McCall vs. Ibeabuchi Canceled After Fans Won't Pay $9.95

McCall is 61. Ibeabuchi is 53. The combined age of the two heavyweights is 114. The event was billed as “Legends Never Die” and was tentatively set for Thanksgiving night, November 26.

Prizefighting.tv had framed the advance-buy model as putting the decision with fans. In a statement canceling the fight, a spokesperson said the company would not invent another reason.

“We will not hide behind injuries, scheduling conflicts or vague ‘unforeseen circumstances,'” the spokesperson said, per BoxingScene. “The fans were given the chance to decide whether this fight would happen, and not enough of them bought it. We respect that answer.”

What the Promoter Says It Was Trying to Do

Prizefighting.tv rejected the idea that it was trying to cash in on two fighters past their peaks.

“This narrative is false,” the company said. “Prizefighting TV was never likely to make money on this event. From the beginning, we were all but certain to lose money. The question was never how much we would earn; it was how much we would lose.”

“‘Legends Never Die’ was built to give them that chance: a fair opportunity to earn a meaningful purse and relieve some of the financial pressure in their lives.”

World Boxing News reported that the promoter described both men as facing serious financial hardship.

Who McCall and Ibeabuchi Are

These two men epitomize the concept: what could have been.

McCall, listed at 61-14-1 with 40 knockouts, turned pro in November 1985 and won the WBC heavyweight title by knocking out Lennox Lewis in 1994. Boxing News noted he last fought in June 2025 and has also been linked to a possible bout with Jeremiah Williams later this year. Unfortunately, he appeared to have a nervous breakdown in the ring during the rematch. He has struggled with mental health issues and other impediments since his heyday.

Ibeabuchi, listed at 21-1 with 16 knockouts, has not won a meaningful fight since 1999 and has a documented history of serious mental health issues, BoxingScene reported. He returned to competition in recent years after a long layoff and a prison sentence. Before he was incarcerated, Ibeabuchi looked like one of the most promising heavyweights in the 1990s.