Former World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Ike ‘Bazooka’ Quartey has recounted how his blood samples were consistently taken for testing after dethroning Venezuela’s Crisanto Espana in 1994.
Quartey said managers and promoters of Espana could not come to terms with the defeat and, therefore, impressed upon the WBA to consistently test him for a suspected doping ahead of that historic fight.
The Ghanaian fighter defied all odds to register an 11th round stoppage of Espana which made him the nation’s fourth world titlist after David ‘Poison’ Kotei, Azumah Nelson and Nana Yaw Konadu.
The famous victory ended Espana’s career after he was advised by doctors to call it quits following a detached retina he suffered during the fight with Quartey.
He, however, fought just once afterwards and posted a points victory over Paul Wesley at age 31.
Recounting the post-fight events, the hard-hitting Quartey told the Graphic Sports that he told himself upon entering the ring that he needed to return to Bukom in Accra with the WBA belt.
“I needed it and I worked hard for it. I told myself when I entered the ring that I must take this belt home and it happened. I was very proud of my achievement because he was very strong and the favourite. After the fight, his managers couldn’t understand his defeat and consistently called on the sanctioning body to text my blood,” Quartey revealed.
Describing Espana’s fight as the toughest in his illustrious career, Bazooka disclosed further that he had to go through hell to beat the Venezuelan with a strategic game plan.
By: Bernard Neequaye