JASON QUIGLEY BELIEVES HE will announce his arrival on the big stage on Saturday-week in Las Vegas.
The Ballybofey man fights James de La Rosa, a 28-year-old Mexican with a record of 13-3, 13KOs.
It will be de La Rosa’s first bout since December 2014, but he did have a planned bout with David Lemieux called off in March after Lemieux came in 2.6 pounds overweight for their the 163lbs contest.
Quigley has won all ten of his professional bouts, nine of them inside the scheduled distance.
Picture caption: Jason Quigley at a Media Day at the City of the Angels Boxing Gym, Los Angeles. Picture courtesy of Sheer Sports Management.
While de La Rosa represents a step up in class in comparison to what he’s faced so far in his pro career, Quigley’s smile says it all as he fields questions about the experience of his next opponent.
“I love that people loook at it that way,” the 24-year-old told SecondsOut at the City of the Angels Gym in Los Angeles, where he is now based.
“People forget the amateur background that I had: I had 250 amateur fights. I’ve been boxing the best fighters in the world, world champions, european champions, world numbers 1s – and beaten those guys.
“I have no doubts about my experience. If anything I’m better prepared because of my amateur background.
“It feels perfect. This is what I’ve worked my ass off so hard for; to get these opportunities and to get to these positions. It’s up to me now to get in there and grab it with both hands and to shine come May 7th.”
Indeed before turning professional in 2014, Quigley had a red-hot streak at amateur level, winning 32 of his last 33 fights in the amateur game.
Interestingly, Quigley has counted Lemieux, de La Rosa’s last planned opponent, as a regular sparring partner.
Quigley had been in camp with Lemieux before the Canadian’s middleweight title unification bout against Gennady Golovkin in October.
[adrotate group=”44″]Of late, Quigley has also been in camp with just-crowned WBO super-middleweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and 24-0 Mexican José Benavidez.
Quigley says: “I’ve been mixing it up with these guys. I’ve trained in a camp and prepared as if it’s a world title fight for every fight. I’m ready for this – and I’ll prove that on May 7.
Quigley fights de La Rosa at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Amir Khan bout.
https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=ldq6Fv4R_6c
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