Former junior featherweight titlist Scott Quigg is refreshed and ready to fight again, which he will do against Jose Cayetano on Dec. 10 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn announced Thursday.
Quigg, who will be fighting minutes from his hometown of Bury, will be boxing for the first time since Feb. 27, when he lost a split decision to rival Carl Frampton in their long-awaited junior featherweight world title unification fight, which was also at Manchester Arena.
Quigg fought through much of that fight with a broken jaw and took several months off to let the injury heal.
“It’s great to be back,” Quigg said. “It’s been a long road. The biggest fight of my career didn’t go my way in February, and I’ve had a broken jaw that’s kept me out of the gym for a long time. Everyone knows that I love to be in the gym, working and learning, so it’s been really tough. I’m back to living the life I love, and I can’t wait to be back in the ring where I belong.”
Quigg is moving up to featherweight for the scheduled 12-round fight, which will take place on the undercard of heavyweight world titleholder Anthony Joshua’s defense against Eric Molina.
“The four pounds [from 122 to 126] is a lot to play with when you are big for the weight,” Quigg said. “I was still making [junior featherweight] and making it safely because of how I live my life, but it was getting harder. Sometimes I was training in the gym and I was miserable, I wasn’t eating as much and I was snappy.
“With the extra four pounds, I’ve been able to let my body mature instead of holding it back, and I am happier in the gym, laughing and joking but still putting in the hard work. I always say a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter. I feel I am going from strength to strength as I’m in the gym with a smile on my face.”
Cayetano (20-4, 9 KOs), 29, of Mexico, has won three fights in a row since dropping a 10-round shutout decision to former three-division world titleholder Leo Santa Cruz in a non-title featherweight bout on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao undercard in May 2015 in Las Vegas.
“Jose has mixed in good company, taken Santa Cruz the distance and he’s coming off a good win against [Alexis] Santiago [on Sept. 16],” Quigg said. “This is a very good fight coming back from a broken jaw. I am not taking this lightly at all. I’ve watched him a lot. He knows what he’s doing, he’s cute and it’s a fight that I have to put in a top performance in, and that’s what I am aiming to do.
“I feel like I’m ready to be let off the leash now. It’s been so long out, and I have to thank Anthony Joshua and Eddie for giving me the chance to come back on such a big show. It’s the perfect platform for me, straight back in front of a packed arena and worldwide media so I can show them what I am about. The Manchester Arena is my home. I’ve had some great nights there, and there are more to come. It doesn’t faze me that it’s where I fell short on the biggest night of my career. I want to go back and kick off those good memories again and start the ball rolling at featherweight.”
If all goes well for Quigg (31-1-2, 23 KOs), 28, he could be in line for a shot at featherweight world titleholder Lee Selby (23-1, 8 KOs), 29, of Wales, according to Hearn.
Quigg would also like a rematch with Frampton (23-0, 14 KOs), who moved up to featherweight after beating Quigg and outpointed Santa Cruz in a tremendous battle to win a world title on July 30. Frampton and Santa Cruz are scheduled to meet in a rematch Jan. 28 in Las Vegas.
“I want to be linked with Carl Frampton and Lee Selby, because if I am not linked with them, I’m doing something wrong,” Quigg said. “It’s no secret that I want a rematch with Carl, and I would love to fight Lee too. I want to avenge the loss against Carl, which I believe I can do, and I want to become a two-weight world champion, and that means fighting titleholders like Lee.
“I’ve got to go out there and get back to winning ways first, though, and then those fights will happen. It’s down to me to go out there and prove I’m going to land those fights and beat those guys. I believe I am the best. I had a [tough] night last time, but if I keep winning, those big world title fights will come back once again and the results will go my way.”
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