GOLDEN Boy Promotions matchmaker Roberto Diaz has indicated that Jason Quigley remains a live option to face boxing superstar Canelo Álvarez.
While a September 12 date now seems too soon for Canelo to return to the ring, Golden Boy – who also promote Quigley – are hopeful of getting a fight locked in soon.
Canelo, the middleweight champion and super-middleweight titlist, hasn’t fought since beating Sergey Kovalev last November. Since indicating his willingness for a bout, several fighters – including Quigley – have put their hands up.
Diaz, a long-time admirer of Quigley, has told in a new interview how some have the wrong motivation – money – for wanting a bout with Canelo.
The Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker, regarded as one of the world’s leading figures in the sport, earmarked Quigley as one of those whose want is different – and he has hailed the approach of the Donegal man.
“Today, a lot of fighters raise their hands to be the Canelo opponent for the wrong reasons,” Diaz told IFL TV.
Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy Promotions, speaks to Jason Quigley after his win over Fernando Marin. Picture by Valentin Romero
“They’re trying to take care of their wives, their family, their well being. It’s a lottery ticket: ‘I already won, I don’t care about winning the fight because I can retire’. The mentality should be: ‘I don’t care about the money’.
“The money has to be right, of course. No-one will fight Canelo for free, but money shouldn’t be the motivating factor.
“We have a few fighters in the stable who are willing to fight Canelo. Two of them came out and voiced that it’s not about money. Tureano Johnson said he wanted to go in there and bring it, fight the best.
“They want to tell their grandchildren that they fought the best fighter on the planet at the time, and maybe even say they beat him, or fought him and gave him a hell of a fight.
“Jason Quigley said the same thing. I loved how he put it. He said he could be like the Rocky to Apollo Creed. You’re giving a chance to someone and, just like Rocky I will bring hell to it. It’s not about money for some, it’s about opportunity and legacy.”
Jason Quigley with coach Andy Lee. Picture by Valentin Romero
Boxing legend Bernard Hopkins, who is a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, last month backed Quigley to get the Canelo bout.
Quigley, now trained by former world champion Andy Lee, has confirmed that he wants a showdown with Canelo.
He said in a recent interview: “I want to get in there because I want to test myself and I want to see how good Canelo really is.
“He is the main man in boxing right now. This is what it’s all about. I want to get in there with the best, I want to test myself and I want to test them.
“If I had a chance to fight Demetrius Andrade or a few of the other world champions in or around these divisions, I would decline all of those fights to fight Canelo.”
That approach has caught the ear of Diaz, who added: “We would never have seen Hagler-Hearns, Leonard-Duran or these great fights in history because of: ‘I need more than that’. These guys dared to be great. Go beat Canelo. If you beat Canelo, all power to you.”