Boxing Notebook: Forrest Vs. Quartey

Boxing Notebook: Forrest Vs. Quartey
By Carlos Guzman
Posted: 5:30 am PDT 2006-08-08

This Saturday at the Mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden, Vernon "The Viper" Forrest takes on Ike "The Bazooka" Quartey in what promoter Lou DiBella feels can be a career-changing matchup for these two veteran gladiators.

I attended a Quartey workout to get a better look at "Bazooka" and what he brings to the table. For the first three minutes, "Bazooka" spewed fire. Quartey fired ferocious jabs that hit the leather mitts like cannon balls. He unleashed three, four and even five punch combinations that kept cameras out of focus. It was such an unnerving pace that you could only surmise Forrest would crumble under Quartey's heavy artillery.

The three-minute buzzer sounded, and the media was buzzing. If I would've walked away right there I'd bet the house on Quartey by KO. But, I hung around a little longer.

After a minute elapsed, the buzzer for Round 2 went off -- we got a false start at the gate. Everyone was ready but Quartey, who opted to suck some wind for an additional 10-15 seconds. He proceeded to work on some body movement -- dipping and side-to-side moments to show his opponent's angles, but punches weren't on the agenda.

After stalling for over a minute he finally let off a few punches -- it went off like a firecracker after the Macy's 4^th of July celebration. Let's not forget Quartey is almost 37. Soon after, Quartey finished his workout and gravitated to photographers and reporters to smile and answer questions. The show was over.

Still confused on what had just transpired, I needed to make one more phone call to make up my mind. I contacted Ghanaian-born sports writer Kenneth Bouhairie, who had a few interesting comments about Quartey's training:

"So many fans believe that Quartey is an animal in the gym. Actually, he's very lazy. Ask anybody in Ghana and they'll give you back the same report: he's hard to work with and doesn't like putting in hours at the gym"

Maybe Quartey is living in the past, dreaming of things that could've been?

"Vernon is OK but I will beat him, whether by decision or knockout," Ike says. "[Forrest] wasn't around when myself, Oscar and Trinidad were on top. He's nothing. I will always look for a fight against Oscar. Everybody knows I beat him the first time."

I think Ike is looking past Vernon. Forrest has so many physical advantages it's hard not to give him the edge. He's also working with arguably the greatest amateur boxer in history -- former welterweight champion Mark Breland. Why choose Breland over some other big-name trainers? Forrest clarified his choice:

"Mark and I are prototype fighters. We have similar height and similar styles, except he's a pure boxer. What I wanted to get was all of the expertise he has, so I can add it to what I already do"

Is Forrest worried about that bazooka jab that has frustrated some of the best fighters in the world?

"Hey, I don't want to take anything away from Ike, he has a dangerous weapon -- a BAZOOKA!" said Forrest. "But, I have a full arsenal of weapons. I have some nuclear bombs, and I have some scud missiles. I'll neutralize his jab and drop some scuds on him."

This fight should be a display of the sweet science at the highest level. A fast-paced fight favors the slightly younger Forrest, who's 35. If I were convinced Vernon's rotator cuff injury was not affecting him, I would pick him by KO. However, in his past few bouts he hasn't shown the jab he used to neutralize Shane Mosley's speed. I'm picking Forrest by unanimous decision, but I wouldn't be surprised if he scored a TKO in the late rounds. Thanks to the NY heat wave, tickets are still available, and ringside tickets are a bargain $300. This fight will be televised on HBO. No sportsbook odds have yet been posted on this fight

Pacman To Retire In '07

The news that super featherweight Philippine sensation Manny Pacquiao was contemplating retirement in '07 hit the Internet like a seismic blast and spread in a virus-like fashion. The report was based on these comments by Manny:

"Maybe after about two fights I will retire. I want to personally supervise my business ventures. It really makes a difference when one manages his own business," the report quoted Pacquiao as saying.

Abac Cordero, of the Phillipine Star, investigated these claims. His findings brought a sigh of relief to die-hard fans:

"We were with him the other day at the Orient Seas restaurant, and he never mentioned anything about his retirement plans except for his training for his fight against Erik Morales," Redes Neri, one of Pacquiao's assistant trainers, said.

Romy Neri, liaison officer of the Pacman Warriors basketball team, also denied the report.

"I called him up and asked about the report but he replied, Negative yan,' " Neri said.

Currently there are rumors that Manny might go into politics or even run for president of his country. Not bad for a guy who used to walk the streets with slippers that didn't match.

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