Jason Quigley sets 2019 World Title goal

Jason Quigley [15(11)-0] is hopeful he will be a world champion before a busy and exciting 2019 is done.

The Golden Boy mdiddleweight had just two fights last year after 12 months out of the ring after he suffered injury in a win over Glen Tapia in March 2017.

However, despite the year a sabbatical the Donegal fighter’s stock and ranking was high enough for him to be offered the chance face Top 10 middleweight Ryota Murata in Vegas last October.

The fight, which saw Quigley pass on an August date, fell through on the Japanese side as Murata was forced to face Rob Brant instead and ultimately ended up falling to a shock defeat, and losing the WBA regular trinket, to the unheralded American.

Quigley, meanwhile, scored a win over Mexican Freddy Hernandez and is now confident he can maneuver himself toward a title shot that won’t be taken away from in 2019.

Indeed, the popular 27-year-old believes he is ready and wants fights that will not only reflect his world level but move him toward a coveted shot.

“Everyone I am fighting now will be top class fighters because that is the level I am at now. Every fight from now will get me one step closer to a world title or be a world title fight,” he told Highland Radio after winning the International Achievement Award at the Donegal Sports Star of the Year Awards.

“Every year for me is a big year and every year could be ‘the year’. I am training flat out. Everything is going great over in Sheffield. I am staying ready mentally and physically, everything is 100 percent.”

The WBO middleweight belt is currently held by Demetrius Andrade while IBF champ Danny Jacobs and WBA-WBC champ Canelo will unify in May.

All four belt are held by fighters who, like Quigley, are affiliated to the DAZN platform and the Ballybofey man is keen to move into contention over his next few fights.

“I am just waiting  on the dates, waiting on the opponents,” he noted.

“I am going to get in there knock them down, move on to the next one and keep climbing closer to that world title. I hope to stay busy, hopefully three or four fights and hopefully one of them a world title fight.”

Having suffered a long term injury and seen the Murata fight fall through, Quigley knows all too well the fickle nature of boxing. 

In that regard, the Wincobank boxer will focus on the things he can control – his training, state of mind, and performance.

Quigley outlined how “it’s going to be a very exciting year, but as boxers know and a lot of people that follow boxing know, your only as good as your last fight. You have to stay on the ball, you have to stay focused because in boxing you could be winning 11 rounds then two minutes and 30 seconds into the last round it could all just go end on you.”

“You have to stay concentrated so at the minute I am staying present.

“I am just going keep pushing toward that world title fight. Whether it comes in the next fight, two fights, three fights, five fights down the line you don’t know when its going to come. It is going to come and I can’t wait for that moment to happen. At the minute I am enjoying the process.”