The story of Ike Ibeabuchi: The dream that never was

Ike was on his way to becoming one of the best heavy weights of all time when he was imprisoned in the US following charges that he tried to rape a woman in Las Vegas in July 1999. The former professional heavyweight boxer, who won the Dallas and Texas Golden Gloves tournaments in 1994, has been locked up for the past 13years. Below is a plea from his mother who posted the message on his website

Mother's request for intervension

My name is Patricia Ibeabuchi a registered nurse. I am the mother of a young man by the name Ike Ibeabuchi Both Ike and my self are originally from Nigeria in Africa- I have been in United States since 1990 and my son joined me here in 1993. I am writing this letter, in hopes that I might receive your assistance in some way regarding the situation with my son Ike that I am about to reveal to you in this letter.

Please continue...

 Ike and mum

My son Ike is ranked #2-3 as a heavyweight boxer. Ike started boxing in Nigeria at the approximate age of 18 and has continued this profession since coming to the United States. While over here he has been trained by Cutis Coke in this field to the point that he won City and State Golden Glove matches in Dallas Texas and has successfully won all 20 of his professional heavyweight fights. He is on record for having 16 knockouts and 4 unanimous winning decisions. Because of his obvious talent and performance, many managers and promoters were very interested in getting 11cc to sign contracts with them, but at this time Ike had a 3 year contract that has expired with Cedric Cushna Promotions. ike is trained to fight in the ring and has not never been involved in any street fights or used his talent and ability in any negative way. Ike is also a born again believer and has been raised in the fear of God. As his mother, and a preacher of God’s Word, I raised Ike and my other children to know what God’s word says and that we are to live our lives according to the Word of God.

When Ike began to show impressive undefeated in his boxing career and one of the world’s most promising heavyweights, a brother, Jack Web in our church, felt compelled to suggest that, because Ike’s father is still in Nigeria, that I quit my nursing job to stay by Ike’s side. He said because boxing has a reputation for being corrupt, manipulative and very shady in it’s dealings such as bribery, drugs and false accusations. It’s a pretty well known fact that a lot of the managers and promoters have been involved in these behaviors and have sometimes resorted to use some of these tactics in obtaining what they want.

In June 1999 their was Nigerian annual festival in New Jersey whereby the President of the Association invited Ike and the mayor of the city and alter the festival, Ike learnt there was a fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon learning of this, Ike decided to fly to Las Vegas to watch the fight and speak with the representatives from HBO concerning his own boxing career.

At this time Cedric was hounding Ike to renew his contract with him, Ike informed Cedric that he needed to shop around to have better understanding what his worth is and if he matches it, that he will continue with him. Cedric was not happy about this because he knew that he had been under-paying Ike while other promoters and managers are highly interested in Ike due to his promising boxing career. Managers and promoters don’t want boxers to negotiate deals, they want to be the one to do all the negotiations so that their underhanded deals will not be known by any other than themselves. Because of these dealers and their methods, we had to leave Dallas Texas and moved to Arizona to seek refuge from them. Unfortunately, they followed us to this State and the nightmare continued. They tapped our phones, forced themselves inside our Gilbert home, they put chemicals in all of our food and drinks, and they will disengage our house alarm and enter our home at anytime of the day of night. The (Gilbert police have several records of our calls and reports concerning this matter. These promoters went so far as to fly and bring false charges against Ike in Gilbert and Scottsdale while he lives with me in the same house, by paying a couple of women to accuse him of attempted kidnapping and sexual assault. The police investigated these charges and threw them out because there was no basis for these charges against him. Since they did not achieve their aim here they followed him to Las Vegas and repeated the same charges which has kept Ike in jail for six and half years. This time in Las Vegas the charges are sexual assault, kidnapping and attempted to kill to intensify the charges against him this time.

At this time of false imprisonment, Ike has been forced medications, accused of mentally insane. and has not been given good attorney representation. Therefore, Ike has never really been tried or convicted of these false accusations or charges, but nevertheless, he has lost six and half years of his young life. The Las Vegas coat sent Ike to Reno mental hospital for evaluation, but before his arrival the staffs have been informed that Ike was dangerous, crazy and many other suggestions that made the staffs apprehensive to his arrival. Upon Ike’s arrival at the hospital, the staffs found that these statements were not even close to being truth rather they found Ike to be peaceable, respectful, loving and cooperative. When the Las Vegas court ordered to medicate Ike by Dr. Bittker who supposed to monitor the effect of the medication, he traveled out of the county and Dr. Henson started forcing medications on Ike, as a registered nurse I called Dr. Henson why he is medicating Ike, and if Ike was his son, as a license physician will he medicate him? since he is not mentally insane, he said that Las Vegas court asked him to, I asked him if court ask him to kill will he kill as a license physician? so I reported this to the Medical board in Nevada.

Finally Ike was intimidated, drugged out and with the effect of the drug dragged into the court to plead guilty by the Las Vegas public defender for alleged criminal offence he did not commit.

The judge knew about the drug Ike was given before court hearing because Ike told the judge that he was forced medication and he can’t reason properly but the judge ignored him. Today Ike, my son sits mercilessly in prison at the prime of his life, wasting! What did he do?

There was recent involvement of Honorable senator John McCain into the corruptions in the boxing business which supports what I am saying. In December 1999 Ike was kept in house arrest then Top Rank visited him to sign a promotional contract with Ike, Ike agreed but the terms both agreed upon was changed, well, he refused to signed Top Rank even promised to get him out and had already included his name in Delahoya’s fighting cart that year, if he had signed that cheating contract, but when It didn’t happen he was throne back to jail the next day. Since then different promoters and managers have promised to get him out if he agrees to sign contract with them. All these means that evil is behind this whole thing.

I am appealing to the public, Ike’s fans, relatives, friends and fellow country men and women, sisters and brothers in the Lord, qualified lawyers and human rights movement to please assist me in anyway possible to get my son released to live his life here in Arizona as a free young man. Feel free to check out any and all of my statements regarding this situation. I have many more actual details to share with you concerning all of this and would like an opportunity to do so. I feel as if we are abandoned, neglected and ignored abused and violated since our names and business (Missionary Home Health and Staffing Inc.) are known to every charity organization in United State for donations and supports. such as Veterans Of Foreign Wars Of The United States, Paralyzed Veterans Of America, Americans For Immigration Control, Inc.. National Police & Trooper Association, Metro Ministries In New York (kids that lost their parents during 9-11) Marilyn Hickey Ministries, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Operation Smile by Cindy McCain, American Red Cross in Washington, DC for Hurricane Katrina, Covenant House in NY.. Active supporter of Arizona State Fraternal Order Of Police and many more But Ike my son financed this business for the family and to help those in need, is going through this punishment, and no body is doing anything to stop this evil.

I have lived in United States since 1990 working as RN and filed my taxes, never received food stamps or disability finds, rather I have used my two hands God gave me to make my living, even have managed Missionary Home Health and Staffing Inc. from 2001 till date and have filed all the taxes as required. But I have filed for my Green card to become a resident here since it is due unto me, rather my papers keep on missing and one of the immigration lawyers said that, quote “This is internal, I can not deal with this” then he sent me to Senator McCain’s office for help. The immigration managed to call me for an interview never found anything illegal, or fault, still they are threatening to send me back to Africa. Who is behind this? those that thinks that I am on their way to my son Ike, kept on hiding my immigration file so that it could not be processed accordingly.

Furthermore, discrimination, hate, abuse and violation of human right that my son and I are facing in this country is wrong because we do not know what caused it how it started in this country we came to seek American dream and in our country, we treat every body with love and help when necessary.

In my country people go to jail when they committed serious crimes not accusations with no proof of evidence, or because of race, appearance, color or country of origin and career as in Ike’s case.

Muhammad Ali was out for 3 years for avoiding drafting. Mike Tyson was convicted for rape and was out in 3 years

Ike Ibeabuchi has served 7 years for mere accusations, WHY?

You can contact inc at 480-452-8175, or my mailing address is P.O. Box 7857 Chandler,

Arizona 85246

I appreciate your consideration in this matter

Sincerely yours

Patricia N. Ibeabuchi.

Now here's a different version of what happened from his Wikipedia page
In July 1999, Ibeabuchi was staying at The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas when he phoned a local escort service and had a woman sent to his room.

The 21-year-old woman said she was there to strip and nothing else. She claimed he attacked her in the walk-in closet after she demanded to be paid up front.
"He invites her up to his room and begins to get physical with her," said Christopher Lalli, a Clark County chief deputy district attorney. It got loud enough that people in the adjoining room notified hotel security.
"When they enter the room," Lalli said, "a woman, naked from the waist down, is running toward them."
Ibeabuchi barricaded himself in the bathroom, and police discharged pepper spray under the door to coax his surrender. Ike's defense faced the further difficulty of the Clark County DA's reopening of a similar sexual assault allegation from eight months earlier that took place next door to The Mirage, at sister-property Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.

He was released on bail and placed on house arrest—able to train and fight again until his trial—but he was remanded after two more sexual-assault allegations surfaced in Arizona.
"The troubling thing for us was this was not an isolated incident," Lalli says.
Lalli says the case against Ike's crimes at The Mirage was solid. There was physical evidence, eyewitness testimony, a pattern of unacceptable behavior.

"It was evidence you don't have nine times out of 10 in these cases when you go to trial," Lalli said.
Ibeabuchi was deemed incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a state facility for the mentally ill. Medical experts concluded he exhibited bipolar disorder, and a judge granted permission to force-medicate him. Eight months later, 2½ years after his arrest, he was ruled cogent enough to plea.

He entered an Alford plea, conceding the prosecution had enough evidence to convict him while not admitting guilt. Had he gone to trial and been found guilty of rape, he could have received 10 years to life in prison, but instead he got two to 10 years for battery with intent to commit a crime and three to 20 years for attempted sexual assault, to be served consecutively.

Ibeabuchi was paroled on the first charge in 2001 and has been denied parole on the second charge three times. He was denied parole in August 2004, in August 2007, in February 2009 and on May 1, 2012. He is not eligible for another hearing until May 2013, at which time he will be 39. Ike also faces likely deportation.
"We felt confident he was going to spend a good chunk of time in prison and then get kicked out of the country," Lalli said.

Since his incarceration, Ike has earned two college degrees from Western Nevada Community College: an Associate of General Studies and an Associate of Applied Science in General Business

Read Ike's biography HERE