WAYNE McCullough believes Jason Quigley will become Ireland’s next world champion.
Quigley grabbed the NABO middleweight title on Saturday night with a defeat of Shane Mosley Jr.
A majority decision win in Las Vegas will ensure that the Ballybofey man takes a significant step up the world rankings – and move firmly into world title territory.
Belfast boxing icon McCullough, the former WBC world bantamweight champion, cornered Quigley for the fight with trainer Andy Lee unable to travel.
“I believe that he will be the world champion,” McCullough said.
“That was my last talk with him. I said ‘this is it, this is the next level’.
“The next level is the championship of the world. He is at that level now. He has moved himself to championship level. Jason is at world level.
Wayne McCullough embraces Jason Quigley after his win on Saturday. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
“I’m grateful to these guys for bringing me on board. I took what Andy was teaching him. I want to thank Andy. Without him, I wouldn’t be here. I would like to be a part of their future too. We’ve gelled well.”
Quigley defeated Mosley Jr after ten rounds at the Mandalay Bay.
In what was the Donegal puncher’s finest performance in the professional ranks, Quigley came good over the championship rounds to earn the decision.
McCullough said: “It was a great fight.
“We put things together and talked about what we were going to do. During the fight, I kept yelling: ‘Work the jab, pop the jab, when he comes close then bang the body, bang the head’. He did that, the judges saw that and the2y gave the right result.
“The good judges will look at what the guy is doing effectively and Jason’s jab was effective. When he pushed forward in the last two rounds, he run through Mosley.”
Quigley was returning after 16 months out of the ring with Mosley Jr, son of the legendary ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, having had two wins in the same period.
Jason Quigley throws a left at Shane Mosley Jr at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
McCulloug said: “Mosley is so tough and he has that pedigree from his dad. Jason stayed with it, he pushed forward, he finished strong and he won the fight. Both guys landed big punches.
“I really think Jason was the harder puncher. He affected Mosley harder than he did. Mosley is a hard nut. They fought such a great fight. Jason’s jab was the key to the fight. It proved effective for the judges to score.
“We wanted him to stay away. Mosley started sitting on his punches at the half-way bit. We wanted Jason attacking more when Mosley tired at the end of the rounds. It was good tactics.”
In the moments after the win, which moved his pro record to 19-1, Quigley called out Demetrius ‘Boo Boo’ Andrade, the WBO world middleweight champion.
McCullough said: “Andrade is a really good fighter. Is he beatable? Yeah. He’s quick, he’s accurate and he hits hard enough. He’s unbeaten and a tough guy. Jason has traveled the world as an amateur and has seen all the different styles.”
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