OSCAR DE LA HOYA believes that Jason Quigley remains on course to become a World champion one day.
Quigley recorded the ninth win of his professional boxing career on Friday night in Las Vegas, where he defeated Marchristopher Adkins.
For the first time as a pro, Quigley was taken the distance, but he was the unanimous winner when the verdict was decided by the scorecards after four rounds.
De La Hoye signed Quigley up on a five-year deal to his Golden Boy Promotions stable after a standout amateur career by the Ballybofey man.
Picture caption: Jason Quigley with Oscar De La Hoya. Picture courtesy of Sheer Sports Management.
Quigley is now 9-0 in the professional ranks with six of those wins coming during what has been a busy 2015.
“Jason has had an active and impressive 2015, and all of us at Golden Boy Promotions are looking forward to an even bigger 2016 and beyond,” De La Hoya, a ten-time World champion, across six weight divisions, told Donegal Sport Hub.
“Though Jason¹s knockout streak was what gained a great deal of attention, his ability to adapt against his most recent and do enough to win a clear decision showed that he has ring savvy to go with his power.
“We look forward to working with Jason as he pursues, and eventually achieves, his dream of being a world champion.”
A brief spell with the LA Matadors in the World Series of Boxing had previously introduced Quigley to trainer Manny Robles, with whom he is now aligned.
When De La Hoya first shook hands with Quigley in April 2014, it was in the offices of Golden Boy.
De La Hoya’s belts are on display in an imposing cabinet and there is a space. After he overcame Felix Sturm in a middleweight decider, De La Hoya was KO’d by Bernard Hopkins in his first defence.
“You’ll help me to fill that space,” were De La Hoya’s words to Quigley that afternoon.
De La Hoya said: “He’s a good kid, he’s hungry and he works hard.
“What stands out about him is his ability to want to be a great boxer in the ring. If you can fight, if you can demonstrate to the fans that you want to put on a great show and fight to the last second then you are the whole package – Jason is the whole package.”
Courage Tshabalala is a former heavyweight contender from Eshowe, South Africa who was 26-4 as a pro. He won 19 in a row from 1991 to 1996 with 12 knockouts in that spell.
He is employed now by Sheer Sports Management and works closely with Quigley.
“Jason has transitioned well from the amateurs to the pros. He is very eager to learn and that makes it easier for him to learn,” Tshabalala said.
“He’s settled down nicely now and picks his shots very well. I see him continuing his growth in 2016 against better opponents and it’ll give us a chance to see where he is.
“It’s going to be a great year for him and I see him breaking away from the pack by mid-year.”
Sheer Sports took a punt on an Irish kid last year. The partnership has blossomed since.
“We knew Jason was special from day one,” said Rachel Charles of Sheer Sports.
“We couldn’t be happier with the progress he’s made since turning pro.
“He’s one of the most focused and dedicated boxers we’ve ever had the honor of working with.
“We are looking forward to a great 2016 for him. His stock is rising nicely and he’s doing all the right things. It’s a great time to be Jason Quigley. He puts in the hard work and the results speak for themselves.”
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