WILLIAM MCLAUGHLIN HAS done something not many boxers have done: defeated Jason Quigley in a competitive bout.
Quigley has lost only once in the four years since Buncrana’s McLaughlin defeated the Ballybofey man at the National Senior Elite Championships in January 2012.
Quigley won 32 of his next 33 amateur bouts, the only blemish was the 2013 World final defeat to Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, and since turning professional in 2014 he’s gone to 10-0.
Quigley dances on the big stage again on Saturday night, when he takes on Mexican James de La Rosa in Las Vegas – and McLaughlin can see a changed fighter now to the one he overcame 12-10 on points in a welterweight quarter-final.
[adrotate group=”58″]“Jason has the right frame of mind for whoever he’s fighting,” McLaughlin, a European senior silver medallist in 2009, says.
“Before, he counter-punched a lot, but he’s coming forward now with bigger shots.
“I never felt he was overly strong or powerful, but his timing was spot-on. He’s developed a lot of power to go with that now – that’s a lethal mix. He is hurting a lot of men.
“It’s about the big shots in the professional game.
“It’s good to see him stepping up and testing himself. There’s no point staying at the one level.
“He’s very young and they’ll take their time with him, but for me the pro game is about getting in there, making as much money as you can and getting back out.
[adrotate group=”44″]“Jason’s sparring good people and it’s good to see him getting in now to fight with good people too.”
McLaughlin has kept a close eye on Quigley’s progress over the years. The two were team-mates with the Irish Elite team in Dublin and McLaughlin knows better than most the burning fuel that’s inside Quigley.
McLaughlin says: “Jason has the right attitude, number one. He’s very disciplined. He has the drive to be a world champion.
“You could see all that when he was in Dublin. He’s in the right place with the right people now too.
[adrotate group=”58″]“There is no point turning pro and staying about here, futtering about. Jason has made the right move at the right time.
“He’s at boxing full-time and his mind his focussed to be where he wants to be.”
Quigley had lost the senior middleweight finals of 2010 and 2011, both to Darren O’Neill, when he decided to drop to welterweight for 2012 in a bid to make the Olympics.
McLaughlin had the edge in an ugly contest at The National Stadium that became a brawl.
McLaughlin says: “I sparred a lot with him and he always had the upper hand on me. I think he kind of froze that night we fought. He had weight problems at the time and that. didn’t help.
[adrotate group=”38″]“He came down to welterweight. I was strong at 69, but he was probably weak enough and it probably contributed to his head not being right.”
McLaughlin and Quigley both fought in the World Series of Boxing, Quigley with the LA Matadors and McLaughlin with Milano Thunder. McLaughlin stood with an impressive 9-0 record at the end of his WSB career.
Before then, he’d had offers to turn professional himself, but he resisted it and now, as he lines out for Illies Celtic in the Inishowen League, he has nothing in the way of regrets.
“I went to the WSB and had the kids then so I missed my time,” he says.
“I could have gone to Eddie Hearn with Matchroom. Gary Hyde was looking about me too. I wasn’t getting the contract I wanted and I was happy enough with the WSB at the time.
“I miss it, but at the same time I’ve no regrets. Life goes on.
“There was a feeling that it was time to move on. It’s a sport that you don’t want to be in too long.”
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