Ike Quartey Profile and Bio

Name:Isufu Quartey Ring Name:Ike Quartey Nickname: Bazooka Date of Birth: Nov. 27, 1969 Weight Light Middleweight Ike Quartey has been fighting as a professional for over sixteen years. A former WBA Welterweight World Champion, he won the title in June 1994, and made seven successful defenses before vacating the title in 1997. Following two consecutive, tough losses to Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas in 1999 and 2000 respectively, Quartey opted to retire . . . temporarily. In January 2005, he climbed through the ropes again to start a second career. In Quartey's first fight back from his five-year layoff in January 2005, he knocked out the game Clint McNeil. After Quartey scored a knockdown in the seventh round and two knockdowns in the eighth, the referee stopped the fight. Making his U.S. return to the ring in June 2005, Quartey fought Verno Phillips in a clash of former World Champions. Despite some early rust and being knocked down in the ninth round, Quartey came back with a heroic effort, displaying his awesome punching power in taking the tenth and final round en route to scoring a unanimous decision victory. In April 2000, Quartey lost a twelve-round unanimous decision against defending World Junior Middleweight Champion, Fernando Vargas. The fight was close with both fighters exchanging punches for twelve rounds, but Vargas kept a busier pace and consistently landed the sharper punches, scoring a unanimous decision over Quartey. Prior to the Vargas fight, in February 1999, Quartey faced off against Oscar De La Hoya. De La Hoya was effective early and scored a knockdown in the sixth, but Quartey came back and scored a knockdown of his own later in the round. Quartey rallied in the seventh, eighth and ninth rounds, but De La Hoya finished the fight strongly - he swept the last three rounds on two judges' scorecards. With all three judges scoring the twelfth round 10-8, after De La Hoya knocked Quartey down early in the round, Ike lost the controversial split decision to De La Hoya. In October 1997, Quartey battled former WBO welterweight champion, Jose Luis Lopez to a draw to successfully retain his WBA welterweight crown for the seventh time (D 12). Quartey utilized his jackhammer left jab to build points and to set up his thunderous right hand. Lopez was unable to fend off Ike's lethal left jab, repeatedly absorbing the deadly accurate punch Quartey seized the WBA welterweight championship by battering the undefeated Crisanto Espana in June 1994. Quartey's lethal combinations rocked Espana repeatedly until the 11th round when Espana collapsed to the canvas, unable to arise (KO 11). So impressive was Quartey's performance that respected fight film historian, Ray Poplowki asserted, "Quartey is a tremendous counter-puncher and keeps his hands up well to parry punches. I like his style." With his spectacular victory, the newly crowned champion propelled himself to the pinnacle of a division already glistening with stars. Quartey defended his title three times in 1994 - 1995, stopping all three of his opponents within five rounds. When asked about his comeback, Quartey stated, "I am back to win a world championship. I am back to cement my legacy. Every fight is the next step on that journey. I am not doing it for the fame or the money, I am doing it because I love boxing." "The way he left boxing left a real bad taste in his mouth," promoter Lou DiBella said. "He lost close decisions to De La Hoya and Vargas, after he had a decision over Jose Luis Lopez changed to a draw. He was really never beaten up and when he left boxing, he was only 29 and still at the top. He saw Oscar get knocked out and saw Roy go to sleep, and he realized he is still good enough to compete with these guys. Ike is in great shape and looks like he hasn't been away from the ring for five weeks, let alone five years. His fight against former two-time World Champion, Verno Phillips proved that he is ready for any fighter in the world." Fight-by-Fight Career Record 37 Wins, 3 Losses, 1 Draw, 31 Knockouts 1988 Nov. 26 -- Mama Mohamed, Accra, Ghana, KO 2 Dec. 26 -- Steven Gabienu, Accra, Ghana, KO 1 1989 Apr. 22 -- Jaffa Ballogou, Accra, Ghana, KO 2 Apr. 29 -- Aaron Duribe, Accra, Ghana, KO 5 June 10 -- Anor Amissah, Accra, Ghana, KO 8 July 17 -- Peter McIntosh, Accra, Ghana, W DQ 4 Sept 9 -- Adanko Deka, Accra, Ghana, KO 1 Oct. 21 -- Arc-Wash Johnson, Accra, Ghana, KO 2 Dec. 2 -- Tubor Briggs, Accra, Ghana, KO 1 1990 Apr. 28 -- Jean N'Kodo, Accra, Ghana, KO 1 Dec. 15 -- Mohammed Muritala Accra, Ghana, KO 1 1991 Mar. 16 -- Humberto Rodriguez, Zaragoza, Spain, KO 1 May 4 -- Sam Clay, Accra, Ghana, KO 2 Aug. 10 -- Apovo Alafia, Accra, Ghana, KO4 Nov. 2 -- Kelcie Banks, San Bernardino, California, KO 7 1992 Mar. 7 -- Dindo Canoy, Accra, Ghana, KO 1 Apr. 15 -- Juan Villarreal, San Pellegrino, Italy, KO 5 June 25 -- Alfredo Juanrena, Naples, Italy, KO 1 Oct. 21 -- Steven Barreras, Las Vegas, Nevada, KO 3 Dec. 5 -- Jose Lugo, Berck, France, KO 1 1993 Jan. 20 -- Martin Quiroz, Avoriaz, France, KO 4 Feb. 6 -- Floyd Williams, Paris, France, KO 4 Mar. 6 -- Mario Morales, Paris, France, W 8 June 24 -- Moises Rivera, Bordeaux, France, W 10 Oct. 16 -- Lonnie Smith, Levallois, France, W 10 1994 June 4 -- Crisanto Espana, Levallois, France, KO 11 (Won WBA welterweight title) Oct. 1 -- Alberto Cortez, Paris, France, KO 5 (Retained WBA welterweight title) 1995 Feb. 4 -- Bobby Butters, Castelnau Le Lez, France, KO 3 (Non-title fight) Mar. 4 -- Jung Oh Park, Atlantic City, New Jersey, KO 4 (Retained WBA welterweight title) Aug. 25 -- Andrew Murray, Cannet, France, KO 4 (Retained WBA welterweight title) 1996 Feb. 3 -- Jorge Ramirez Aquino, Levallois, France, KO 4 (Non-title fight) Apr. 12 -- Vince Phillips, St. Maarten, Virgin Islands, KO 3 (Retained WBA welterweight title) Oct. 4 -- Oba Carr, New York City, W 12 (Retained WBA welterweight title) 1997 Apr. 18 -- Ralph Jones, Las Vegas, Nevada, KO 5 (Retained WBA welterweight title) Oct. 17 -- Jose Luis Lopez, Mashantucket, Connecticut, D 12 (Retained WBA welterweight title) 1998 Inactive 1999 Feb. 13 -- Oscar De La Hoya, Las Vegas, Nevada, L 12 (For WBC welterweight title) 2000 Apr. 15 -- Fernando Vargas, Las Vegas, Nevada, L 12 (for IBF junior middleweight title) 2005 Jan. 14 -- Clint McNeil, Accra, Ghana, TKO 8 June 18 -- Verno Phillips, Memphis, TN, W 10 Dec. 3 -- Carlos Bojorquez, Las Vegas, NV, TKO 10 2006 Aug. 5 -- Vernon Forrest, New York, NY, L 10 *RECAP*