Ike Quartey... School me on him.

[Nipple]

How good was he in his prime?

How would he fare if he was around today?

His best punch was?

His best victory was?

Does he rank up there with the "greats" of the divisions that he was in?

[hookfromhell]

Phenomenal jab.

[lora]

Think a better less vulnerable version of Frank Bruno.

he was a simple and not exactly greatly skilled boxer-puncher, but he had some very strong basic tools.

Really good fighter.

[MagnaNasakki]

What a jab. What a jab.

The way he steps with it AND snaps his shoulder into it. It's quite literally the perfect, fundamental way to throw a jab.

[greynotsoold]

Originally Posted by MagnaNasakki

What a jab. What a jab.

The way he steps with it AND snaps his shoulder into it. It's quite literally the perfect, fundamental way to throw a jab.

I don't know how accurate it is to say that he stepped with his jab. In fact, he leaned his weight onto his front foot when he threw his jab and thus was unable to step with it. While this gave him a lot of pop in his jab, it also kept him from being a great, or even good combination puncher in most cases. Most guys with a good jab also follow with a good right hand and Quartey rarely did because he rocked his weight forward to jab, then had to rock it back again in order to turn his weight into his right hand. So instead of a 1-2 he threw a 1 and a 2. If he threw the "2" at all. He was generally a jab and jab again guy.
Two fights to watch. His fight against Vince Philips, who pressured him constantly. Quartey threw beautiful combinations and won easily against a guy that was right in front of him. The other is the fight with DeLaHoya. Watch how Ike is unable to close the distance in the rounds where he has Oscar hurt because of what I described above. Also, the fight against lopez, the draw. The jab is always there, but nothing comes behind it, again because of the way he rocked his weight onto his left foot to jab.

[MagnaNasakki]

Originally Posted by greynotsoold

I don't know how accurate it is to say that he stepped with his jab. In fact, he leaned his weight onto his front foot when he threw his jab and thus was unable to step with it. While this gave him a lot of pop in his jab, it also kept him from being a great, or even good combination puncher in most cases. Most guys with a good jab also follow with a good right hand and Quartey rarely did because he rocked his weight forward to jab, then had to rock it back again in order to turn his weight into his right hand. So instead of a 1-2 he threw a 1 and a 2. If he threw the "2" at all. He was generally a jab and jab again guy.
Two fights to watch. His fight against Vince Philips, who pressured him constantly. Quartey threw beautiful combinations and won easily against a guy that was right in front of him. The other is the fight with DeLaHoya. Watch how Ike is unable to close the distance in the rounds where he has Oscar hurt because of what I described above. Also, the fight against lopez, the draw. The jab is always there, but nothing comes behind it, again because of the way he rocked his weight onto his left foot to jab.

I won't lie, those three fights, Bojorquez, Wright, and Forrest are the only fights of his I've seen, and I definitely noticed him stepping with it.

I'll rewatch, though. Maybe I just caught him doing it in isolated spots, and I needed a couple fights to watch again tonight! Lopez and De La Hoya it is.

[lora]

yeah, Quartey had a great power jab, but not really a well rounded one.

I think when he stepped forward it was more step then power jab(with weight all rocking forward as said), one quickly after the other- rather than stepping in off the back foot with the punch while retaining the ability to throw other shots from his main stance once he's planted again.

Made him vulnerable to being turned by fighters with good footwork.though he only really faced that against Espana and Carr.

Oba didn't really have the engine or offence to capitalise on his footwork advantage, though he did surprisingly hang tough and did well at times because it always gave him a bit of breathing room. Espana wasn't particularly quick or reflexively gifted to be slipping loads of Quartey's jabs, but his educated movement and ability to step to the side after Quartey jabbed and throw combo's had the fight about even.

Surprising that Oscar fought so flat footed against him, when a more mobile strategy would have been far more efficient imo.At least for 7-9 rounds.

[Colonel Sanders]

Quartey sticked his chin up in the air everytime he would jab.

[DrMo]

Originally Posted by Nipple

How good was he in his prime?

Too good for his own good, after wrecking Phillips no-one wanted anything to do with Ike. From 95-97, when at his peak he was the best WW around imo.

A massive WW cutting weight hampered his energy levels & stamina towards the end of his title reign. Ike had a great chin, power in both hands & the best jab Ive ever seen.

How would he fare if he was around today?

If he wasnt avoided & got the big fights he'd be the #1 WW

His best punch was?

Jab

His best victory was?

Unofficially Oscar & Forrest. Officially probably Espana or Phillips.

Espana & the demoltion job vs Park are my favourite Ike fights.

Does he rank up there with the "greats" of the divisions that he was in?

In terms of talent & ability he was just as good as Oscar & Tito.

[zadfrak]

He was a top shelf left jab only guy. Threw a good lefthook off the jab when he chose to throw it, which was infrequently. A nothing right hand. He was an easy guy to counter.

He just needed more polishing from the top trainers in the sport and the refinement to follow up with something after the jab. As it was, he had a nice career and got pretty far with 1 hand, similar to say a Virgil Hill. He was never ever an easy night's work for anyone. He retired from the sport with all his marbles intact, so all in all a fine career.

[PowerPuncher]

Best WW of the 90s alongside Whitaker imo, a little better than DLH and Trinidad for me. The technical skills, jab and tight defensive peek a boo made him hard to outbox and he was always thinking in the ring, an underrated quality. Winky Wright learnt his peekaboo and jabbing style from Quartey

He beat DLH and Forrest on any competent card, so that would be his best win

Today he'd beat everyone bar perhaps Floyd, that would be a match of technicians, a close and interesting one that's hard to pick a winner of

As for greats, his resume doesn't quite have the depth but in terms of ability he's top 10

Originally Posted by Colonel Sanders

Quartey sticked his chin up in the air everytime he would jab.

Which while technically error gave him extra inches on the jab

[lufcrazy]

Not seen enough of him at all to give a reasonable opinion. I saw him against Oscar years ago and scored it for Oscar by one point. Maybe my score would change if I watched it again recently.

He's one of the ones up there with Casamayor in that depending on how I score the close fights depends on how I'd view his place in history.

[orriray59]

Can't say I'm a fan of Bazooka Quartey, but I do appreciate him for what he was. He had a brilliant left jab, and possessed some fine technical skills.

Overall a good operator. I had him beating DLH by a point or two.

[LittleRed]

Fernando Vargas beat him up.

[Flea Man]

Not as good as Marlon Starling.