Jason Quigley – “This is it now”

Jason Quigley [11(9)-0] feels that he is hitting the next stage of his career.

The Golden Boy starlet is ready to upgrade to contender and believes he its time to leave behind the apprenticeship stage and start moving toward serious titles.

The Donegal middleweight takes Jorge Melendez [30(28)-7(4)-1] in California on December 17th on the Bernard Hopkins v Joe Smith Jr undercard, and believes he is both ready for, and in need of, the step up in class as he bids to extend his unbeaten start to pro life.

“I’m 25-years-of-age and now is the time to really start knuckling down and climbing that ladder. This really feels like professional boxing to me now. It’s big cards, big fights with good opponents. It’s exciting, ” Quigley told the Donegal Post.

“This is it now. This is what I’ve wanted to do all my life. It’s about getting into the ring and getting in there with an opponent that has a great knockout percentage. I know I have to be completely on my game.”

Following on from his win over James De La Rosa in May, Melendez presents Quigley with another difficult opponent relatively early on in his career. The Donegal man described how “It’s another step up in class. I’ve had a look at videos to see what I’m up against. He’s a very good fighter and he’s a good puncher. This is the stage I’m at in my career – not just in my career but in my head and in my life.”

“Every fight for me takes me one step closer to my dream of becoming a World champion. That’s not even a dream anymore. I feel like I’m on the road to realising that ambition. Jorge Melendez is just another obstacle in my path.”