Avoided Kingsley Ibeh Demands his Seat at The Heavyweight Table
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 04 Apr 2025
LOS ANGELES (April 3, 2025) – Currently riding a 10-fight win streak, Nigeria-born Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh (15-2-1, 13 KOs) believes he’s being avoided by top heavyweights because he’s feared and considered too much of a risky opponent.
The 31-year-old Ibeh, who fights out of Phoenix (AZ), is a member of the loaded Toro Promotions stable of heavyweights, undefeated for the past four years yet unable to secure a major fight.
There are plenty of reasons for heavyweights looking for less risky opponents. Ibeh is a physically imposing figure, standing 6’ 4” and weighing in at 285 pounds, as well as a southpaw who brings unusual athleticism into the ring as a former professional and college football player.
“I think they’re scared of me,” Ibeh claimed. “I got a lot more calls when I was underrated and expected to lose. Now, nobody wants to take a chance to fight me. I want that challenge! I want my seat at the table, if not at the head of the table, because becoming world champion has been my goal since I started boxing. Toro Promotions has been getting me up the ladder and I’m always ready to go if the phone rings.
“I need an opportunity to make a statement. It would be exciting for me to fight (Jarrell) ‘Big Baby’ Miller (26-1-2, 22 KOs) and I’ve been trying to get a rematch with Guido Vianello (13-2-1, 11 KOs) because I believe I won that fight (4-round draw in 2020). For some reason, the rematch was shutdown. I’d smash Richard Torrez (2020 Olympic silver medalist, 12-0, 11 KOs as a pro) in five rounds. (Oleksandr) Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) is No. 1, of course, because he’s the world champion. We got a call to fight Fabio Wardly (18-0-1, 17 KOs) but it didn’t happen. I’m a big fan of Joseph Parker and I’d like to get him in the ring.”
Ibeh’s Media Proprietor and Brand Manager, Maca (aka “Maca Magic”), feels that his fighter’s time will come, sooner rather than later, because of several factors, saying: “The sentiment we’ve gotten is that they’re scared to fight this big southpaw unless we make it more enticing. Kingsley will climb the ratings, and he won’t be avoided too much longer. Everything has changed in boxing since Covid, especially on social media, because the focus is no longer on just a few fighters and fans love to watch heavyweights. Today, boxing is more about entertainment. We are finding the right pieces and building his brand. We’re going to make him a star.”
Ibeh weighs approximately the same as he did when he played defensive tackle at Washington University (Topeka, KS) and as a professional in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders.
“Being so big is a double-edged sword,” Ibeh explained. “I weighed 240 in high school. I have God-given strength; I don’t even take protein. Football is tough and it has helped me in boxing. Linemen get smacked every play in football, especially the impact by blockers, and getting hit excites me in boxing. I move well in the ring and that’s because of the footwork I learned playing football. I still do football drills in the ring, exploding from my hips.”
Ibeh’s cousin is the infamous Nigerian heavyweight Ike Ibeabuchi (20-0, 15 KOs, 1994-1999), who Kingsley didn’t see until the first fight he attended when Ike entered the ring. His uncle told Kingsley about his cousin Ike and that was the moment he really got into boxing.
Back in Nigeria, Ibeh has a large fanbase that grows exponentially when his fights are streamed back home. It’s like a party.
Kingsley Ibeh is a much smarter and better boxer than he was four years ago. It’s high time “The Black Lion” has his seat at the heavyweight table.
INFORMATION :
Instagram: @ToroPromotionsInc @K_Ibeh
Facebook: /ToroPromotionsInc
You Tube: @ToroPromotionsINC
X (formerly Twitter): @ToroPromotions
TikTok: @ToroPromo
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