Ibekwe notches up another quick win
Simon Ibekwe…silently climbing the heavyweight ladder
THE Midlands heavyweight scene has possibly never been so crowded with title hopefuls: good men capable of climbing to the top.
There’s two-time British title challenger Frazer Clarke, Solomon Dacres, Lewis Williams, Matty Harris, Joe Bourne…
There’s another silently rising through the ranks in the small hall shadows.
Simon Ibekwe, an imposing physical specimen, may prove the division’s surprise package. On Scott Murray’s packed show at Chase Leisure Centre, Cannock, on Saturday, he made it six wins in a row, four inside distance.
With “God 1st” emblazoned on his shorts, the Redditch prospect demolished Milo Veletic, a very large, imposing individual, in two rounds.
Veletic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was hit with a right hand so powerful it almost sent him back there.
Dumped in Ibekwe’s corner, Milo made it to his feet at two, but ref Chris Dean had seen enough. So had I: the visitor provided little more than target practice during the brief battle and faced only pain, punishment and possible damage.
It’s not that the 27-year-old’s dreadfully limited. He’s won three of 13 and took Delicious Orie the full distance in the former outstanding amateur’s pro debut.
He certainly looks the part, with a doorman’s features and is roughly the size of an industrial fridge freezer.
But at over 20 stone, Veletic looked in less than peak condition, his body fleshy and soft.
He was frequently caught by rights in the first and nailed by Ibekwe’s strong jab. Veletic slipped after absorbing another right and Ibekwe (16st 7lbs) closed the session with a hard left hook.
As he trudged out for the second, Milo had the look of a fighter who knew he was in for a hard night. Thankfully, it was a brief one. Alarmingly open, he shipped more heavy shots before that right hook ended his involvement in the affair.
Mr Dean called it off at two minutes 19 seconds.
At 29 and now guided by former British champ Scott Welch, Ibekwe appears to be improving with each fight.
“I’m a man of faith,” Simon, who has served as Anthony Joshua’s sparring partner, told me in a previous interview. “I believe the timing is good and I trust the process. I want to be a bit more active, but I do know it will happen. Those inside boxing know me, those outside it don’t, but it will happen.”
Ibekwe believes the Lord will deliver. I’m not religious and believe that wrecking ball right hand will deliver.