CONOR QUIGLEY SAYS that his son, Jason, has sent out a ‘real statement’ in the middleweight division.
A win over the seasoned Jorgé Melendez in Inglewood, California on Saturday night took just 144 seconds.
Melendez, with 28 knockout wins in a nine-year pro career, had never been stopped in the first round, but Quigley had the Puerto Rican on the floor three times before the blue corner chucked the towel in.
Golden Boy Promotions prospect Quigley is now 12-0 and rapidly on the rise.
“Any doubts about taking a step up at the level he is at are definitely gone now,” Conor Quigley said on Saturday night.
[adrotate group=”46″]“When you take a guy like that out in one round, it sends out a serious statement to other guys.
“It was very good. He came up against a very good man. This was his most seasoned opponent to date.
“To come in and make a statement like that in the first round, it’s a real statement to send out in the middleweight division.
“He was ranked at 14 by the WBA and this is massive, especially in the fashion and style he did.
“That man has a good, solid record and had 28 KOs.
“Jason would be known as a more classy boxer, the fast hands, fast feet, good movement. He just went in there and showed how he’s maturing and developing – and the power is coming.”
David Avila, a renowned boxing writer in Los Angeles has gone as far as to compare Quigley’s exploits with those of the current middleweight king Gennady ‘Triple G’ Golovkin.
‘Few listened to the words touting his abilities until he began knocking out opponents one by one,’ Avila wrote. ‘Now, he’s a catchphrase for power and performance…
‘Quigley resembles Golovkin in that he doesn’t look like a killer, but once the bell rings don’t take your eyes off of him. The more he fights the more easily he picks apart his opponents.’
Jason Quigley caught up with Conor McGregor last night on a flight from Los Angeles to Dublin
Conor Quigley knows Jason’s game better than most and from his perch in the red corner on Saturday night saw a man he feels can really make waves.
He said: “Jason’s an all-round fighter. When I was with him in the amateur game, I always said he was a universal fighter.
“He can adapt to any style, any opponent. All you have to do is train the young fella to a situation. He knows exactly what to do when he gets in there. He just has the boxing brain. You can tell anyone what to do, but he has such natural skill and know-how himself.
[adrotate group=”76″]“It’s fantastic for everyone who came out to support him. It shows that he doesn’t just have this one dimension. He isn’t just a boxer. He’s developing into a fighter and he’s starting to kick like a mule now too.”
Saturday’s bout against Melendez was Quigley’s first bout since a decision win over James De La Rosa in May, but the Sheer Sports-managed boxer is gaining onlookers by the bout.
De La Rosa took Quigley ten rounds with the Ballybofey man a comfortable winner. It wasn’t until November, perhaps, when De La Rosa gave Curtis Stevens his fill of it.
Conor Quigley said: “Watching De La Rosa against Stevens and giving him – a guy who fought GGG – trouble gave him real confidence too. That told people a lot about Jason – and the win against Melendez proved that he can bang.
“He’s in the pain game now. You don’t get paid for being nice. If you want to be Mr Nice Guy in this sport, you won’t last long.”
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