JASON QUIGLEY TAKES a significant step up in opponent for his next bout on May 7.
Quigley will face 28-year-old Mexican James De La Rosa on the Canelo Alvarez-Amir Khan undercard at the 20,000-capacity T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
De La Rosa might be ring-rusty, having not fought since a December 2014 loss to Hugo Centeno Junior in Brooklyn but, with 26 bouts and a 23-3, 13KOs record to his name, this represents a big leap in terms of the quality in the opposite corner for Quigley.
Unbeaten now in his ten professional contests, the Ballybofey man – who has yet to go beyond four rounds – inflicted a swift demolition of Freddy Lopez last month in Indio.
Now, Golden Boy Promotions have confirmed that Quigley will face De La Rosa, who had a planned bout with David Lemieux cancelled in Canada in March.
Lemieux came in 2.6 pounds overweight for the 163lbs contest and De La Rosa turned down the offer of a purse increase to take the fight.
De La Rosa was stopped in the fifth round by Centeno Junior in his last fight 16 months ago and the Mexican didn’t fight at all in 2015.
However, there is no doubt that this will be the most considerable challenge faced by Quigley so far in a pro career that has been as smooth as he could have wished.
De La Rosa went to 20-0 in his own career before losing to Allen Conyers in January 2011. His early run included a defeat of Francisco Rincon in 2007 to claim the WBC Youth World welterweight title. His most notable win was a 2014 success against Alfredo Angulo, a former WBO light middleweight champion, who counts Erislandy Lara and Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez as former opponents.
Quigley said before his first round defeat of Lopez that he’d had the best preparation he’s ever had.
Coaches Manny Robles, Edgar Jasso and Courage Tshabalala will now ready their man for the biggest night of his pro career, coming on the same show as his Golden Boy stablemate Alvarez clashes with Khan.
“These are the nights I want,” Quigley said.
“This is what I train for and fight on undercards for at smaller venues. It’s all about getting to the top level.
“I want to fight at the top level all the time. I want to show that that’s where I belong and that’s where Golden Boy Promotions should keep me.”
The Quigley v De La Rosa fight will be part of the free HBO telecast on the night.
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