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‘I will bring that title back to Ireland' – Jason Quigley happy to step in with ‘big guns’ avoiding Andrade test

Jason Quigley poses for a portrait after a media conference on Grafton Street in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Expand

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Jason Quigley poses for a portrait after a media conference on Grafton Street in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Jason Quigley poses for a portrait after a media conference on Grafton Street in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Jason Quigley poses for a portrait after a media conference on Grafton Street in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Sean McGoldrick

DONEGAL fighter Jason Quigley feared that next month’s world middleweight title fight against Demetrius Andrade would fall through until all the contract documents were signed and the contest announced.

“It was strange,” said the Ballybofey native who once had a first-class plane ticket purchased to travel to Japan to announce a world title clash only for it to be scuppered at the last minute.

“I had signed to fight Ryota Murata (for a world title). I had my first ever first-class fights booked to get over there to Japan for the press conference. I was living in the high and excitement of it all.

“But it didn’t happen which obviously was a big disappointment. I went from a real high to a real low,” said Quigley who later was in the frame for possible world title shots against Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia but neither happened.

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“Over those serious highs and low I think I learned a lot. So now, I’m living just the day because you can take nothing for granted in boxing. It is one of the most up and down sports in the game.

“For me I am in the perfect stage of my life and my career to deal with this situation. I’m not the young kid caught up in the whole excitement of fighting for a world title. Of course, inside I am excited and looking forward to it.

“But at the end of the day this is just another fight though, of course, there is a lot more on the line. I am training my absolute ass off in the gym to win and that win will mean so much compared to other fights.

“So obviously there is bits of excitement there, but I am learning to tunnel vision and focus on the things that matter.”

Quigley, who is trained by former WBO middleweight title holder Andy Lee, faces the unbeaten American Demetrius Andrade on November 19 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

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Andrade first came on Quigley’s radar when he was still learning the fight game as a teenager in Donegal.

“I remember watching him in the Chicago at the 1987 World Championships. He was three or four years older than me, so I was just coming onto the Irish senior team.

“I was watching all the lads boxing and I remember seeing this Demitrius Andrade and I liked his style, he stood out to me, and he went on to win the World Championship. Did I ever think I’d be fighting him for a world professional title? No. but we’re here now,

“I think he’s been avoided because of his style. Andrade is high risk low reward for all these big guys out there. I know that I can bring stuff to the table that is going to upset him, make him see things.”

After beating Shane Mosley in a career-defining contest last May Quigley called out Andrade. “Did I think it would happen as quickly? Maybe not. I thought it would be another fight away. But he needs fights because the big guns are avoiding him. I will happily step in and bring that title back to Ireland.”

Quigley who already has a decent following in the US is delighted that the Covid -19 restrictions between Ireland the US has been lifted which should enable Irish fans to travel to America.

“Thank God the restrictions were lifted as all of Donegal had their flights booked,” he said.

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