Jason Quigley wants Irish return to open doors to world stage again

Jason Quigley wants his return to Ireland to kickstart his journey back to a world title shot.

Quigley (19-2 squares off with Kim Poulsen (30-6, 8KOs) on April 1 at the National Stadium.

The super-middleweight bout - Quigley’s first on Irish soil - is slated for ten rounds and the Donegal middleweight made clear his intentions.

“I’m excited for the next stage of my career,” Quigley said.

“This isn’t just ticking something off a list. This is a path that I’m on now and this is the first step on that. It is going to be good, it really is. I want to kick on for the next chapter now.

Millrose Games to give Mark English another world-class test

Finn Valley AC runner Mark English is on the countdown to the European Indoor Championships - and goes among some of the world's best in New York on Saturday night

“I am not just coming back here for the sake of it - I am coming back here to win a world title again.”

The Ballybofey man has been inactive since a November 2021 loss to Demetrius Andrade in New Hampshire.

Having faced Andrade for the WBO world title, Quigley - a World silver and three-time European gold medallist as an amateur - is aiming to dance under the bright lights again.

He said: “I had to make sure that I was coming back for the right reasons. I had a lengthy spell out of the ring, but i’ve taken my time and been very patient. I am very confident in my ability and in the heights that I can reach. I just want to get in there now, put on a clinical performance and push on.”

The National Stadium holds special memories for Quigley. At the South Circular Road venue, he won ten Irish titles, including the 2013 elite middleweight crown that helped catapult him onto the radar of Golden Boy Promotions.

Quigley has built up quite a following since he last had his hands raised in Dublin - a win over Rachid Hamani of France in May, 2013. The iconic old venue will be packed to its rafters for the first show promoted by Elite Sheer.

He said: “We were here at a show in November and I stepped through the ropes and just danced around the ring. It was the first time in about ten years and something just lit inside me: ‘I’ve got to fight here’. It’s an iconic venue. It has a lot of memories for me and it means a lot. Some of my biggest wins have been in the National Stadium. I can’t wait to get in there and showcase what I can do.“

The 31-year-old remains under the guidance of former world champion Andy Lee.

Lee said: “There is still the ambition to become a world champion. The fact that he is here shows that he has the hunger and desire.”

St Johnston’s Brett McGinty (6-0, 1KO), like Quigley managed by Sheer Sports, is also on the bill as the Ricky Hatton-trained middle returns following a November win over Alessandro Ruggiero.

McGinty took a boisterous support to the National Stadium for his meeting with Ruggiero and can be expected to be followed by a smiler army in April.

The Return is the first show promoted by Elite Sheer, who are aiming to reignite pro boxing in Ireland.