Donegal's undefeated middleweight prospect Jason Quigley remained so with a hard-earned victory over Glen Tapia at Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California on Thursday night, picking up the NABF strap - his first pro title - for his troubles.
Quigley's highly amusing backstage exchange with the 'Jersey Boy' was testament to a ferocious contest, in which the Ballybofey banger seemed destined to take Tapia out in the first three or four rounds, such was his dominance in the opening two stanzas.
Tapia, however, grew in confidence having survived a big right hand from Quigley which wobbled him halfway through the first, and by the sixth and seventh rounds, there was a near palpable sense that the fight was escaping the former Irish amateur star.
Though he didn't have Tapia in significant trouble again, Quigley boxed his way to a wide decision while hardly throwing a right hand. It was obvious - even if not to ESPN's commentators - that he'd injured his chief weapon, and after the fight he explained that it was out of order from the third round onwards. On reflection, it made sense; he had rocked Tapia on several occasions in rounds 1 and 2, but rarely troubled him again with power shots.
And brace yourselves, because Quigley's manager, Rachel Charles of Sheer Sports, has posted a picture of his hand injury to her Instagram account. Suffice to say, it no longer looks like a hand...
Jason Quigley injury
Quigley's right hand basically looks like somebody has tried to make a balloon out of a latex glove.
After the contest, Quigley made his traditional call home to Highland Radio, where he revealed he felt close to tears every time he threw a right hand:
I felt very comfortable in the first, second and third round. I felt in control and I thought it'd be an early night - that I'd stop him.
But in the second round I sort of hurt my hand a little bit and I couldn't really throw my right which was the shot that was hurting him.
I felt like crying every time I landed with the right hand, because it felt like I was cracking it up.
The extent of his injury is currently unknown, but the 25-year-old moves to 13-0 with 10KOs as a professional.
