Oscar De La Hoya has modestly said that Ike Quartey, whom he fought in 1999, was the hardest striker he had ever faced. Despite having faced and even been knocked out by famous fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, De La Hoya makes this statement.
When asked who the most formidable puncher he has faced, De La Hoya immediately mentioned Quartey, with whom he fought in 1999 and will never be forgotten.
“His punches were like bricks,” De La Hoya told The Ring in a recent interview.
“He hit me and it would sting me. Every punch he would hit me with would rattle me.”
De La Hoya also admitted Quartey had the best jab of anyone he had faced, saying: “Not only was it powerful, it was very consistent.”
In the third round of their hard-fought fight, Quartey used a strong set of left hooks to finish De La Hoya. But in the sixth round, “The Golden Boy” immediately recovered his calm and struck back, knocking Quartey out. Moments after suffering this setback, De La Hoya was struck down once more.
Quartey lost his second consecutive fight after De La Hoya’s stunning shot in the pivotal final round. “The Bazooka” lived to witness the last bell, despite it seeming like his time was running out. After a split decision, De La Hoya successfully defended his WBC welterweight world title and was declared the winner by the judges.
Regretfully, Felix Trinidad overcame him later that year, ending his brief tenure as champion. After that, De La Hoya’s career saw a number of highs and lows, including triumphs over strong opponents like Ricardo Mayorga, Arturo Gatti, and Fernando Vargas.
Ike Quatey is a former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2006. He held the WBA welterweight title from 1994 to 1998 and was challenged once for IBF junior-middleweight title in 2000.
In 1988, Quartey embarked on his professional boxing journey, just a day shy of his nineteenth birthday. Under the expert guidance of Yoofi Boham, an esteemed manager in Ghana and the father-in-law of former World Boxing Champion Azumah Nelson, Quartey commenced his boxing career.
Boham’s astute management skills propelled Quartey into the international spotlight, alongside his fellow boxer Alfred “The Cobra” Kotey. By bestowing the monikers Bazooka and Cobra upon Quartey and Kotey, respectively, Boham solidified their presence in the boxing realm.
The bond between Quartey and Kotey was so strong that many mistook them for brothers. Quartey’s professional debut saw him deliver a resounding 2nd-round knockout against Mama Mohamed. Initially, Quartey’s fights predominantly took place in Ghana, until he eventually relocated to France.