Classy Quigley our golden hop
The Donegal fighter beat Russia’s Artem Chebotarev on a unanimous decision yesterday to become the first male Irish boxer to make it to an AIBA World Elite decider.
Yesterday’s victory was his 32nd straight win but while the Ballybofey man was celebrating an historic first, Joe Ward had to be content with bronze.
The Moate BC southpaw dropped a unanimous decision to Cuba’s slick 2011 AIBA World champion, Julio De La Cruz-Lazaro, in the 81kg class.
Quigley, the European champion, meets Kazakhstan’s Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, the Asian champion, in the middleweight final between 10.30am and 11am.
Alimkhanuly, an Almaty native, doesn’t have much of a record outside of Asia. He received a walkover from England’s Anthony Fowler, who was withdrawn with a hand injury, in the semi-final.
Quigley produced a superb display to oust Chebotarev, the 22-year-old lashing home some big counter-punches to take the victory.
Ridiculously, Chebotarev raised his hand in victory before the result was announced. But there was no second win for the Russian, who beat Ireland’s Darren O’Neill in the 2010 European final.
“The plan all along was to pick him off as he kept coming forward,” said Quigley. “I knew I had the skill and speed to do that. I hurt him a few times in there, I caught him with some lovely shots. His nose wouldn’t stop bleeding.
“I’ll be there on the last day of these championships and I’ll be going for the gold tomorrow. I’m not going to let nobody stop me!”
And Irish head coach Billy Walsh thinks Quigley is on fire.
“We got off to a fantastic start with Jason,” he said. “It was a phenomenal performance.
“It will be difficult to beat him [Alimkhanuly] on his home patch. We’ll put a set of tactics together tonight. ”
Joe Ward lost 30-27 on all three judges’ score cards to De La Cruz-Lazaro, an ex Pan American champion, in the light-heavyweight semi-final.
The Cuban, an elusive hit and move merchant, never allowed Ward get close enough to deliver his big lefts.
Ward pursued his opponent through all three rounds in boxing’s equivalent of a game of chess, but the London 2012 Olympian kept picking up points on the counter on his way to the final.
Ward, the youngest member of the Irish squad at 19 praised his opponent.
“I just couldn’t get through to him. He was very tricky, an exceptional boxer, I couldn’t get my range at all because he was so tricky,” he said.
“I can’t complain, I had a great tournament and I came out with a bronze medal. I lost fair and square, no complaints. It was experience that got him through.”
Walsh added: “We had hopes for Joe as well, but his opponent was very elusive.”
Mayo’s Ciara Ginty will definitely finish on top of the podium in Almaty as she’s in town to receive the International Boxing Association Best Junior Boxer of 2013 Award.
Ginty claimed junior gold and the boxer of the tournament trophy at the AIBA World Women’s Youth and Junior Championships in Bulgaria last month.
