Former three-division champion Felix Trinidad successfully came back from a two-year layoff last year. Now former WBA welterweight champion Ike ‘Bazooka’ Quartey will attempt to do Tito one better by coming back from a nearly five-year layoff on Friday. Quartey will take on lightly regarded Clint McNeil 18-9 at the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex, Accra, Ghana. According to reports out of Ghana, Quartey (34-2-1, 29 KOs) has shed "enormous weight" after preparing for three months. Ike will now be fighting as a middleweight.
At the Crown Plaza Hotel in Auckland Thursday, promoter Cedric Kushner along with David Tua, will announce the opponent for Tua's comeback fight to be held at the Waitakere Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand on March 31. Word is that Tua could be facing veteran Talmadge Griffis.
Could be the year of failed comebacks:
I can't see Ike achieving that much - too old, too heavy.
I like Tua & think it'd be great if he had a successful comeback but I fear he's well past it by now (he's been on the down ever since the Lewis fight). But if he works hard, lays off the burgers and is matched up right he could achieve something with the division as it is.
And if Lewis is silly enough to comeback I can see him taking a beating from Klitschko. He'd better hope he could KO/cut Vitali early because can anyone honestly see Lewis's stamina lasting past 8 rounds?
Tyson always comes back. And Tua was never officially retire. He was just having a major problem with his management. Damn all those luau Tua visited. I wonder how heavy he is now.
You could probably add Lewis there (just rumor though), and perhaps old George "Grillmeister" Foreman. I thought Ibeabuchi might return, but he was denied.
So unless more known fighter comes back other than those, I wouldn't call it year of the come back (and remember, Trinidad actually came back last year). LOL :D