Jason Quigley says he’s ready to show why Oscar De La Hoya holds him in such high standing.
By Chris McNulty in Los Angeles
It’s just over four years now since De La Hoya took a moment out of a press conference in Los Angeles’ Sub Hub Center in August 2014 to beckon a little-known fighter to centre stage.
Shawn Porter and Kell Brook were ready to jostle for the IBF World welterweight title and De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy Promotions were promoting the fight, was addressing a large room of media, fight fans and various others from the entourages that accompany boxers to these events.
As he beckoned fans to take note of the headline bout, De La Hoya broke from his script, ushered a young Irishman out of his seat and introduced him to the crowd.
It was an early indicated of De La Hoya’s admiration of Jason Quigley’s talents.
Quigley was readying himself to face Fernando Najera in only his second pro fight having beaten Howard Reece a few weeks earlier in Las Vegas.
From very early, De La Hoya has seemed to have taken a special interest in Quigley’s rise. After Quigley defeated Najera.
Even recently, De La Hoya reckoned that Quigley was ‘ready to come back and challenge all contenders and champions at 160 pounds’.
“To have that man backing me means a lot,” Quigley says.
“He was an unbelievable in the ring. He did things no other boxer could accomplish. It’s a pleasure to be part of the Golden Boy team.
“Oscar knows talent when he sees it. We know where we want to go and where we’re going. Oscar lets everyone know the path.
“I’ll prove him right. I get in there every time to put on a show.”
Quigley had a year out of action having sustained a horror injury to his right hand on his way to beating Glen Tapia for the NABF middleweight title in March 2017.
An Easter weekend win in Boston against Daniel Rosario earlier this year got him back on track.
Of late, Quigley has been using #BackToBusiness on his social media.
And it’s with good reason.
“My last fight in Boston was like Christmas coming around,” he says.
“The injury happened, yes it was a bad injury, but I’m in a contact sport. These things are going to happen. You’ll break bones. You’ll bleed. This stuff happens. It was a great learner and a great experience to have that so early in my career.
“When I had my last fight, it was: ‘Aww I’m able to box again. I’m back in the ring’. That was a comeback fight and it was exciting and brash.
“It’s back to business now.
“I’m back on the journey and back on the path I’ve set out and imagined for myself again. This is exactly what this is – back to business.”
There are several possibilities opening in front of him now, but Quigley is minded only to focus only on Freddy Hernandez, retaining the NABF strap and keeping his unblemished record intact.
He says: “The key in boxing is to take it one fight at a time. So many things make fights happen and make them not happen. I just concentrate on the present day.
“The only thing you control and take advantage of is the present moment. It’s hard sometimes when there’s a fight coming up, but it’s very important to stay in the moment.”
