Jason Quigley shows his worth in defeat to Edgar Berlanga

Jason Quigley showed that he still belongs at boxing's top table, but was beaten on points by Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

Quigley went 12 rounds for the first time in his career and, with Andy Lee back in his corner, it was a new, more comfortable and controlled version of the Ballybofey man.

Quigley was on the canvas four times, with two of those coming in a final round that saw Berlanga go in search of a stoppage. At least one of the other knock-downs could be filed in the 'dubious' bracket and the final scorecards (116-108x2, 118-106) were as peculiar as they were deceptive.

After many rounds, Berlanga's team were visibly frustrated with an often-elusive Quigley giving some of the best passages of his professional career at the Garden's sold-out Hulu Theatre.

Tyrone hit their groove to book Croke Park spot and leave Donegal down and out

From the evidence of what went down against Donegal in front of 11,971 in Ballybofey, Tyrone, as they can do, are seeming to get their act together when it matters most

While Berlanga holds onto his NABO super-middleweight title, his record improving to 21-0, Quigley, whose own record moves to 20-3, ought to reflect on a night when he showed himself at home on this stage.

Quigley began well and held sway the opening two rounds' game of cat-and-mouse.

The Donegal boxer was keen to make a statement before the sold out arena in the Empire State and walked in to 'On The One Road' by the Wolfe Tones.

Quigley might have chewed a venomous uppercut in the fourth and was controversially counted by the referee, Harvey Dock, in the fifth, but a studious Lee informed him on the stool that he had won the round.

Lee cornered Quigley for wins over Abraham Cordero and Fernando Marin, but Visa issues meant he was absent for the Mosley Jr and Andrade fights. The presence of the former world champion, who stopped John Jackson at Madison Square Garden nine years ago this month, was seen as a huge boost to Quigley.

Lee was joined in the corner by former world super-featherweight and lightweight champion Joey Gamache.

Former Irish amateur star Quigley had a superb sixth round, landing a firecracker of a right hand on Berlanga's buzzer just before the bell.

A rocked Berlanga was admonished in the corner, with a controlled Quigley on top in the seventh, arrowing a couple more off the right paw.

In February, Berlanga signed a multi-fight deal with Matchroom. With his unblemished 20-fight streak including 16 stoppages, Berlanga reunited with coach Marc Farrait after a three-year break.

Last summer, the Brooklyn boy of Puerto Rican descent made the second defence of the belt when taking a unanimous decision against Roamer Alexis Angulo, but an attempted bite by Berlanga in the seventh round cost him $10,000 and a six-month suspension.

Twenty-five months ago, Quigley defeated Shane Mosley Jr in Las Vegas to win the NABO middleweight title. The world was still in an albeit loosening Covid grip and the Michelob Ultra Arena was eerie as Quigley fell to his knees after a gripping win that put him his name in lights.

Just six months later, Quigley was taking to the stage for his first shot at a world title.

Two minutes and 24 seconds into that bout, the much-avoided and ever-dangerous Demetrius Andrade was mounting the turnbuckle with Quigley waved off by referee Arthur Mercante Jr.

The period that followed was tough and testing, but Quigley searched deep and found his want.

A low-key, yet useful points win over Gabor Gorbics at the National Stadium in Dublin – Quigley's old amateur haunt – shook off the cobwebs and within week his team were announcing this showdown with Berlanga.

Quigley had been ten rounds previously, but when the bell sounded for the 11th here it was new waters for the 32-year-old.

Berlanga caught Quigley with a low blow during the penultimate round and it seemed evident that Quigley was having some semblance of success. The arbitrators at ringside thought otherwise, however.

As he went into the 12th, Berlanga went hell for leather in search of a KO, but a gallant Quigley took it to the cards.

'A massive opportunity to really show my worth,' was how Quigley put it earlier in the week, adding: 'People have been overlooking me so this is a chance to put a respectable stamp on my name.'

Despite defeat, he has done just that.