PrizeFightingTV Signs Ike Ibeabuchi to Fight Oliver McCall if 12,500 Fans Go PPV
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Lagos, Nigeria (September 17th, 2026)– Goes the nursery English nursery rhyme penned in the 1840s, ‘Here we go ’round the mulberry bush, so early in the morning.” PrizeFightingTV, out of Lagos, Nigeria, in a dramatic publicity stunt, has signed former world heavyweight champion Oliver McCall, age 61, to fight former number-one-ranked heavyweight contender Ike ‘Mr. President’ Ibeabuchi, age 53, on November 26, 2026, 2 P.M. New York time on pay-per-view.
However, there is a major catch that must be overcome for the proposed unique heavyweight bout to happen.
The catch is a crowd-funding pay-per-view prepaid contingency clause. The fight itself is not yet guaranteed to happen. The PrizeFightingTV organizers have stated the event will be completely canceled and all buyers refunded unless 12,500 fans pre-order a pay-per-view of $9.95 by October 31, 2026. The fight would take place in Lagos.
Wikipedia, of which this reporter is a contributor, states the history of the Ibeabuchi saga post-incarceration. Ibeabuchi completed his sentence in the Nevada Department of Corrections. Before that, Ibeabuchi moved to the Washoe County Jail on February 28, 2014, and then United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transferred him to the Eloy Detention Center in Eloy, Arizona.
Ibeabuchi was released by USCIS in November 2015 as a free man, when Nigeria declined to provide travel documents. Ibeabuchi enlisted the help of Mike Koncz, an adviser of Manny Pacquiao, in an attempt to make a boxing comeback. In good health, Ibeabuchi hoped to fight his first comeback bout in the United States, and was waiting to resolve his immigration and United States citizenship status with USCIS first. He held a green card, and his citizenship was pending only the formal swearing-in. However, in April 2016, Ibeabuchi was arrested for violating the conditions of his probation in Gilbert, Arizona, based on an old warrant dating back to 2003 that he was unaware of.
Ibeabuchi was released September 23, 2020, from the Arizona State penal system after serving the required time, and his probationary status was overturned on appeal. That month, an Immigration Judge issued an order addressing Ike Ibeabuchi’s New Arrival status with Nigeria Immigration Services, as directed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He was again held at the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Eloy, Arizona, during the COVID-19 pandemic, before his swearing-in ceremony and the formal awarding of U.S. citizenship could be scheduled, either while in detainee custody or after final release and subsequent deportation to Nigeria, where he spent several years held in immigration limbo while appealing his status with the United States. Until that status is resolved-or not-Ibeabuchi cannot reenter the United States.
Ibeabuchi, 21-1 with 16 knockouts, Lagos, Nigeria, age 53, lost a 12-round decision to Kabiru Towolawi on December 24, 2025, at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, in his last ring appearance, after a planned bout with former heavyweight contender Danny Williams fell through. Ibeabuchi briefly held the World Boxing Council International heavyweight title after winning a 12-round decision over David Tua on June 7, 2007, in his only other bout to go the 12-round distance. Ibeabuchi also went to decisions at four rounds once (Calvin Lampkin, 1994), six rounds once (Keith Walton, 1995), eight rounds once (Anthony Wade, 1996), and 10 rounds once (Marion Wilson, 1997).
The template to successfully counterpunch and outwork the largely flag-footed knockout stand-in front of you, slugger Ibeabuchi, was there, and the 28-16 experienced veteran Towolawi, now age 46, who had been stopped 10 times in his career, trained correctly to win, and more importantly did his homework in a bout where two scorecards went 115-114 and 114-113 his way, meaning one round would have split-flipped scorecards for Ibeabuchi. The PrizeFightingTV website is currently taking up a collection for Towolawi’s ill wife.
The Atomic Bull, Oliver McCall, age 61, whose 61-14-1 record with 40 knockouts includes a lone split draw with Carlos Reyes on June 3, 2025, at Texas Troubadour Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee, won the World Boxing Council World Heavyweight title at Wembley Arena in London on September 24, 1994, defended it against Larry Holmes, then lost subsequent title bouts to Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis. His career began with a one-round stoppage of Lou Bailey in Illinois on November 2, 1985, and has stretched over 40 years, the longest career of a past or present world heavyweight champion in the modern era in sanctioned bouts. Former World Heavyweight champion Jack Johnson was 67 years old when he fought a three-round exhibition with Joe Jeanette, one-minute rounds, to benefit U.S. War Bonds, on November 27, 1945, the oldest recorded appearance of an ex-champion.
Ibeabuchi got tangled in immigration woes when he was released from incarceration in November 2015 in Arizona. He was staying with a relative at the time. Had Ibeabuchi left the United States at age 42 permanently at that time while he held his green card, his chances of a professional heavyweight comeback launched from Nigeria, while not the same as George Foreman, would have been better. Ibeabuchi decided to stay and fight for his citizenship and ultimately lost. He won his first comeback bout in August 2025 by third-round stoppage over Idris Afinni and is still fighting on.
Ibeabuchi’s comeback, at this point, would seem to be more personally symbolic rather than realistically titular. After many conversations with Ibeabuchi, this reporter can only state that it is good Ibeabuchi has finally gone home to his family and his people. If the proposed Pay-Per-View bout is to take place, the best location to stage it is probably in Lagos, Nigeria. McCall is fearless and widely traveled, and will have no issues traveling to Africa for the bout, at six, eight, ten, or twelve rounds. Ibeabuchi will finally step into the ring with a past or present world heavyweight champion. On March 20, 1997, when Ibeabuchi defeated Chris Byrd by fifth-round stoppage at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, this was before Byrd became champion, and the then 20-0 top-rated Ibeabuchi was incarcerated before he ever had the chance to fight for the world heavyweight title, an opportunity denied while he was under the managerial supervision of the late boxing promoter Cedric Kushner.
It should be noted that the African Boxing Union, International Boxing Organization, World Boxing Organisation, and World Boxing Federation regional African heavyweight titles are currently vacant and available to PrizeFighting.tv to accompany the proposed McCall versus Ibeabuchi bout if and when it is officially sanctioned and if the bout is for at least eight rounds of three minutes’ duration.
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