JASON QUIGLEY TODAY became the first Irishman to reach the final of the World Boxing Championships with a 30-27, 29-28, 30-27 win over Artem Chebotarev in Almaty..
The Donegal middleweight is now 32-0 in his career but had to survive a scare in the second round when his opponent forced a standing count.
He will now face Asian champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in the final on Saturday after the Kazakh fighter saw his opponent Anthony Fowler withdraw from their semi final with a hand injury.
Speaking to Kenny Egan after the fight, Quigley said:
“We went through our tactics last night and I think I took them off to a tee today.
“We made a move to pick him off as he came at me and I knew I had the speed, the skill, to beat him but, in the last round, they told me to go forward and go at him, which I did, and I hit him with some lovely heavy shots and his nose wouldn’t stop bleeding.”
“There were definitely a few times I hurt him in that fight and I didn’t panic and I think that’s experience, that’s learning through the years that if you hurt a man, that’s when he’s at his most dangerous and he’s going to let them swing from everywhere if you go at him so I just kept my composure and kept on him.”
And what does 22-year old think of his chances in the final.
“I’m not going to let anybody stop me now.”
