TRAINER Dominic Ingle has backed Jason Quigley to recover from a first professional defeat and take on the world – but admits that ‘adjustments have to be made’.
Quigley lost his unbeaten pro record on Thursday night as Tureano Johnson took the Ballybofey man’s NABF middleweight belt. Ingle retired his man on the stool after the ninth round of a bruising encounter for Quigley.
“His true character, heart and determination tested to the full, he took shots that many would have fallen from or forced them to quit,” Ingle, writing on Instagram, said.
“Adjustments have to be made and lessons have to be learned, nothing great comes easy.
“Many fighters lose on their road to glory, it’s a situation i been through many times with fighters.”
Trainer Dominic Ingle with Jason Quigley during his fight with Tureano Johnson
Quigley joined up with Ingle late in 2017 and Thursday’s bout at Fantasy Springs was his fourth since his relocation to the Wincobank base.
Ingle used the case of Johnny Nelson – who was Quigley’s mentor in the Sky Scholarships programme – to outline his belief in the Donegal puncher.
Ingle described Nelson’s career as ‘one of the most unpredictable, erratic and disappointing as anyone could imagine.’
Nelson lost to Adilson Rodrigues in Brazil in December 1995 for the WBF heavyweight title. A month later, he fought his 39th pro fight and beat Tony Booth with a second round JO in Mansfield.
From then until his retirement, he fought 21 times, winning them all bar one – a draw with Guillermo Jones in Derby. Nelson held the WBO cruiserweight title and made 13 defences.
Ingle said: “I the end he was unbeaten in the last 10 years of his career and the last 6 years he was World Cruiserweight Champion, holding the record for the most title defences until this day.
“The secret of his success, determination, hard work and refusing to accept defeat and belief he would achieve his goal.”