Jason Quigley cut cautious with Big Day ahead
Jason Quigley [20(14)-2(2)] was more concerned with getting cut than looking a cut above the rest on Saturday night.
The Donegal fighter gets married to long-term fiancée April at the end of the month and wanted to ensure he looks good for the wedding photos.
It meant he was that bit cautious against a Hungarian opponent who doesn’t wilt easily in his first fight in Ireland last Saturday night.
Quigley, who bossed every round and will benefit from the 10 round work out, particularly after coming off a long layoff when fighting for the first time since suffering a broken jaw in a world title defeat, was aware the distance specialist had the potential to be wreckless with head.
And with a big day involving a ring of a different kind in the back of his mind meant he didn’t go all out for the stoppage.
“I didn’t, to be honest,” he admitted when asked if he went all out for an early night.
“I hope everybody doesn’t slate me but I have a wedding coming up at the end of the month and I didn’t want no cuts or anything, and that’s the truth!
“I knew he was dangerous with his head. He came in a few times with his head when he threw his hooks. I didn’t really want to engage too much with him in case he threw the head and I got a cut or a mark or anything.
“I’m sure the wedding would’ve still went ahead! That was a little in the back of my mind but it probably shouldn’t have been.
“I didn’t throw the kitchen sink at him but I did throw some heavy shots at him. I definitely hurt him big time to the body, I could hear him wincing, but he’s a tough operator and knows how to survive in there.”
Wedding or not 10 solid rounds will serve Quigley well and putting the pedal to the metal wouldn’t guarantee a knockout win against the wiley Gorbics.
“I think it was the perfect fight for me to come back after the Andrade fight.”
The fight was Quigley’s first since he lost to Demetrius Andrade in a November 2021 World title fight and his first win since he beat Shane Mosley in May of the same year.
He points out the manner of the Andrade defeat meant he had a bit of a battle just to climb back through the ropes again.
” First time back in the ring in a long, long time,” commented Quigley.
“It’s not that I was out of the ring for injuries or anything, it’s because I was coming off a heavy defeat and there was definitely question marks over what’s next for me in my career.
“I had to overcome a lot in the build-up, a lot of memories from the last fight, so I’m very happy with the way that I controlled myself before the fight.
“I kept myself disciplined and fully focused getting into the ring. I’ve been doing a lot of work with a close friend of mine, Shane O’Sullivan, on mindset, and I was really happy with the way things turned out.
“He’s a very tough, very durable boy. He knows how to survive in there. It worked for me as well, coming back after being out for nearly two years, getting a good ten rounds in, in front of a home crowd in an unbelievable atmosphere. It was very enjoyable in there.”
The fight was Quigley’s first at home and his first at the famous South Circular Road venue in over 10 years.
It was a special moment but he made sure he didn’t dwell on during the fight.
“I think I took it in too much (in America). I got into that ring and was looking around me at the faces and everything,” the 31-year-old added.
“This time I couldn’t tell you who was sitting in what seat in the stadium, even though this was a much smaller stadium than the Andrade fight. I was a lot more in this fight.”
