Ibeabuchi vs. McCall Fight Canceled After Advance Sales Fall Short

The planned pay-per-view fight between Ike Ibeabuchi and Oliver McCall was canceled on October 5, 2026, because advance sales failed to reach the required figure. Ibeabuchi had lost his unbeaten record to cruiserweight Kabiru Towolawi on Christmas Eve 2025 in Lagos.

Ibeabuchi was 20-0 and closing in on a world heavyweight title opportunity when he was imprisoned in 1999. Prizefighting.tv said of the cancellation: “The fans were given the chance to decide whether this fight would happen, and not enough of them bought it. We respect that answer.”

Oliver McCall, 61, knocked out Lennox Lewis in 1994. Prizefighting.tv promised full refunds for the canceled event and revealed that both fighters were experiencing serious financial hardship.

Ibeabuchi returned to boxing in August 2025 in Nigeria, where he forced Idris Afinni to retire after three rounds and extended his professional record to 21-0. The 53-year-old was still awaiting official freedom in 2020 after years behind bars and immigration problems.

Earlier in his career, Ibeabuchi had beaten David Tua and knocked out Chris Byrd. Towolawi, 45, had suffered 16 professional defeats before facing Ibeabuchi.

After his August 2025 victory, Ibeabuchi challenged Oleksandr Usyk to face him in Kyiv, targeting George Foreman’s record as the oldest heavyweight champion.

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