By Scoop Malinowski

Former WBA Welterweight champion Ike “Bazooka” Quartey returned to the ring in January and scored an easy win. Now he wants to hunt down much bigger game. In this fascinating interview one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the 1990’s shares his thoughts on many topics ranging from why he knows he beat Oscar, his most difficult opponent, the reason why he can beat Hopkins, and much much more:

Boxinginsider.com: So you think you can beat Hopkins? What’s it going to take to beat Hopkins? No one’s been able to do it for 12 years.

Ike Quartey: “All these guys he’s fighting, they’re not strong like me. They haven’t got a jab like I’ve got. After Roy Jones Hopkins has fought no one. What? He fought Trinidad? Trinidad was too small. Oscar wasn’t ready. Eastman? Eastman is not one.”

Boxinginsider: You believe a great jan like your’s is the key to beating Hopkins?

Ike Quartey: “He hasn’t seen that jab before.”

Boxinginsider: What fights were you at your very best?

Ike Quartey: “Oscar de la hoya, when I fought Oscar. I thought I won that fight. I felt at my best.”

Boxinginsider: After the fight was over did Oscar treat you like you won? Did you see hints in his behavior that he knew he lost?

Ike Quartey: “Yeah, yeah. After the fight I saw Oscar, the way he froze, I won the fight. Because he wasn’t happy about the decision. He was cool. Like when he fought Trinidad, after he fought Trinidad he was happy. He thought he won. But when he fought me he was cool, he thought it was gonna go either way.”

Boxinginsider: Was Oscar a more difficult fight than you expected?

Ike Quartey: “Hard? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I knew I could beat Oscar de la hoya anytime. I knew.”

Boxinginsider: You were outboxing him…

Ike Quartey: “I was doing everything. I was laid off for 16 months and fought Oscar de la hoya. If I was fighting like easy fights every two, three, four months, I would kill him.”

Boxinginsider: So that decision must have really hurt you…

Ike Quartey: “I thought I won that fight. I got frustrated by my promoters, my managers, so I decided to…Vargas - I wasn’t there. My mind wasn’t there. So I just had to quit.”

Boxinginsider: How long did it take to get over that loss to Oscar?

Ike Quartey: “After that fight everyone was telling me, You won the fight, you won that fight. I feel sad. It was like something was taken from me. After I fought Vargas I decide to quit.”

Boxinginsider: So you believe nobody every really beat you?

Ike Quartey: “No, no. I haven’t lost a fight.”

Boxinginsider: What was your greatest boxing moment?

Ike Quartey: “When I fought Espana in ‘94. Because that was a beautiful moment in my life. That’s when I won the world title.”

Boxinginsider: Chrisanto Espana from Venezuela - he was a very tough fighter…

Ike Quartey: “Very tall, very strong, long arms. We had to train more to fight that kid. To fight that guy you have to use your head, your heart. Guy was strong. Hard to fight someone who has long arms, strong, tall. Not easy.”

Boxinginsider: What was your most painful moment in boxing?

Ike Quartey: “When I fought Oscar. When I fought (Jose Luis) Lopez. I thought I won the fight. Two weeks later they told me it was a draw. I think I won the fight so I didn’t take it serious. But Oscar was disappointing.”

Boxinginsider: Is Oscar the best fighter you ever fought?

Ike Quartey: “No, I don’t think. That guy Espana was very tough.”

Boxinginsider: Better than Oscar?

Ike Quartey: Far better then de la hoya. (Why so?) He’s difficult to fight because he was tall and long arms, stamina - marathon runner.”

Boxinginsider: Espana never fought again after he lost to you did he?

Ike Quartey: “No. After me, no more. That’s it, finished him.”

Boxinginsider: What was the punch that started off that finishing flurry in the 11th round?

Ike Quartey: “A right hand (points to throat). Then 14 straight punches.”

Boxinginsider: Do you think Oscar will fight you again, now that you’re back?

Ike Quartey: “No. I think he’s scared. I’ll kill him.”

Boxinginsider: What made you decide to return to boxing?

Ike Quartey: “It was 3 a.m. watching that fight in Ghana - Hopkins vs. Trinidad. If Hopkins fights me the way he fought Trinidad, I think I can take him out. I don’t think Hopkins is invincible. I think I can take him out. He’s never fought anyone like me before.”

Boxinginsider: How about Trinidad…

Ike Quartey: “(Cutting me off) I don’t think Trinidad is very good because he can’t take a punch. He cannot take my punches.”

Boxinginsider: Your jab was one of the best. Do you see anyone today who has a better jab than you?

Ike Quartey: “No, no, no. I still have the best jab. Still.”

Boxinginsider: How do you see Golota vs. Brewster playing out? Predict the winner?

Ike Quartey: “Golota wins. He’s been there for a long time. He knows what to do. He’s been through wars, he fought all those big guys. He has the experience, I know that.”

Boxinginsider: Tito vs. Winky?

Ike Quartey: “I think Tito wins. Because Tito has experience. Winky - he can’t do anything to Tito because he hasn’t got a punch. To fight Tito, you’ve got to put him down.”

Boxinginsider: Klitschko vs. Rahman?

Ike Quartey: “I think Klitschko will win. He’s huge, he’s very experienced. So I think Klitschko will win.”

Boxinginsider: Hopkins vs. Taylor?

Ike Quartey: “Because I want to beat Hopkins, I want Hopkins to win [smiles]. I think he’s been there for a long time. Been through the wars. Taylor’s a young kid, up and coming. So when it comes to war, I put my money on Hopkins. And I want to beat Hopkins and I want him to win. I can beat ‘em all.”
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