Jason Quigley: Injury was a “blessing in disguise”

Jason Quigley [11(9)-0] admits to being frustrated at missing out on a spot on the Liam Smith-Canelo Alvarez undercard at the AT&T Stadium, but plans to make up for it when he supports one of his idols, Bernard Hopkins, next month.

The Ballybofey middleweight was forced to withdraw from his slot on the card in Dallas back in September due to a minor wrist injury, but now, in hindsight, he views the disappointment as being something of a blessing in disguise.

Quigley, who last fought on the Canelo-Khan card in May, will appear on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins v Joe Smith Jr at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on December 17th – and the Golden Boy starlet plans to learn from a living legend ahead of his fight with Puerto Rican Jorge Melendez [30(28)-7(4)-1]

Writing in his diary for Sky Sports, Quigley recalled how “as soon as Golden Boy said I was going to fight on Bernard Hopkins’s undercard, I was absolutely delighted. I’m ready to get on this big stage in LA at The Forum in Inglewood, another great venue, under the legend himself, Bernard Hopkins.”

“Just to be in Bernard’s presence and get inside his head, to see the way he works on fight week, will be a brilliant experience for me.”

“He’s one of the best middleweight fighters ever finishing his career and here’s me on his undercard – a middleweight prospect who is trying to do some of the things that Hopkins has done.”

Describing what he has learned from his missed fight on the Smith-Canelo card, Quigley outlined how “injuries are part of the professional game and to be honest, it’s kind of a blessing in disguise in some way, because it’s taught me to stay focused.”

“To fight on a great card under Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez versus Liam Smith would have been a great opportunity for me to showcase my talent and skills, but I’ve remained patient. I’ve been like a lion trapped inside a cage for the last few months and now I’m ready to show everyone what I’m worth.”