People are scared to come close to me because they think I’m arrogant – Ike Quartey

• Ike Quartey says he has just a few friends

• The former World Champion believes he is financially stable

• According to him people mistake candid nature as arrogant

Former Welterweight Champion, Ike ‘Bazooka’ Quartey has revealed that he often doesn’t have a lot of people advising him on his finances because he is seen as arrogant.

The former WBA welterweight champion who retired at age 31 disclosed in an interview monitored by GhanaWeb that, he has managed to handle his finances all by himself without any support due to his innate character of speaking the truth.

Due to his character, people were scared coming close to him and they misconstrued him as being arrogant and disrespectful.

Bazooka was heavily critiqued recently over his new look, with many perceiving that, the 1998 Olympics athlete has wasted his fortunes on illicit drugs.

But he has refuted those claims.

Asked if anyone helped him maintain his financial stability after retiring 15-years ago, Quartey said, “I don’t have an adviser because what they say is, I don’t respect.”

“But is Ike Quartey arrogant?” the former WBA Welterweight Champion rhetorically asked.

“I say it as it is but still they say I’m disrespectful,” he said

Ike Quartey indicated that, the misconceptions about him being an arrogant person does not get to him because “I’m fine with it.”

“Have I insulted anybody before? Because I’m arrogant they are scared to come to me, if you come to me, I will say it as it is.”

Quartey added that he hasn’t had a good relationship with most boxers apart from the late Alfred ‘Cobra’ Kotey.

Ike Quartey rose to fame after defeating undefeated Crisanto España of Venezuela to clinch the WBA welterweight and defended it seven times.