Ike Ibeabuchi Stops Idris Afinni in Three Rounds, Calls Out Oleksandr Usyk
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Lagos, Nigeria (August 24th, 2025)– After 26 years of imprisonment and inactivity, Ike Ibeabuchi, Age 52, 21-0 with 16 knockouts, Lagos, Nigeria, stopped Idris Afinni, 18-9-2 with 15 knockouts, Lagos, Nigeria, in three rounds of a scheduled 12-rounder, when Afinni’s corner did not answer the bell for round four. Ibeabuchi then called out World Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Afinni, more a cruiserweight, has only three wins over opponents with winning records. Seven of his 29 professional bouts were fought at heavyweight.
Ibeabuchi, who fights out his native Nigeria for now, could try to reschedule his original opponent, Danny Williams, also age 52, 55-33 with 42 knockouts, Brixton, London, United Kingdom, inactive since losing a decision in August 2023 to Congolian boxer Louison Loizou, who pulled out due to injury. Williams knocked out Mike Tyson, who lost to Jake Paul in a comeback attempt earlier this year. Ibeabuchi could also look up former world heavyweight champion Oliver McCall, age 60, who fought a six round draw earlier this year. Ibeabuchi-who had been-and still is-in legal wrangling over a United States Green card and potential citizenship when he was deported by United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (ICE), is also a Nigerian citizen.
Ibeabuchi is entitled to fight outside Nigeria, but his status and ability to return to the United States remain in legal limbo at present. The only certainty Ibeabuchi has now is the online BoxRec ratings site will issue him a Nigerian and worldwide rating as a heavyweight, likely to be in the top half of 1,567 worldwide ranked professional heavyweight boxers active today. Ex-champ McCall, age 60, is presently ranked number 230 of the 1,567 active boxers. Idris Afinni, the boxer Ibeabuchi just beat, was ranked number 405 of 1,551 worldwide active cruiserweight boxers, so Ibeabuchi’s BoxRec heavyweight rating will in all likelihood be higher than Afinni’s cruiserweight ranking at number 405.
Ibeabuchi’s June 7, 1997 12 round decision bout with David Tua at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California, set a CompuBox record for the most punches thrown in a heavyweight fight, with Ibeabuchi landing 333 of 975 punches thrown, and Tua landing 282 of 755 punches thrown, for a record combined 1,730 punches thrown. Ibeabuchi won the bout 117-11, 116-113, and 115-114 on the scorecards. Tua was the betting favorite. HBO commentator Harold Lederman scored the bout 115-113 for Tua. Boxing writer Michael Katz scored the bout 114-114 a draw. The punches thrown record was broken by heavyweight David Bostice, 359 landed of 1,044 punches thrown, in a 10 round decision win over Ed Mahone at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in October 2000. Tony Thompson broke the punches thrown record in Tekirdag, Turkey, in a 12-round split decision win over Odlanier Solis in March 2014. Thompson landed 169 punches of 1,092 punches thrown.
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