Quartey quickly established himself behind a piston-like left jab that bounced off De La Hoya's head. The challenger dominated most of the opening rounds, forcing the champion into a defensive position while pummeling De La Hoya's face with straight punches.
Rather than give up, De La Hoya gradually increased his work rate, began to find holes for his left hook and slowly worked his way back into the fight.
Everything changed in the sixth round.
De La Hoya caught Quartey with a well-timed left hook that dropped the Ghanaian for the first time in his professional career. Seconds later, Quartey responded with a thunderous left hook that sent De La Hoya crashing to the canvas. Neither man backed down after hitting the count, turning the remainder of the round into a furious exchange that would earn The Ring magazine's Round of the Year honors in 1999.
The battle is always close in the second half. Quartey continued to pump his jab and land heavy right hands, while De La Hoya relied on quick combinations and big work to wrap up the close rounds. Neither fighter was in full control as the championship bout remained in the balance heading into the final three minutes.
With the fight hanging in the balance going into the final round, De La Hoya produced a stunning finish.
Early in the 12th, another left hook dropped Quartey for the second time. Seeing the opportunity, De La Hoya locked the challenger on the ropes and unleashed a furious onslaught, throwing nearly 70 punches in the closing stages while Quartey fought for everything he had left.
When the final bell rang, no one was sure who had done enough. The judges gave De La Hoya a split decision of 116-112 and 116-113, while the third judge scored for Quartey. This decision immediately divided opinion. HBO's unofficial scorer Harold Lederman believed that Quartey had earned the decision, and many ringside spectators felt that the challenge and hitting with pure power deserved a big reward.
More than 25 years later, scoring is still one of boxing's most controversial decisions. CompuBox's numbers underscored just how far apart the two men were. De La Hoya landed 206 punches to Quartey's 201, and Quartey finished with the edge in power punches. Two knockouts by De La Hoya—especially the final one in the final round—proved crucial in convincing the two judges that the champion had done enough to retain his WBC title.
For De La Hoya, the victory was one of the defining performances of his career. Besides maintaining his undefeated record and WBC title, it answered lingering questions about his willingness to face top-level opposition. Later that year, he lost his first in another controversial decision against Felix Trinidad before sharing the ring with Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
Quartey never got the rep that many believed he had achieved. Although he remained a respected contender and later challenged Fernando Vargas for the world title, he never again found himself on boxing's big stage in the same way.
More than a quarter of a century later, De La Hoya vs. Quartey remains the benchmark of elite championship boxing. It was a combination of technical skill, rolling on the floor, amazing momentum swings, controversy and extraordinary courage from both men. Whether fans believe De La Hoya deserved the decision or think Quartey was denied an important win, this fight stands as one of the greatest welterweight fights of the modern era.
