By Chris McNulty at Fantasy Springs, Indio
JASON QUIGLEY WAS in dreamland after collecting the NABF middleweight title last night.
The Donegal man overcame a hand injury, sustained in the second round, to defeat the durable Glen Tapia on points.
Golden Boy prospect Quigley took hold of his first pro strap as he moved to 13-0 after a fight that was all-out war during the middle stanzas.
Quigley, in spite of an unusable right paw, took the decision.
“This is something very hard to believe for a wee man from Donegal,” Quigley said.
“This is the real deal now. This is a significant belt and I’m a very proud man to take this belt back to the hills of Donegal.
“This is a dream for me. This doesn’t feel real.
“I’m just a normal dude who grew up with the dream of becoming a champion.
“It’s unbelievable to be going back to my county as a champion.”
Quigley dominated Tapia in the early stages and even bloodied the Jersey Boy in the first round.
Tapia was in trouble, but Quigley had to hold back when he suffered the injury.
He said: “I hit the hand in the second round and I wasn’t able to use it.
“To go eight rounds of a title fight against a great fighter and beat him with one hand, you’ve got to take that as a positive.
“Dealing with that, not panicking, going the ten rounds and feeling comfortable, taking it one round at a time, that’s the stuff I need.
“These are the kind of fights I need. I’m delighted to go ten rounds in a tough fight.”
There were those who will feel that Quigley still has a lot to answer as he didn’t put Tapia away.
However, Quigley said of that hand injury: “Every time I threw it, I was ready to cry. He’s got a big head and a hard head.”
Even so, Quigley felt in control of his destiny.
The Ballybofey man said: “Everything I hit him with, he was wobbling. I thought it was only a matter of time, but he’s a tough boy. I was tagging him with everything and his eyes were dazed.
“There is a lot to work on. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t a ten out of ten. I’d rate myself six-and-a-half, but I’m here with a belt and a victory. That’s what matters.”
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Great win today and it’s great. But talk of dominating is crazy. You are only as good as your last game and it’s hard to keep it going like Kilkenny did.
@Decko49: think you weren’t watching the same game as the rest of us. Obviously no team are unbeatable but this team is special. There’s a few more big days ahead for this bunch of lads. Brilliant modest approach but with a ruthless steely streak that is obviously only comparable to the other great teams of the modern era and the recent past which realistically are only KK and the Dublin football team. Hon the Treaty! Heady times
@Ado Smith: Yes I was watching and I’m a huge Limerick fan. But talk of domination like Kilkenny is in my opinion too early. We need to win a few more to dominate like them. Yes we are young and very talented but it’s very very tough to repeat it every year like that legendary Kilkenny team. But Ado I do hope you’re right. Hon the Treaty is right mind you. Today was a top class performance I might add too.
@Ado Smith: so this limerick team have a ruthless streak only comparable to kilkenny and Dublin. What planet are you living on. Fantastic team but they are not the only team to win 2 all Ireland’s so get a grip. A thousand miles from that kilkenny team and a million miles from the Dublin team. I have no allegiance to any top hurling team but your talking through your hat here
@Decko49: time to split Limerick up
@Ado Smith: Great days for Limerick no doubt but it’s wide open again next year. Limerick will be favourites but plenty teams will fancy their chances of beating them. Talk of comparisons with Dublin and Kilkenny is wildly premature. Yet!
@WESHALLNOTBEMOVED: when you have the majority of the pundits with many ex KK players or other county former stars making the same comparison as what most fair minded followers of the game are thinking I’m pretty sure I’m on the correct planet. Uranus seems to be yours!
@M: so when a team goes unbeaten for the season for the 1st time since 1961, wins 7 out of the last 9 titles that were available to them, that was supposed to be playing way below form but still beat all before them convincingly, with 2 guaranteed starters to come back fresh and further drive unreal competition to get on the squad let alone the match day panel or team, with Limerick underage producing quality teams on a regular basis for the last few years, I think it’s plain to see barring some major injury scares to 4 or 5 leading players that this team is only starting out really! With this group of young fellas it’s gonna take years for the rest to come close.
Calm down Kevin, they’re nowhere near the standards that Kilkenny set (and that’s through the gritted teeth of a Galwayman). They were the flick of a hurl from losing the semifinal this year as well. Waterford are Waterford, a team that will give any team a game on their day, but as much as I wanted the underdogs to win today unable to bring it consistently and especially on the big occasions…
@Sea__Point: lemons come to mind .
@Sea__Point: Think KK were lucky not to lose to Tipp and Galway on more than one occasion. Even the 2014 Limerick team nearly rattled KK with only a flick of a ball the difference. That didn’t stop them being rated the GOAT now did it! Just try and enjoy this team that hasn’t even peaked yet. The chasing pack have a shed load of catching up to do. No one is unbeatable but neither were the other great teams that played the game at the absolute highest level.
@Sea__Point: that kilkenny team
Would have been given a fair old game by this Limerick team.,kilkenny played a different game. Limerick would have run them off their feet .
I’m not saying they are better but certainly wouldn’t have been the level of cannon fodder that was put up to them .
Good chance to win 2 from 3 in the next few years .
@Sea__Point: spot on . Fantastic team but this talk of being amongst the greatest. How are they any different from the cork team of around 2005 or the tipp team of the last few years let alone the kilkenny team
@Dermot Foley: that Kilkenny team with advances since then in fitness and nutrition at their peak would have still been too much for this Limerick team. Measuring this Limerick team with a county that has consistently held up it’s standards to be in 15/20 finals since the millennium and won eleven is laughable. Congrats to Limerick they have been the best team this year again…
@WESHALLNOTBEMOVED: they have just one back to back munsters and league titles and won two all Ireland’s in three years and gone through the entire season unbeaten. They are an exceptional team without doubt and without debate, they don’t too guff, bluff or comparisons they just live in the moment. They are moulded in the personality of their manager John Kiely and are humble and understated but also ruthless and determined and play a game plan that doesn’t forgive error with absolute confidence and skill.
@Ado Smith: Ifs and buts chief
@ℝ: correction! best team for the last 3 yrs in case you missed it! Enjoy the next 3 if not more
@Barry Dowling: no ifs or buts Tonto! Just plain facts. Time to enjoy the ride mate
@Ado Smith: no team warrant the greatness term after only three years, if they had absolutely dominated every team they met and won all three All Irelands you could say they were well on the way. National Leagues mean very little (you won’t hear the Dubs or Kerry in football, or Kilkenny, Tipp or Cork bang on about winning x number of leagues). Liam Mccarthy is where it’s at in Hurling and this Limerick side has a long way to go to be remembered as one of the great sides. They’re a great Limerick side, just not one of the great sides (yet)…
@Ado Smith: in case you missed it they were not the best team last year. This year most certainly last year.. no
@Michael McGrath: that’s generally not the view of anyone outside of Tipp. Tipp along way off this time now. They proved that last yr too!
@Tricksy: Bitter Lemons maybe ?
@Ado Smith: Don’t think you understand the concept of “plain facts” Chief
@Ado Smith: They were the most consistent team in the Championship last year won 7 of their 8 matches and beat every serious contender . Limerick lost 3 including one to Tipp and its not the view of everyone outside Tipp, it is the view inside Limerick. I’m not getting into a debate about it Limerick are the best team this year no doubt but its really annoying to hear this b.s that yesterday should have been Limericks 3 in a row. Yes I agree Tipp were off the pace this year but they most certainly were not last year as was borne out.
@ℝ: Stick to the rugby analysis.
Limerick worked harder and Waterford didn’t get a handy score all all day. Limerick the fittest team in the country by a mile, well done to them.
@Conor Pocock: ju want sauce on your burger kiiid
@John kane: I’m a Dub. You don’t put sauce on batter burgers
Only a team who can score goals can beat Limerick and both tipp and kk have ageing teams . Not sure who can stop them . Its perfect timing for Limerick.
Surely it’s time to divide limerick in 2. Limerick North n Limerick south
@Pat Buckley: there’d be some craic in that game, let’s start with the south…Quaid, Finn, English, Costello, O’Loughlin, Reidy, Mulcahy, Hanley, Hennessy…do we get Doon and the Liberties?
@Pat Buckley: You will have to be more specific. South and East v city and West is it?
@Donal Hogan: you are such a sad sad excuse for a man… feel bad for you.
Well done to Limerick. They have hurling talent and coaching talent. Cork also have hurling talent but the coaching talent for both hurling and Gaelic are a disgrace. Worse again, none of the coaches offered to resign after the Munster defeats. I wish we had coaches from Limerick, Kilkenny, Waterford or Galway. The Cork scene is too inbred and holds no hope for existing and upcoming talent.
@Mike Kennedy: Well said Mike.
Gwan the Treaty!!!
This is getting ridiculous
Time to split Limerick in two
Still whinging. Will you stop
@Donal Hogan: it’s the Waterford fellas he hurled the sh!te outa today that this comments page was provided for. Gwan with yourself there
@Donal Hogan: get over it your honour
Luimneach Abu
@Mike Kennedy: Bitterness and jealousy is alive and kicking tonight
@Decko49: there’s always a few Decko.
That is some hurling team. Incredible athleticism, speed and fitness as well as skill. They look unbeatable on that form. And, the age profile suggests that they’ll be around for a while. They may well do a Kilkenny.
Great team, just a pity about their nasty streak
@Marty H: Haha. Bitterness is alive and kicking here. How are those lemons kid??
@Decko49: no bitterness whatsoever kid, just the truth
@Marty H: Back it up with facts kid
@Decko49: watch the games’kid’
@Marty H: I did kid. Now where are these facts?
A serious team no doubt, and on current form they will definitely be the team to beat over the next few years. Any team can be beaten on any given day, but there is no other team currently at their level, their closest game all year was the All Ireland semi against Galway, although to be honest Limerick made hard work of that.
@Donal Hogan: good man