JASON QUIGLEY FEELS as if he’ll have three months to make up for when he takes on Jorge Melendez on December 17 in California.
The fight is on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins’ farewell bout against Joe Smith Junior at The Forum in Inglewood with Quigley aiming to make up for time lost.
Quigley had been due to fight for the 12th time as a pro at the AT&T Stadium in Texas on September 17, but he sprained a wrist in training and had to pull out of the bout.
The Ballybofey man is back in camp at The Rock Gym in Carson and has renowned KO artist Melendez firmly in his crosshairs.
“I’m itching a lot more than I would be…I’m always hungry and always determined because I treat them all like world title fights, but I do have a wee bit more this time because I’ve been out longer,” Quigley says.
[adrotate group=”83″]“That just builds focus and gives you longer to think and longer to get focussed. That can be tough mentally.
“That’s when you really test yourself and you could be away off drinking or just heading away, lying about and putting on a few pound of weight.
“I’ve stayed concentrated and stayed focused. I stayed in shape and was hoping to get back into the ring sooner. I go by the moto: ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.’
“I’m working harder in the gym. I’ve trained harder, I’ve run more miles and been doing more rounds sparring. I feel faster, I feel stronger, I feel sharper.”
Melendez, from Puerto Rico, is 30-7-1 with 28 KO wins to his name – including one last March against Ievgen Khytrov, whom Quigley defeated at the 2013 European Championships.
Quigley says: “I’ve been looking at small clips, but mainly I’m just concentrating on my own clips. Of course I’ve been checking him out, but the main thing is getting my own game and my own fight right.
“He likes to box. He’s stylish. He’ll bring a lot to the table because he’s a big puncher, too. He’s got a massive amount of knockouts, but I’m buzzing and excited to get back in there and to do my thing.”
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