In a comeback few thought would ever happen, Nigerian-born heavyweight boxer Ike Ibeabuchi is set to return to the ring on August 23 in Lagos, over two decades after his last professional fight.
Now 52, Ibeabuchi hasn’t fought since 1999. But if all goes as planned, he will face fellow 52-year-old and seasoned British boxer Danny Williams in what would mark his 21st career bout—and possibly one of the most unlikely returns in modern boxing history.
Once hailed as a future heavyweight world champion, Ibeabuchi’s career was derailed in its prime. He disappeared from the sport after building an impressive 20–0 record, with 15 of those wins by knockout, and his last victory coming via TKO against Chris Byrd in 1999.
“He would’ve ruled the division,” Byrd told BoxingScene in a past interview. “Ike was a killer, a destroyer… like a young Mike Tyson.” But even Byrd acknowledges that Ibeabuchi’s greatness remains more myth than legacy: “He may have been [great], but he went away. We don’t know.”
And that’s where the real story begins.
Ibeabuchi’s fall from grace was swift and severe. In 1997, he was involved in a suicide attempt that left a teenage passenger injured. Two years later, his arrest on charges of attempted sexual assault in Las Vegas led to an Alford plea and a lengthy prison sentence. His legal battles and mental health struggles kept him behind bars for most of the next 20 years, with multiple re-incarcerations even after a 2015 release.
Since then, comeback rumors have surfaced—each one fading just as quickly. But this Lagos bout may finally be different.
His opponent, Danny Williams, is no stranger to late-career endurance. Williams, best known for defeating Mike Tyson in 2004, has fought 89 times, tallying 56 wins and 33 losses. Like Ibeabuchi, he’s well past his prime, but remains active in the ring.
