CLOSER THAN CLOSE
Top Irish prospect Quigley forced to readjust after breaking his hand, writes Jack Hirsch
We’re ringside in Edinburgh, and we watch Quigley break his hand in Indio
THERE came a point early in Jason Quigley’s bout with Glen Tapia where he had to readjust his goals. What had been planned as Quigley’s coming out party in front of a national television audience in the United States, instead became a fight for survival in which just winning would be good enough. The former Irish amateur star from Donegal did just that, escaping with a unanimous 10-round decision that was well deserved, but nevertheless scored too widely by judges Max Deluca (98-92), Zac Young (99-91) and Carla Caiz (100-90). Jack Reiss refereed. Quigley captured the vacant NABF middleweight title.
The show at the Springs Resort Casino was the first in a series kicking off the partnership between Golden Boy Promotions and ESPN.
Tapia had been stopped in his last two contests, leading many to believe that he would be easy pickings for Quigley, now based in the Los Angeles area. And that is how it played out for the first couple of rounds. But Tapia kept moving forward and by the fourth round the pace was wearing on Quigley. After hurting Tapia two minutes into the fight with a right to the chin and having him in duress from a body blow the following round, Quigley was probably a bit dismayed by his opponent’s resolve. That, and what turned out to be a broken hand, certainly slowed the favourite’s progress.
Tapia made a serious charge during rounds four, five and six. Quigley came forward less but was still caught with long looping blows that caused the left side of his face to swell up. But as much as the fast pace drained Quigley, it affected Tapia even more. He had never been over eight rounds before and started to fade, starting in the seventh. Quigley regrouped and cut Tapia over the right eye.
Quigley did what he had to do the rest of the way, jabbing well and then moving out of range. Tapia’s corner, trying to motivate their man, threatened to stop it at the end of the ninth round unless he promised to put forth more of an effort. Tapia, from Passaic, New Jersey, seemed content to let things play out and hear the final bell. Tapia looked like an old fighter at the end, despite being just 27.
Quigley, 25, did not exactly win in style but will have learnt lots, and there will be plenty of opportunities to look good down the line – once that injury has healed up.
Former IBF bantamweight champion
Randy Caballero, having only his second fight in close to two-and-a-half years, won the vacant NABF superbantamweight belt, outpointing Jesus Ruiz over 10 rounds in a largely sloppy affair. Caballero looked to have won this one with room to spare, but the tallies of the judges – Young 97-93, both De Luca and Caiz 96-94 – saw it as being highly competitive. Eddie Hernandez refereed.
Caballero, from Indio, is simply a better fighter than Ruiz, who had once challenged Leo Santa Cruz for world honours. Intentionally or not, Ruiz made constant contact with his head, but it was an elbow that caused a cut over Caballero’s right eye early in the fight. Caballero jabbed well and landed combinations as Ruiz marched forward. The Mexican got in with the occasional right, but as Bernard Hopkins said while doing the commentary, Ruiz was not taking it to another gear. The pace was fast, but the rounds were somewhat repetitious. By the end of the fight Caballero’s cut had worsened considerably.
2012 Olympic bronze medallist
Marlen Esparza, from Houston, made her pro debut, winning a unanimous four-round verdict over New Jersey’s
Rachel Sazoff by scores of 40-36 on all three cards. Esparza dominated the contest, but her inability to obtain a stoppage against an opponent who had lost her only two bouts was somewhat disappointing. Ray Corona officiated. Highly rated middleweight Tureano Johnson – the Bahamas-born Georgia resident – halted Brazil’s
Fabiano Pena at 2-38 of the second round of their 10. Pena was down twice early in the second, but seemed to have regrouped when his corner surprisingly informed referee Reiss that they wanted it called off.
Mauricio Herrera took a gentle step toward regaining the form that saw him run Danny Garcia close. Herrera, of Riverside, California, won easily against Mexico’s Hector Velasquez. All three scores were 80-72. Mr Corona refereed.
THE VERDICT It’s been smooth sailing for Quigley, until now. He remains a sterling prospect, though.