabuchi with his eyes.
17:09Good right-hand lead.
17:10Excellent.
17:11On target against the constantly moving Chris Byrd.
17:15Ibeabuchi showing head movement, too.
17:21Hard right-hand lands for Ibeabuchi
17:24and punctuates round two.
17:32And the president was laughing uproariously at something.
17:52When he missed with a hard punch, he off-balanced.
17:55That's when you get your punches in
17:57and be ready to get out of there.
17:59Squat you down, okay?
18:00Just keep on digging through the body.
18:01Go through the body.
18:03And when he bend over, I come under
18:04and over the top with a hook, okay?
18:06Just drop your hand down, come up, rip it up, okay?
18:10Arms, elbows, anything will work.
18:12Anything. His arms, elbow.
18:13He's sticking on, but they're not gonna knock the arm off.
18:15Let's go.
18:22This bird dancing from side to side
18:24as he gets ready to come out.
18:27And you heard Curtis Coates telling Ibeabuchi,
18:30I don't care if you hit him in the arms, the shoulders,
18:33hit him anywhere you can.
18:34Good advice.
18:52You know, I've got to admit a certain prejudice here.
18:57There are times when I watch Bird,
18:59if I was a referee,
19:01I'd want to take a point away from him
19:04and time the performance.
19:05This is a lot of junk is what he's giving us here.
19:08But, Larry, it's called the manly art of self-defense.
19:12Well, I don't see anything manly about this.
19:14Well, when you're giving away 35 pounds,
19:16it is a little manly. It's smart.
19:19It's smart.
19:20I'm not saying it's not smart.
19:24I mean, well, Roy makes a good point.
19:26Isn't it manly enough for a 208-pound guy
19:28to get into the ring with a 243-pound guy
19:31and be willing to take those shots that land?
19:37Which is not to say I don't know what you're saying, Larry.
19:42This is professional prize fighting.
19:44Good body shots by Ibeabuchi.
19:47Bird comes back to the body himself.
19:48But Ike has him cornered here
19:50and is doing some excellent work.
19:53Oh, a hard right hand.
19:55Lands upstairs for Ibeabuchi.
19:59And he just misses with another.
20:01But that first right hand may be one of the hardest shots
20:04that Chris Bird's ever taken.
20:07But he took it well, given that.
20:09He certainly did.
20:15What do you think, Roy?
20:16I don't know. It's very different for Chris Bird.
20:18We'll find out tonight what he's really made of.
20:21He's never had to take these type of punches
20:22this early in a heavyweight fight.
20:29Bird gets in a right hand shot
20:32and momentarily halts Ibeabuchi's momentum.
20:34But now Ibeabuchi works as Bird goes back to the ropes.
20:38And Ike is remarkably accurate.
20:41It's not gonna show up in copy box numbers
20:43because it's so hard to land against Bird anyway.
20:45But very few fighters have made contact on Chris Bird
20:49the way Ibeabuchi is doing it right now.
20:53But Bird is landing some good, quick punches
20:56inside to Ibeabuchi's head
20:58while Ibeabuchi is working the body.
21:01Oh! What a homerun shot that was.
21:06Quick hand for the big guy.
21:15Good left hook, Ibeabuchi.
21:18Another good left hook. And a third!
21:23Now, practice what I believe.
21:25Yeah, and practice what I believe.
21:27And Bird is wounded.
21:30Bird loves it.
21:35Mr. President.
21:36That's what I want, baby. That's what I want.
21:38Get in!
21:39That's what I want. That's what I want.
21:41You gotta look at it.
21:45That's it.
21:50I told you I'd be playing, didn't I?
21:52I'm talking to you.
21:54Get the mouthpiece out.
21:56Take the mouthpiece out.
21:58Come and get the mouthpiece, please.
22:01You got that deal on the ropes, right?
22:09Good boxing.
22:12Here we see Bird
22:14using his body, his eyesight
22:17to avoid punches, but Ibeabuchi finally catches him.
22:21Some hard shots on the shoulders.
22:24Accumulation can wear you down.
22:28Well, Ibeabuchi somehow found a way to throw 75 punches
22:33against Chris Bird in round number 3.
22:35Harold, how do you have it scored?
22:36Jim, all I gotta say is
22:38Stu Miller couldn't draw a fastball either.
22:41Listen, 29-28, two rounds to one.
22:44Ike Ibeabuchi.
22:46Jim, what you're judging in this fight
22:48is, at the end of the round, who did more damage.
22:50You can't get fooled by Bird's history, Alex.
22:52You just gotta look at it and say,
22:54who did more damage so far?
22:57Ike just did it in rounds 2 and 3.
22:59Is Ike gonna get exhausted
23:01trying to chase Bird all the time like this, Roy?
23:03I don't know. He could, after all these big punches,
23:05but be reminding him he's throwing good body shots
23:08while he's chasing Chris, and he's hitting Chris
23:10a lot more than he seems to be.
23:11And Bird's eye is cut, and it's open again.
23:14Yep. And Bird's cut man is his dad, Joe Bird,
23:18who's also the trainer.
23:22So the blood flowing a little bit
23:24from above the left eye of Chris Bird,
23:26a mark of the damage that Ibeabuchi's been able to do
23:28with his right hand.
23:33We thought Ibeabuchi might wear down against Tua
23:36because of the extraordinarily high work rate.
23:38He only seemed to get stronger
23:40in the late rounds of the match fight.
23:43He's got some wellspring of energy
23:44that is truly special.
24:00Teddy Atlas joins us at ringside.
24:04He's as familiar with his post
24:05as he is with his post in the corner
24:08with his fighter.
24:09Welcome aboard, Teddy.
24:11Thank you, guys.
24:12Interesting fight here.
24:17Ibeabuchi fighting a nice, disciplined fight against Bird.
24:22Is that the way you have to fight him?
24:24Yeah, you sure do.
24:25I mean, Bird's the kind of guy
24:26that you have to be disciplined with.
24:28He's real slick. He moves his head.
24:30He wants you to do things for him.
24:31Would you let Kirk Johnson fight this Bird
24:35if he didn't have to?
24:36Not if I didn't have to.
24:37I mean, this is a guy that, you know,
24:40he acts like he's a lightweight or a middleweight
24:42in a heavyweight's body.
24:44He's real slick.
24:45You'd think he was Roy Jones Jr. up there.
24:47How'd you feel about your first tour of duty
24:48with Kirk Johnson tonight, Teddy?
24:51Okay. I mean, Kirk is a young kid.
24:54He's got to learn to be consistent with his ability.
24:57He has ability, but you don't get up there
24:59and people don't hand him to you
25:00just because you have ability.
25:01You have to be disciplined.
25:03You have to use that ability within a certain vehicle,
25:06and you have to be consistent with it.
25:08He's going to learn that.
25:09You surprised at how often Abeyabuchi
25:10is finding Bird here?
25:12Yeah, well, not really. He's steady.
25:14You know, you need to be steady against Bird.
25:17You have to be a guy who's not going to be BS'd,
25:20and you got to go to his body a lot
25:21because he wants you to go to the head.
25:23You got to go the opposite of what he wants.
25:25And Abeyabuchi goes to the body with a right and a left
25:28to punctuate round number four.
25:31One more question as they work in the corners here.
25:35What do you anticipate next for Kirk Johnson?
25:38Oh, he's one of...
25:39There's a group of young guys.
25:41There's a group of young Lions that are...
25:42And he stayed in the group tonight.
25:43He's in the group, you know,
25:45and it's just a matter of which one he'll pair up with.
25:49Shaw would be off at something with one of those group guys,
25:52and one of those guys will step forward.
25:54They're all on the same road.
25:55It's just a matter of who gets forward a little faster.
25:58And, you know, how far you got to go.
26:00It's not that much farther.
26:02A couple of fights, and one of these guys in that group
26:04is going to get off with some kind of title fight.
26:07Now, do you think that cut will pose a problem for Bird
26:09as the fight progresses?
26:11It looks like it's not bleeding.
26:12I mean, it looks clean,
26:13so it only causes a problem if it bleeds.
26:16It looks like they're doing a good job with it.
26:18It looks like he's not a bleeder.
26:20Some guys are bleeders.
26:21He don't look like he's a bleeder.
26:24All right, Teddy, thanks very much for joining us.
26:26Congratulations again on the Kirk Johnson victory.
26:28Thank you very much.
26:29Best of luck down the road, Teddy Atlas.
26:33Hitting his first shot tonight as trainer for Kirk Johnson
26:35and coming out with a big victory over Al Ice-Cole.
26:39In round four, Ibeabuchi's punch output dropped to 52,
26:43but he still landed 16 of them.
26:44Bird, 16 of 48.
26:46That might have been a tough round to score.
26:48Now we go to the pit.
26:51Ibeabuchi's punches seem to be slowing a little bit now, Jim.
26:56Well, that could be fatigue.
27:00You know, there was a long layoff
27:03after the victory over Tua, 16 months.
27:07He's won a couple of fights since then,
27:10but there have been inconsistent fights
27:12in the last few years.
27:14He's won a couple of fights since then,
27:16but there have been inconsistent fights
27:18in the last few years.
27:19He's won a couple of fights since then,
27:22but there have been inconsistencies in training.
27:24Curtis Cokes he's listening to in the corner tonight.
27:26There was a period of time while he trained for this fight
27:28when he wasn't with Cokes,
27:30but rather was with Chuck McGregor.
27:32He only had one sparring partner,
27:34and he told us he didn't spar very much
27:35preparing for this fight at all.
27:38Some fighters these days don't believe in sparring a lot,
27:42and Ibeabuchi is one of them.
27:48He's been caught by Ibeabuchi in retaliation
27:50in the middle of the ring.
27:53Fortunately for Byrd, he just missed him.
27:56Get away!
27:57Get away!
27:58Get away!
27:59Get away!
28:00Get away!
28:01Get away!
28:02Don't be pushing on him.
28:03Okay, here we go.
28:04Get away!
28:05Get away!
28:06Get away!
28:07Get away!
28:08Get away!
28:09Get away!
28:10Get away!
28:11Get away!
28:12The early body punches from Ibeabuchi
28:14has slowed Byrd down, too.
28:16Ibeabuchi is nearly as abusive as he normally is
28:19in a fight like this.
28:20You know, we were talking about the cut before.
28:23The importance of a cut in a fight like this,
28:25which is...
28:27which can be very difficult to score,
28:30is that it shows graphically to the judges
28:33that one guy has been hurt with something.
28:37All on the pants.
28:38Byrd in serious trouble.
28:40Ibeabuchi with a monster left hook,
28:43followed it up to the right,
28:44and now, for the second time in his career,
28:46goes down,
28:48trying to argue with the referee, Ron Rowe,
28:50about whether it was a knockdown,
28:52but come on, Chris.
28:53You got busted.
28:55He's hurt.
28:56He's out of hitting.
28:57He's hurt very bad.
28:58He doesn't even know where he is right now.
28:59He's trying to keep it down.
29:02He's hurt bad.
29:08He's hurt bad.
29:10Okay, now, you all right?
29:11Down, kicking down.
29:1315 seconds left.
29:1415 seconds left of the round.
29:15Here comes Ibeabuchi.
29:17You know, make out of this round, Jim.
29:18Hard left hook.
29:19Oh, they can stop it.
29:20They can stop it right now.
29:26What is Byrd hiring for?
29:27Ron Rowe stops it.
29:28Ron Rowe stops it.
29:29Ike Ibeabuchi has knocked Chris Byrd out.
29:33A sensational victory for Ibeabuchi.
29:36Impressive.
29:37And shame on Chris Byrd,
29:38who was arguing with the referee
29:41from the moment he got knocked down.
29:43It wasn't a knockdown.
29:44It was a knockdown,
29:46and he never stopped pitching
29:49instead of fighting and protecting himself.
29:53Ibeabuchi, Roy, just knocked him silly.
29:56He knocked him silly.
29:57Chris Byrd was really not aware of what went on.
29:59He's not aware of what really was going on.
30:02He's not senseless right now.
30:03He doesn't have an idea of what's going on
30:05in his mind right now.
30:07He's still kind of senseless.
30:08That left hook was as big a single-punch blow
30:12as we've seen in a while in the heavyweight division.
30:15Yes, it was.
30:16Well, if Chris Byrd told us
30:19that he gets offended when he gets hit by a big punch,
30:23he must be very, very offended at the moment.
30:27Ike Ibeabuchi closed the show,
30:30landing 19 of 36 power shots in that round,
30:34and what a spectacular job Ibeabuchi does
30:39in knocking out a man
30:40who was regarded as knockout proof.
30:43Here's the first knockdown, Roy.
30:45Here's the first knockdown, and check out this left hook.
30:49Here's the right.
30:51Was it the right or the left?
30:52Well, the left set it up.
30:53The right was just as flush.
30:54Here's another look from a different angle.
30:59Oh, yes, it was the left uppercut.
31:01Yeah, the left uppercut.
31:02From that point on, Byrd was gone.
31:04Yeah, Byrd was really out of it right there.
31:06He was totally done.
31:07Yep, I called it a left hook.
31:08That left hook, with that angle,
31:10you can call it an uppercut.
31:11It was spectacular.
31:12Man.
31:14That's what Oscar De La Hoya
31:15used to do to smaller opponents.
31:16One shot like that, and they were out of there.
31:19Yeah, that's the thing.
31:20That's the big danger about fighting these big heavyweights.
31:22When you come up against one
31:23that can hit you with the big punch,
31:25are you gonna be able to take it?
31:26That's where that 35-pound difference makes a difference.
31:29And at that point, Ron Roll elected to stop the fight
31:33and present any further punishment for Byrd.
31:36The round had ended,
31:37and under the circumstances,
31:39I won't argue with that stoppage,
31:41Ibeobuchi earned his knockout of Byrd.
31:44Neither would I.
31:45I wouldn't have argued if he'd stopped it
31:46after the second knockdown.
31:52So, Chris Byrd has been beaten.
31:55His detractors rejoice,
31:58and Ibeobuchi has another massive credential
32:02for his growing dossier.
32:04And before the second knockdown,
32:06Chris was so messed up
32:07that he didn't get caught with a punch flush.
32:08He didn't get caught with a punch at all.
32:10He just told Othello that he went down again.
32:13Larry ranked Ibeobuchi number 5
32:15on his list of heavyweights coming into tonight.
32:18I'll bet you Ibeobuchi rises in the merchant rankings
32:21after that particular performance here.
32:24Let's go to Michael Buffer for the official particulars.
32:28Ladies and gentlemen,
32:29the end comes at 2 minutes,
32:3259 seconds of round number 5.
32:36And the winner of round number 3,
32:39Ron Raul, calls a halt to the bout.
32:42The winner, and still undefeated,
32:46he's back.
32:48He's the president, Ike Ibeobuchi.
32:52The winner of round number 3,
32:55Ron Raul.
32:57A round of applause, please, for Chris Byrd.
33:00Let's give him a hand, and we'll be back.
33:10Final punch stat numbers,
33:12and you see Ibeobuchi landing 91 out of 289,
33:16outthrowing Byrd by 81 shots.
33:19Byrd landing at a higher rate, but, of course,
33:21the power between the two punchers
33:23makes Ibeobuchi's numbers
33:25actually the better numbers here.
33:28Landing his jab at above 20% against the southpaw,
33:31that's not easy to do.
33:33Byrd lives and dies off his ability to land the jab.
33:35That's the way he scores.
33:38But all these numbers academic at the end
33:40because of the two massive power shots,
33:43left and right,
33:45that knocked Chris Byrd into senselessville
33:48and led to the end of the bout.
33:55And now let's go up to Larry Merchant,
33:57who's standing by in the ring with the winner.
33:59Thanks, Jim. Congratulations, Ike.
34:02What was the plan here?
34:04You seemed extremely patient,
34:06not just tearing after him the way we saw you,
34:09for example, against David Tua.
34:19First of all, I got to thank my God.
34:22He hasn't left me still.
34:24My God is still with me.
34:26I give all praises to my father in heaven.
34:29Okay, Chris Byrd, you know, most people don't want to fight him,
34:32and I see the reason why.
34:34You saw the reasons why,
34:36but why would you jeopardize your career?
34:38Were you in a place where you felt
34:40you just had to take a tough fight like this?
34:42Well, David Tua, David Tua was undefeated,
34:4527-0 with 23 knockouts when I fought him.
34:48He was one of the best in the Young Heavyweights
34:50when I fought him.
34:51So is Chris, and he still is.
34:53But the fact is, we, the people,
34:57the judges, the commentators like you,
35:00need this type of fight to make
35:02accurate and sincere judgment
35:04who the best Young Heavyweight is.
35:06All right, let's take a look
35:08at what happened in this last knockout round.
35:12Were you getting closer to him on the ring,
35:14on the ropes?
35:16Actually, I can't really.
35:18I was just in a rage of...
35:21You see the uppercut?
35:22The uppercut, Curtis and I worked.
35:24That was Curtis' style.
35:26I must give credit to Curtis once more.
35:28Curtis Cox, your trainer.
35:29Exactly.
35:30Curtis gave me that style in the gym.
35:33He said, since he's a soft power,
35:36I need to come with a body shot,
35:38then uppercut left.
35:39You know, it's so awkward.
35:40Like, he's fighting, too.
35:41So you can see, that's not a regular combination
35:45from an orthodox fighter like him.
35:47And then you knew how hurt he was,
35:48and you wanted to finish him.
35:49Exactly. I like to finish.
35:51I like to finish my guys off
35:52when I get them hurt.
35:53Just don't show me that you're hurt.
35:55If you're hurt, I will go out there to finish you,
35:57especially Chris Budd.
35:58He has shown a tremendous skill,
36:01and, you know, it's difficult to,
36:02if not defeat him.
36:03I can't recommend a referee for stopping the fight,
36:05because...
36:06Was this as much discipline and self-control
36:09as you ever had to exhibit in a fight
36:12because of his style?
36:13Well, you can see there, Chris Budd comes...
36:16I mean, Chris Budd is so awkward.
36:18I mean, you just have to...
36:19He's like a bird flying all over the ring.
36:21You have to chase him around.
36:23And I wasn't able to catch him most of the time,
36:26but I...
36:27How frustrating was it for you?
36:28Were you able to...
36:29I must confess, I was a little bit...
36:32I was a little bit frustrated,
36:33but my trainers who are in my corner told me
36:36to keep fast and, you know, go to the body.
36:39I would say, yeah, I will get him as soon as
36:41I get him closer to the rope.
36:43And it happened.
36:44What does this fight mean to you,
36:48having experienced all of the emotional difficulties
36:51you have had since the Tua fight?
36:53True, true, true.
36:54But I thank God I was able to bounce back.
36:56That's what make it a man.
36:58And with what happened last week
37:01with Holyfield and Lennox Lewis,
37:04I think this could put a stop to the judgment.
37:07So you are gonna be the judge and the jury
37:10as well as the authorities here
37:12in ending your fights.
37:13Well, it's clear.
37:14It's not like unanimous.
37:15It's a knockout.
37:16So...
37:17Nobody want to fight him.
37:18Who would you like to fight next?
37:20Well, I'm ready.
37:22I'm ready for...
37:25The bet.
37:26I'm now ready for the heavyweight championship
37:28of the world.
37:29It's time to give the young guys time to unify.
37:32I mean, if these guys, you know, can do it, we could.
37:36Thank you very, very much.
37:37And again, congratulations.
37:39Jim.
37:40All right, thanks, Larry.
37:41For the record, let's state that the second knockdown
37:43appeared to be a slip.
37:44No matter.
37:45Bird was in no condition to continue in the fight.
37:47Roy, the heavyweights that Larry ranked ahead of Ibayabuchi
37:51at the beginning of the evening
37:52were Lewis, Grant, Tua, and Holyfield.
37:55With all due respect to Evander,
37:57this guy's too young and strong.
37:58He would blow him away.
37:59Is he ready now to fight a Grant or a Lewis?
38:02Well, I got to step back a little bit.
38:04I don't think nobody would blow Evander Holyfield away.
38:07Okay, all right.
38:08So I can't sit there and agree with that now.
38:10All right, you don't have to.
38:11On the other hand,
38:12I don't know how he would do with Lennox Lewis.
38:14I don't know if he'd even beat Evander.
38:15You never know about a fighter
38:16until you see two fighters in the ring going at it.
38:18We can't sit outside and say who would win until it happens.
38:22Well, okay, in terms of style,
38:24would his style stand him in good stead
38:26against bigger guys, Lewis and Grant?
38:28Yeah, it would stand him in very good stead
38:30against both of those guys,
38:32mainly because he's a good inside and outside fighter.
38:34Most of Lennox Lewis' fights,
38:37he seems to do good on the outside.
38:39So if Ebeyebuchi can get inside,
38:41he would definitely pose a big problem for Lennox Lewis.
38:44However, Evander Holyfield fights almost the same style
38:47as Ike Ebeyebuchi.
38:48That's right.
38:49So that would make that a much more difficult
38:51and a much more interesting fight to see who would be the winner.
38:54So I can't say he would beat Evander.
38:56Well, you make a good point.
38:57Evander would get chances against this guy
38:59because Ebeyebuchi would punch and give him the chances.
39:02Here's a guy who had a chance and got knocked out.
39:04Let's go to Chris Bird with Larry Merchant.
39:06Thank you again, Jim.
39:08Chris, when you absorbed that massive punch on the ropes
39:13and you went down flat on your face,
39:16you seemed very hurt.
39:17But when you got up, you seemed to almost immediately
39:20start debating it with the referee.
39:23What was going on?
39:25First, I'd like to give thanks and praise to my Lord and Savior,
39:27Jesus Christ.
39:29I don't know.
39:30I just got caught with a punch, got caught up into his fight more,
39:34him coming, me slipping.
39:36And I just get caught with a punch.
39:39I got hit with a big one.
39:40Let's take a look at it right here.
39:43Whoo!
39:44That hurts just watching it again.
39:46Yeah, yeah, getting hit.
39:47You know, I'm used to getting hit by my brother Joe Inspired
39:49and the same type of punches, but this guy is a lot bigger.
39:52And taking it, I go down, and I get up, and hey, it goes on.
39:58Life goes on.
40:00Like I said, I'll be back.
40:01For a big...
40:02This is the...
40:03You said before the fight this was the best professional fight
40:06fighter you had ever faced and what you had seen of him.
40:10For a big, strong guy, tell us what you see in this guy
40:13because he seemed to show discipline, patience with your style,
40:17working you into the ropes as the fight went along.
40:20Most definitely.
40:21He worked decently.
40:23He worked real good and effective throwing.
40:25I was trying to make a miss, and like my father was telling me,
40:28stay off the ropes, but I'm getting...
40:30Turn the knucklehead, get on the ropes, and get caught on the ropes.
40:32You know, you win some, you lose some.
40:34Well you haven't lost many, but I really want your assessment
40:38of this fellow who a lot of people out there really don't know about
40:41except us in the boxing game know how good this guy might be.
40:45Give us your assessment of what he's capable of.
40:48I give a lot of praise to him.
40:50He beat the best as me.
40:51This fellow a lot of people out there really don't know about
40:54except us in the boxing game know how good this guy might be.
40:58Give us your assessment of what he's capable of.
41:01give a lot of praise to him he you know he beat the best is me but you know it's
41:04my fault laying on the ropes and I listen to my father he's coming straight
41:07ahead he got a lot of skills and a lot of patience in his punching but he's
41:11still just like the rest of them I got caught up into his game but give him
41:15credit he made you get caught up in his game just as you have made others get
41:19caught up in your game he took his time like I say a patient and just caught me
41:23on the ropes you know my father told me to stay off the ropes I get higher
41:26headed I get comfortable there with a big slow guy and as I'm slipping and
41:30doing he ain't as big and slow as some of the guys you fought thank you a
41:33lot Chris appreciate it very much just his final word you know there might be a
41:38lot of people out there with formulas on how to if you would pardon the
41:42expression fix boxing after last week but what fix boxing is an enthusiastic
41:49crowd that we had here tonight two bristling good fights and the emergence
41:55of one Ike Abeyabuchi as a significant force in the heavyweight division
42:02boxing for this night is fixed in the best way possible Jim all right thanks a
42:09lot Larry one final question about Chris Byrd Roy will the other heavyweight
42:13contenders use this as a blueprint blueprint for how to beat him or another
42:17good excuse for not fighting him no I think most of my use that as a
42:20blueprint of how to fight him when they do fight him I don't know if they'll be
42:23able to totally execute it and beat him because you have to have a little luck
42:27you got to catch him I mean it is a flip side to that blueprint if your boots was
42:31catching in trouble trying to catch up with him but he was able to catch him so
42:35I think it'll be a pattern that they'll follow however it's still to be yet to
42:39be seen how many of them be able to catch up with him and actually catch
42:42great job chance they'd be with you again well I have a final word of how to
42:47fight him when they do fight him I don't know if they'll be able to totally
42:49execute it and beat him because you have to have a little luck you got to catch
42:53him I mean it is a flip side to that blueprint if your boots was catching in
42:57trouble trying to catch up with him but he was able to catch him so I think it'll
43:01be a pattern that they'll follow however it's still to be yet to be seen how many
43:06of them be able to catch up with him and actually catch him great job chance they'd
43:09be with you again well I have a final word on what happened in the ring here
43:12in just a minute right now let's look ahead to the hottest program on
43:16television and it's here on HBO you've been watching the Sopranos all
43:21season long and now the show the critics are calling the finest new
43:24drama four stars and hands down the series of the season is cranking up to
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43:34season finale that's making sinners leap families crack and wise guys we want
43:40Tony I want those kids to have a father Tony Sopranos on the way out and I mean
43:44whatever the next three shows find out wires for sound I want to see the report
43:49who rats who gets whacked who's left standing I don't know I'm the boss for
43:58Christ's sake and why is he so threatened that's my mother we're
44:04talking about don't miss the last three shows of the Sopranos the hottest show
44:12on TV part one of the season finale premieres Sunday night at 9 or you can
44:16catch a special replay Monday night at 9 on Sunday at 530 Eastern and Pacific
44:23we'll take one last look at Holyfield versus Lewis maybe the worst heavyweight
44:27championship decision in a half a century the special recap will include
44:31interviews with both fighters and the judges responsible for this scoring
44:35atrocity world championship boxing and Prince Nassim Ahmed return April 10 as
44:40Ahmed defends his featherweight title against England's undefeated Paul Engle
44:44one week later on April 17 a terrific boxing after dark card as lightweight
44:48champion Shane Mosley takes on John Brown plus a stunning matchup between
44:51top lightweight Ivan Robinson twice conqueror of Arturo Gotti and angel man
44:57Freddy who also beat Gotti earlier this evening here in Tacoma Washington Al
45:03Cole and Kirk Johnson fought a rematch from their Rockham soccer majority draw
45:06on December it was another pitch battle but tonight Johnson by far the better
45:11boxer and he scored a unanimous decision over Cole to rise farther in the
45:17rankings of young heavyweight but the best of the young contenders at this
45:21moment maybe it's Ike Ibeabuchi off his exciting knockout victory over the
45:26supposedly knockout proof Chris Bird Ibeabuchi with two-handed Thunder
45:31closed the show with a flurry of power punches and underlined his status next
45:37on HBO after tonight's coverage of boxing after dark private dicks men
45:41exposed and now for Larry Merchant Roy Jones and Harold Letterman I'm Jim
45:46Lampley saying so long from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma Washington the
45:51executive producer of HBO sports is Ross Greenberg tonight's telecast of boxing
45:55after dark produced by Rick Bernstein and directed by Mark Payton the
45:58associate producers or directors Thomas Littlefield Max Siegel assistant to the
46:03producer Rodney Burford production manager Mark Hayden technical
46:06supervisor Bob Hunter technical director Doug Getz
46:58next on HBO men's private parts become a public forum in this arousing documentary
47:16private dicks men exposed America undercover next on HBO
47:28you