Quigg reveals foot injury harmed preparation for brutal Valdez defeat
Beaten on points yet unbowed, Scott Quigg indulged in the kind of fight with World Boxing Organisation featherweight champion Oscar Valdez here at the Stubhub Center that will live long in the memory.
It is a fight-of-the-year contender and, despite losing, the Bury man’s stock will have risen against the unbeaten Mexican who improved his flawless record to 24 victories.
The pair engaged in 12 rounds of relentless action, Quigg finishing with his nose broken. The home fighter, who was awarded the contest on points – 117-111 twice and 118110 – sustained a fractured jaw, his teeth so broken apart that his trainer, Manny Robles, was unable to remove his mouthpiece from the sixth round onwards.
Quigg revealed afterwards that he had been carrying a stress fracture to his right foot for four weeks, which had played a part in his failure to make the 126lb weight limit.
“There are no excuses,” he said. “It was a great fight and I was in it all the way along. The better man won. I hurt him a couple of times and he only hurt me once.” Eddie Hearn, Quigg’s promoter, said: “Both guys showed unbelievable heart.”
Valdez now fancies a match-up with Carl Frampton, who faces Nonito Donaire in Belfast next month.
Meanwhile, the World Boxing Super Series final showdown at super-middleweight between George Groves and Callum Smith has been rescheduled from June 2 to July 14.