JASON QUIGLEY IS being considered as an opponent for boxing’s biggest international superstar, Mexico’s Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, in September.
The Donegal middleweight [18-1, 14KOs] is, like Canelo [53-1-2, 36KOs], promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy and has notched up two straight stoppage victories since teaming up with his new trainer, Andy Lee, following a first career reversal to Tureano Johnson this week last year.
Ballybofey man Quigley, who turned 29 in May, is one of less than a handful of names in the frame to face the three-weight, eight-time world champion along with England’s John Ryder [28-5, 16KOs] and, to a lesser extent, Canada’s David Lemieux [41-4, 34KOs].
Canelo is due to return to the ring in September but a handful of higher-profile opponents, including brash Brit Billy Joe Saunders, have already turned down opportunities to square off with the flame-haired Mexican.
Due to the expected lack of gate revenue wherever Canelo’s proposed fight should eventually land, it’s understood that Golden Boy are now seeking a lower-cost opponent — albeit a fight with the Guadalajara native would still see Quigley multiply his highest payday to date.
London’s Ryder was highly unfortunate to come out on the wrong side of the judges’ verdict when he looked for all intents and purposes to have beaten World super-middleweight champion Callum Smith last November. Smith, too, had previously been earmarked as an opponent for Canelo but with the Liverpudlian now seemingly out of the running, Golden Boy are understood to be eyeing up his should-have-been conqueror, Ryder, for the shot at boxing’s biggest pay-per-view fight.
Canada’s Lemieux spectacularly knocked out Cork’s ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan in the chief support bout to Canelo’s rematch with Gennady Golovkin in September 2018 but due to injuries and weigh-in issues has fought just once since, getting dropped twice in an eventual split-decision win over Ukrainian Maksym Bursak last December. It’s understood that Quigley and Ryder are ahead of Lemieux in the queue to face Canelo at this point.
Venues such as Mt Rushmore and Alcatraz have been mooted for the 29-year-old Mexican’s ring return but Oscar De La Hoya is in favour of the more conventional setting of the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, a more financially viable venue considering no fans are expected to be in attendance.
