British Boxing News: Scott Quigg Future Champion

By Donald C. Stewart

The up and coming British boxers that are causing such a stir and filling us with some hope for the future includes super bantamweight Scott Quigg 26-0 15 KO’s. In 2011 he has managed to win the eliminator for the WBA super bantam weight title as well as set himself nicely up for his 22nd October clash in Bolton against Jason Booth 36-7 15 KO’s, for the British title.

Only 22 years of age, Quigg is the WBA Intercontinental Champion as well as having fought and won that WBA eliminator against Franklin Valera 19-6 10KOs. Quigg hails from Bury and loves just wandering down to the Castle Leisure Centre where he has fought and won three of his professional contests. The Leisure Centre will not keep him any more, however, as he is destined for bigger and brighter things as his eliminator victory will now provide him with.

Quigg has high expectations of his own abilities and the confidence to back them up hoping to become the new Amir Khan or Ricky Hatton. To do this he wants to not only win the World Title fights he has planned but do them with style, panache and with a Las Vegas crowd baying for him.

It’s a long way from the tough Manchester gym where Quigg trains and even the retirement of his trainer has slowed down his push towards glory. The gym which was founded and run by Brian Hughes MBE is a shining example of why boxing should be used for wayward kids. Hughes was a fantastic mentor for the kids who meandered through the door looking for direction and his Collyhurst and Moston gym, like so many others has been a haven for many a kid needing that direction, gaining a reputation for being one of the best. His retirement could have been a difficulty for Quigg but he has forged a new relationship that saw him past Valera with a successful game plan and ability to carry it out.

There is talk of a WBA fight against Rico Ramos 20-0 11KOs after having beaten Venezuelan Varela in the 7th. Quigg is ranked number 4 in the WBA rankings so this UK boxer could in 2012 follow in the footsteps of our other prospects and get a shot. Above him in the UK is Rendall Munroe 29-1, 9 KO’s who last year went to Japan and lost in the WBA Super Bantamweight title to the classy Japanese, Toshiaki Nishioka 38-4-3 24 KO’s. Although Munroe has won his next fight fro the WBA International Championship Quigg is quickly becoming the more talked about fighter in the Super Bantamweight Division.

He is not alone on being young, and up and coming as the Belfast sensation Carl Frampton 10-0, 6 KO’s has bagged a shot at the EBU title in September having already won the Celtic title in only his 8th fight.

Scott Quigg made his professional debut in 2007 with 5 contests in that year. By the end of 2008 he had added another 6 to that total. With 11 fights and 11 victories under his belt he was being looked upon even then as more than a decent prospect, in fact people described him in such glowing terms that you couldn’t help but notice we had a more than decent prospect as hushed tones started to talk of future World contests and the kid had only just turned pro!

Quigg’s work rate did not slow down in 2009 and another 5 opponents fell to the way side for his career to continue. By now the type of opponent he needed to take one had to be of a higher quality and when he stopped the Ukranian national Champion, Yuriy Voronin 27-12-2,18 KO’s, Quigg started to gather more attention as well as more victories.

2010 brought Andrey Kostin, 20-17, 6 KO’s, of Russia. Now this would not send shock waves down the boxing fraternity but it was ground breaking. The fight took place in Quigg’s home town of Bury; in the aforementioned Castle Leisure Centre. In 1997 the local Council had banned boxing. This was the first contest since to allow Scott Quigg to perform in front of his home crowd and he didn’t disappoint. In front of over 1,000 home fans Quigg stopped the Russian in just one round!

By now it was time to start thinking of what to wear round his waist and the first belt he set his sights on was the British one with a tough eliminator against Scotsman Gavin Reid 6-9-1, 3 KO’s. He stopped him in the 9th round and the dust up to come with Jason Booth follows.

Quigg did not stop working though and his fight rate continued with the winning of the WBA Intercontinental belt against Santiago Allione, 16-7-1, 6 KO’s in September last year as well as defending that title twice including his last victory against Franklin Valera. This was a mature performance from Scott Quigg after Valera had told him and anyone that would listen that he was going to bring Quigg’s world crashing down on the canvas. Quigg went about his business in ruthless style and first cut, then damaged and broke Valera down before finishing this tough guy with a left hook to the ribs that sent Valera and his world crashing to the canvas.

The fight was done and Quigg’s name no longer needed to be spoken quietly as a prospect. People could now openly talk of him reaching the level he has been carefully groomed for. And the insiders who were in the know can sagely nod and smile with that I told you so air allowing the rest of us mere mortals in on a secret that Scott Quigg in 2012 could become one of the next British boxers to hear the rallying cry for all of them – the words – “And the NEW World title Champion…”