By Thomas Gerbasi

In July of 2014, Jason Quigley made his pro debut on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Erislandy Lara undercard at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This Saturday, Quigley and Alvarez are getting the team back together.

It’s a witty and catchy retort from the Donegal native, but beyond that, there is plenty of symbolism for Quigley’s return to the big stage against James De La Rosa at T-Mobile Arena. In 2014, he was the Irish amateur star getting his feet wet in the pro game. This weekend, he’s the hot prospect about to take that step-up fight against an opponent who was most recently scheduled to face former world champion David Lemieux in March.

That’s the view from the outside. From the inside, Quigley sees this fight and fights of this ilk as an audition for even bigger nights.

“It means the world to me to be fighting in these big venues because when I make it and fight for those world titles and defend my world title, these are the venues that those fights are going to be taking place in,” he said. “And to be there already and get that experience and get comfortable and get your awareness of the arena and the setup and everything is unbelievable. You get a lot of guys from Europe and they get shocked by the big stage and get overawed by it maybe, so it’s great that I’m getting familiarized with it now and it’s going to become my second home at some point.”

When it comes to eventually making the big stage a second home, there is no second guessing in the mind of the 24-year-old Quigley. This will happen, and nothing he’s seen as a pro thus far has deterred him in the slightest. Ten fights, ten wins, nine by knockout. De La Rosa is his toughest test to date, but Quigley’s promoter, Golden Boy, must believe as well if they’re putting the Irishman in this fight this soon. But to Quigley, this isn’t the big step; just the next one.

“This is just the next step because when I win this fight on May 7, I still haven’t reached where I want to get to,” he said. “It’s another step on the ladder, another hurdle in my path, and it’s just another opponent that I have to take out of there because every guy that steps in my way is there to take something away that I’ve worked so hard for and that I’ve sacrificed so much for, and I’m not gonna let no man do that. This is my time now. Everything’s been perfect. The opponent’s perfect, the venue’s perfect, the stage is perfect, the undercard is perfect, and now is my time to shine. Now is my time to step up and really start making a name for myself.”

Quigley’s confidence is well-placed, but it’s also matched with a quiet humility, and this mix has garnered him a sizeable fan following already. One visit to his Facebook page is proof of his popularity, with some fans even saying that they want to be like him one day. He takes such comments with grace and a maturity beyond his years.

“To be honest, I’m lucky that my mother and father raised me up to be a good guy and to be a well-respected and well-mannered person,” he said. “And it’s never been a bother for me to watch what I’m saying. I’m just being who I really am, and people feed off that. As you grow up and mature, I realize I am a public figure and I am out there, and not only young kids, but adults are looking up to me, and it’s up to me to be an example and be a leader. I don’t find no pressure in that. It gives me a greater confidence and a great sense of belief in myself that young kids and other people are inspired by me. I just want to send a message back out there to the kids that might doubt themselves. That person who wants to be like me, you’re your own individual person, and to be successful and the best that you want to be, it’s about getting that bit of belief. That’s the message I want to send out. Everybody has something special, and it’s up to you to find it and work hard and give it every possible opportunity that you can.”

If you don’t like Jason Quigley by now, you’re just angry with your life. The kid knocks people out, he’s got a fighter’s attitude, and he carries himself like a gentleman. He’s already given his parents credit for the gentleman part. As for the rest, he’s figured it out along the way.

“It comes from boxing and being on my own a lot and having to be mature,” he said. “Boxing is a lonely sport and you have to mature and have to grow up quick. You have to learn how to read people and learn who the right people to be involved with are. Just growing up I’ve always been on the Irish National team, and I was living away from home in foreign countries where people didn’t even speak your language. I’ve learned all this from traveling, and my experiences in different countries and having to suss people out on my own. I’m lucky, because a lot of other people would shy away from that and not really learn from these opportunities. But for me, it just came natural. I grew with my journey and this is where I’m at now and I still have a long way to go.”

Saturday is the next opportunity for Quigley to make his mark. Don’t expect him to squander it.

“You get one shot at this,” he said. “I’m 24 years of age, I’m in this sport to make a great life for my family and myself, make as much money as I can, get out of there clean, and live a great life after. ‘Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’ is what Muhammad Ali said, and for me, it’s live fast and die a legend because this is over in a blink of an eye. But I’m enjoying every minute of it.”