LAS VEGAS -- By the time the final chapter is written in the nightmare book that is Ike Ibeabuchi, he will be remembered in one of two ways:

	Promoter Bob Arum was interested in Ike Ibeabuchi, but is he still?

1) A devastating heavyweight who knocked opponents colder than a Nova Scotia night.

2) A destructive human being who, despite his immeasurable physical potential, was a walking Chernobyl.

It's easy to view Ibeabuchi as the latter ever since his July arrest in a Las Vegas hotel for allegedly assaulting an out-call erotic entertainer. The fallout has resulted in countless stories of Ibeabuchi's alleged instability: similar incidents that occurred in Arizona and Nevada; his attack of a corrections officer; the time he was accused of kidnapping an estranged girlfriend's son and intentionally driving them both into the concrete pillar of a freeway overpass.

One couldn't be blamed for thinking of the Nigerian native as a sort of savage caveman, dancing around a fire with face paint, a spear and a necklace made of bones.

But before anyone jumps to conclusions, everyone should stop and consider this man -- the best heavyweight fighter around -- might not be guilty.

Many thought his career had flatlined, but the monitor started beeping again when his bail was reduced last month to $750,000, a figure he finally could post after sitting in a cell for months. As conditions of his release, Ibeabuchi had to put on a house-arrest ankle bracelet, surrender his passport and refrain from contacting out-call entertainment, a service that occupies nearly twice as many pages in the Las Vegas phone book than restaurants do.

Ibeabuchi, however, is permitted to work. He has been training in Las Vegas and has been discussing fights with several promoters, but he's talking to Bob Arum's Top Rank Inc. more than anyone.

Even though Ibeabuchi's attorneys keep asking Arum to shut up, the promoter has talked to the press about his feelings on the fighter. Arum hasn't hid his interest in promoting Ibeabuchi, who is 20-0 with 15 knockouts.

Arum, who pledged between $150,000-$175,000 toward Ibeabuchi's defense, met with him Dec. 6 and came away with an odd impression.

"I'm having second thoughts about it," Arum told the Las Vegas Sun. "His attitude is sort of bizarre. The kind of money he says he wants to fight is so far out of line that it's completely unrealistic. On top of that he wants a bonus, and he didn't seem to care what may happen if he doesn't beat the criminal case.

"I told him all the things I could do for him, but he didn't seem to grasp any of it. The way I look at it now, I'm not going to put good money after bad. I think I'll cut my losses."

Those comments apparently haven't been executed yet at Top Rank's Las Vegas headquarters. Arum, the same genius who wanted to promote convicted rapist Tony Ayala Jr. in a title fight immediately upon finishing a 16-year prison term in April, can't figure out if he likes Ike.

Ibeabuchi, whose promotional contract with Cedric Kushner ran out last summer, still is being seriously considered for the Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera undercard Feb. 19 at Mandalay Bay. The date is perfect for Ibeabuchi, who is scheduled to stand trial Feb. 22.

	GRAHAM'S POUND-FOR-POUND LIST
	THE TOP 10 1. Roy Jones Jr. 2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 3. Oscar De La Hoya 4. Erik Morales 5. Felix Trinidad 6. Shane Mosley 7. Mark Johnson 8. Fernando Vargas 9. Ricardo Lopez 10. Naseem Hamed

The National Organization for Women might not agree, but Ibeabuchi deserves to fight. Not only that, but fans would be remiss if they didn't make it a point to watch him if he lands on that Feb. 19 card or, for that matter, with any other promoter down the road.

Remember: Ibeabuchi has not been convicted of any crime, and his accuser is a callgirl (not the perfect witness, regardless of what prosecutor you ask). There is a good chance, according to local law insiders, Ibeabuchi won't see any jail time at all.

If Mike Tyson and Ayala can fight pay-per-view headliners, Ibeabuchi certainly belongs on an undercard. Unlike the aforementioned rapists, however, Ibeabuchi can (currently) fight.

Ibeabuchi, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound slugger with speed, is only 26 years old. His most impressive victory came in 1997, when he posted a unanimous decision over David Tua, one of the mainstream favorites to become the next great heavyweight champ.

The only unfortunate aspect of an Ibeabuchi fight right now is that he will be a horror attraction in at least a slight regard. Like Tyson and Sonny Liston before him, Ibeabuchi's behavior is a curiosity now that his explosiveness is being hashed out in the national press.

His life outside the ropes should help him capture more viewers now than he did before he was arrested and that's why, if Arum doesn't sign him, Don King Productions or America Presents will.

He used to be lumped into that up-and-coming heavyweight group with Tua, Michael Grant and Hasim Rahman. Now, in a macabre sort of way, Ibeabuchi has separated himself. He should have been recognized by the casual boxing fan first for his abilities, not his accusations.

If Ibeabuchi is innocent, the boxing world should breathe a sigh of relief for the opportunity to watch him try to fulfill his awesome potential. And fans must not forget, while they're giving him a second look inside the ring, to give him a second chance outside of it.

Tim Graham is based in Las Vegas and covers boxing for ESPN.com. His column will appear bi-weekly.