Earlier this week, a photo of former welterweight champ Ike “Bazooka” Quartey went viral, with a good number of Quartey’s fans expressing their alarm at his current appearance.
Quartey, who rumbled with the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Vernon Forrest, Vince Phillips, and Fernando Vargas in his heyday, was pictured with long hair, with the former champ wearing a baseball shirt and looking somewhat thin.
Quartey is now aged 51, and he has not been seen in public too often. Some fans took to social media to express their concern, with one fan (maybe more) declaring their disbelief that the man in the picture was indeed Ike Quartey. Some fans wondered aloud if Quartey had fallen foul of a drug habit; others wondered about his financial situation.
Quartey evidently saw the tweets and messages questioning his wellbeing, and he took the time to allay fans’ fears:
“I don’t do drugs. I don’t do that. Since I retired, I have been focusing on my family and my businesses,” Quartey told Joy Sports. “By the grace of God, I am very comfortable and working on my hospital project. The fact that I decided to grow my hair does not mean I am on drugs. I am also growing and cannot look the same as I looked previously.”
There are far too many sad stories of great fighters either going broke, falling into ill health, or getting addicted to drugs, and thankfully this is not the case with Quartey, as he himself insists.
Quartey was a genuinely fierce and explosively powerful fighting man back in the 1990s and 2000s, and the WBA champ at 147 pounds gave a prime Oscar De La Hoya one of his toughest fights (Oscar saying, years later, how he had been unable to get out of bed for days after the punishing 12 round win).
One of Ghana’s greatest fighters, Quartey retired in late 2006 with a fine 37-4-1(32) record. Quartey was never once stopped, and he has made it clear he is not stopping now. Ike assures us he is in good shape.
Ike was good. He just wasn’t great.
Who’s business is it anyway, whatever the choice Ike decided to take with his life, it’s his choice, as long as he’s not hurting anyone. The man said, he’s find, so let it be. I wish Ike a long & healthy life!
Yeah drugs help people
World Champion…no one can ever take that away. One of my all time favs.
I actually scored Quartey – DeLaHoya for Quartey by a point. Awesome fighter.
How can people say negative things about ike, like to see the people leaving negative comments get in a ring with him in his heyday. Give the man some credit and respect, why do people have the need to try and pull people down, especially someone like Ike who got up and has done it and achieved something in his life.
Especially when they don’t know for a fact
What’s wrong with DRUGS?
One of the greatest boxers in the world.
Who cares about him.. loser.
He is not a loser. He was a great boxer. Oscar said it. He has never fought more than 4 rounds. Ike gave him 12 rounds straight. Why are some people so negative
You sound broken hearted and hurt .. seek help.
Well the only way to prove your point is to say those words to his face. If not then that makes you the loser. But just let’s make you that anyways.
You care…thats why you commented…LOSER!
Ur 🙄,..Coward-Why Reply Then Looser.
Stfu
Great fighter in his heydays