Bazooka fails to dethrone De La Hoya

Accra (Greater Accra),15 Feb.

Ghana's Ike 'Bazooka' Quartey, former World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion, Saturday night failed to snatch the World Boxing Council version of the title from the champion Oscar de La Hoya.

Quartey lost on a split-point decision to the Mexican-American at the Thomas and Mack Centre in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The three judges scored the fight 115-114 for Quartey and 116-113 and 116-112 for De La Hoya, according to a Ghana Television live telecast monitored in Accra.

It is De La Hoya's seventh defense of his title and improves his personal record to 30-0-0 while Quartey drops to 35-1-1.

Both boxers showed much respect for each other in the earlier rounds with Ike maintaining a constant jab that often confused his opponent who, prior to the fight, had described Ike as a straight fighter and thought he was going to start aggressively.

De La Hoya, 26, who kept his cool with occasional openings, literally set The Thomas and Mack Centre exploding with joy in the sixth round when he sent Quartey to the canvas.

But the challenger countered a minute later with a similar left hook which saw the champion drop on his pants.

Quartey, 29, who never showed any sign that he was ring rusty, having been absent for 16 months, however, visited the canvas again in the early seconds of the 12th round as a result of De La Hoya's left and right combinations.

In the dying minutes of the round, De La Hoya launched a desperate and incessant onslaught on helpless Quartey, dazing him momentarily with a flurry of right and left combinations.

"I underestimated his boxing ability but I must confess that he is a good boxer," said De La Hoya after the fight.

Asked whether he would go in for a re-match, the champion quickly replied: "I don't think so".

On his part, Ike said he knew that there was no way he could win the fight in Las Vegas if it travelled the full distance.

" I brought my own judge (referring to K.O.) but it did not work to perfection but I am glad my kids are here and Ghanaians watched the fight; the decision was not fair,'' declared Quartey.

De la Hoya earned nine million dollars twice more than Quartey.