A couple of weeks ago the phone rang and Jason Quigley picked up.

The contents of the call had the potential to change his life. He was on a shortlist to face world middleweight king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and he remains in the frame even though the shortlist has shrunk form five or six to two or three.

“My managers [Lyle Green and Ken Sheer of the LA-based Sheersports] called me up and it was just the usual, ‘How are you getting on? How are things? How’s training? Is everything going well? Would you be interested in taking the Canelo fight?’ I said, ‘What?’” Quigley recalled. “He said, ‘Would you be interested in taking the Canelo Alvarez fight?’ I said, ‘Hell yeah, was it offered?’ He said yes, Golden Boy had been on the phone and they’d offered me the fight but they’d also offered it to other fighters and I was going to be on the shortlist if I accept and I said I was down for that 100 percent, so let’s rock and roll. There’s been speculation since, other fighters’ names coming into it but I know I’m one of the three who’s been shortlisted.”

One rival is John Ryder, the Tony Sims-trained fighter who pushed super-middleweight champion Callum Smith all the way last November before losing a disputed decision.

Smith appeared to be on the longer list, but a Smith-Canelo fight might need a paying crowd to come off and Canelo’s targeted September date might come around to soon with the Covid 19 spectre still looming large.

Quigley, 18-1 (14), is happy to be in the chase.

He’s won two since the only defeat of his career, to Tureano Johnson last July, and is now working with former WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee as his trainer.

“I mentioned it right away to Andy and right away we were talking tactics, game plans and we were watching a few of Canelo’s fights so we’re full steam ahead on the situation already,” he added.

“It’s been a pretty exciting last few days. Fingers crossed the fight can come off and we can give him one hell of a rattle. The way it’s worked, there was a shortlist of five or six opponents and now there’s two or three and I’m definitely one of those fighters, so it’s a one in three shot and I’m hoping to hear word any day. The next phone call could be my management or Golden Boy, so we’re just waiting.”

But while he waits for either the conformation or bad news, he’s been trying to temper his own expectations.

“The day I found out I was on a high, I was buzzing,” said the 29-year-old. “But the way this boxing game goes, everything changes every day and there’s nothing we can really do about it, it’s out of my hands so I’ve tried to take my head out of the clouds and keep my life nice and balanced and not get too hyped up about it because everything can change in boxing and that’s the way it is.”

For many, Canelo is not just the biggest star in boxing, but he’s the best, pound for pound the best in the sport. It’s how Quigley sees things.

“Without a doubt,” he said. “Look at his record. He’s an unbelievable talent, he’s an unbelievable fighter and he’s great for the sport of boxing so for me to get in and fight that man it would be a great opportunity to get in and find out how good he really is and find out how good I really am also.”

Of course, the Irishman understands he wouldn’t be the favourite, far from it. But that works for him. The underdog role comes with less expectations and he wouldn’t have the burden of pressure to deliver. He just wants his chance and to make the most of it.

“Not at all,” when asked whether it would bother him to be written off before the first bell. “That’s brilliant. That’s what I want. I know myself and my team around me and the confidence we have in ourselves and there’s no pressure on me. People would expect me to go in and Canelo knock me out in a few rounds or whatever and whenever that doesn’t happen people will say I’m doing alright for myself. It’s exciting. Fingers crossed it can come off and I can go in and make a name for myself whatever the outcome of the fight is I’m going to get in there, put on a hell of a show, give him hell and come out with my head held high.”