Jason Quigley wants world title before the end of 2017
Jason Quigley [11(9)-0] feels that he is one year away from challenging for World titles.
The Donegal middleweight wants to fight for world honours by the end of 2017, and has no problem who he faces, even the fearsome Gennady Golovkin. The Kazakh king currently holds the WBA, WBC, and IBF belts, while Billy Joe Saunders possesses the WBO strap.
Quigley’s stock rose last month when former world title challenger won a competitive ten rounder with James De la Rosa – while the Ballybofey fighter had dominated the same opponent earlier in the year.
The 25 year old faces another strong opponent at the weekend on the Bernard Hopkins v Joe Smith Jr undercard in Inglewood, California. Here he faces Puerto Rican banger Jorge Melendez [30(28)-7(4)-1].
Should he win this, and with a few more step ups in the new year, Quigley is targetting a world title sooner rather than later.
That said, before world titles can be won, Quigley is focusing on his upcoming opponent, and wrote in his Sky Sports diary that “every fighter has a chance, this is boxing and one shot can change a fight. I don’t take Jorge Melendez any different to any previous opponent.”
“I will treat this as a world title fight because it gets me one step closer to achieving my goal. I’m on my journey to becoming a world champion so Melendez is just an obstacle, a hurdle, that needs removing. I’ll take him out of the equation.”
The 2013 World Amateur silver medalist wants to move quickly to world level, and is willing to face any of the beltholders. ‘El Animal’ plans to enter into the middleweight conversation in the new year, and wants the current champions to be aware that he is coming.
Qugley outlined how “at the end of 2017, I want the likes of Gennady Golovkin, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs – they have the belts now, but a lot can change. My goal is to have the world champions knowing who I am, and having a fear of me. I want them to know I’m on their tails, clipping away at their heels, coming for what they have.”
Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)
