Scott Quigg defends his WBA World Super Bantamweight title against Tshifhiwa Munyai on Saturday at the Phones 4 u Arena in Manchester live on Sky Sports – and has promised fans they will see him at his very best.
Quigg makes the second defence of his title against the South African and is looking to extend his unbeaten record to 30 fights in style. Last time out the Bury talent saw off Diego Silva in two rounds in the same Arena as the chief-support to Carl Froch’s Brit blockbuster with George Groves in November, and Quigg is excited to be back as the main attraction and ready to show his true class.
“This is the best Scott Quigg there has ever been,” said Quigg. “I have improved as a fighter skill-wise, I am physically more mature and mentally I am in a good place. Every box is ticked and this is the best Scott Quigg anybody will have ever seen.
“Being stood on that ramp before the fight against Silva and making my entrance in front of 20,000 people – that is something I have always wanted. When I looked around and the place was packed, there is no better feeling or adrenaline buzz that could ever match that, knowing that I had put in the work and trained so hard, to top it off with a cracking performance with a stoppage in the second round of a World title fight in Manchester was fantastic. That is what I have always worked for, that is why I have and still do sacrifice so much and dedicate myself to the sport.”
Quigg knows that staying at the top in the fight game is never easy and that there will be many different obstacles to overcome – like the change of opponent for Saturday’s defence. The 26 year old was originally set to face mandatory challenger and interim champion Nehomar Cermeno but visa issues forced him out of the fight.
Munyai is no stranger to these shores having beaten Martin Power and Lee Haskins in Commonwealth Bantamweight clashes in 2006-07, but Quigg believes he will cope well with the change and not fall into ‘The Atomic Spider’s’ web.
“All the preparation was already done when the change of opponent happened,” said Quigg. “It isn’t ideal but you have to be able to adapt and deal with it. I am in the best place I can be and my best beats anybody else’s best on the night.
“I remember watching Munyai when he came over and beat Martin Power and Lee Haskins in Commonwealth title fights. But I am not Martin Power or Lee Haskins, I am a different level to them.
“He has had a lot of fights since then and has only been beaten twice. He is a very, very tough opponent. He is an avoided fighter, he is in what they call the ‘who needs him club’, because he is a very high risk. But I am a World champion and I am ready to defend my World title against anybody.
“That is the way I train, that is the way I prepare and even with a new opponent I am going to go in there and do what I need to do to do the job on the night. I am 100 per cent confident I will do a job, and do the job in style.”
Quigg’s WBA World Super Bantamweight title defence against Munyai tops a huge night of action in Manchester, with the chief-support coming from the mouth-watering all-Manchester Lightweight clash between Anthony Crolla and John Murray.
Josh Warrington defends his Commonwealth Featherweight title against Rendall Munroe, Tyrone Nurse meets Tyler Goodjohn for the vacant English Light Welterweight title, Hosea Burton is hunting a first title fight and there’s action for Callum Smith, Stephen Foster Jr, Jack Massey, Liam Hanrahan and Sam Hyde.
Tickets are on sale priced £30, £40, £60 and £100 via www.phones4uarena.co.uk or by calling 0844 847 8000.
