Most boxing observers agree that Ike Quartey is the toughest opponent of Oscar De La Hoya's career. And looking at the skills that Quartey brings into this fight tells us why he's so good.

	Ike Quartey has knocked out 29 of his 35 opponents.

It all starts with his jab, one of the strongest in the lower weight divisions. He is consistent with that punch, and -- unlike some other boxers -- he doesn't leave it out of his fight plan.

Quartey's defense is also excellent. He blocks punches as well as any fighter in the game. He has good, though not extraordinary, knockout power, but has put good fighters away like junior welterweight champ Vince Phillips.

De La Hoya will bring a game plan that is built on what he believes is a big edge in quickness and speed. Quartey has been labeled by some a very mechanical fighter, and De La Hoya will give him plenty of lateral movement while still punching.

De La Hoya has shown great mobility in other fights. And when it comes to power he can bang with the best of them at 147 pounds. And Quartey was hurt on several occasions against Jose Luis Lopez. De La Hoya hopes to box early, then bring out the heavy artillery.

When De La Hoya puts his WBC welterweight title on the line Saturday, he will also be shooting for his own "non-heavyweight" pay-per-view sales record. His 1997 bout with Pernell Whitaker sold to 860,000 pay-per-view homes, the most by a non-heavyweight fight. The second Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson fight has the overall record at 1.9 million. A realistic goal for De La Hoya-Quartey appears to be in the area of 600,000 to 800,000 homes.

Quartey became a world champion after humble beginnings in his native Ghana. He grew up as one of 27 children. His father, a court bailiff in the city of Accra, was married five times and sired 18 daughters and nine sons. When Ike was 8, he lost a street fight to a 15-year-old and went to the boxing gym. He's been boxing ever since.

De La Hoya said this week he believes he has 10 big fights left in him before he retires, so don't expect him to switch professions for a while.