WBA Welterweight Title
In Quartey's 26th fight he was given a shot at the WBA Welterweight title, held by the then undefeated Crisanto España of Venezuela. Quartey knocked out Espana in the 11th round. At the time of the stoppage one judge had Quartey ahead, one had him behind and a third judge had the fight level.
He defended his title successfully seven times. Among his foes were Alberto Cortes, Vince Phillips, and Oba Carr. In October 1997 he fought José Luis López to a draw. The decision was originally read as a win for Quartey but reversed when a flaw was found in the scoring. Although Quartey was down twice, most observers felt that he deserved the victory and his reputation suffered little damage.
Personal, business and health issues kept Quartey out of the ring until February 1999. His inactivity led him to be stripped of his WBA Welterweight title.
Read more about this topic: Ike Quartey, Professional Career
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