By Ryan Maquiñana
BoxingScene.com
Unbeaten middleweight contender Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin’s
clash with Winky Wright has been finally set for May 26.
The bout will take place as the Showtime-televised
co-feature to the main event of Antonio Tarver vs. Lateef Kayode. The venue has yet to be determined, as
California, Florida, and even Texas have been discussed.
“I’ve only been in training for a week and a half in
Hollywood at Wild Card [Boxing Club] and I’ve already sparred over 10 rounds,”
the 28-year-old Quillin (26-0, 20 KOs) told BoxingScene.com. “When fight night comes, I’ll be ready to
show people why I’m at where I’m at, and that I deserve the big fights to come
my way.”
Originally, “Kid Chocolate” was slated to meet Wright (51-5-1,
25 KOs), a former undisputed junior middleweight champion, on the May 5 Miguel
Cotto-Floyd Mayweather pay-per-view undercard.
Now the native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, seems to have
landed on his feet, likely with the help of the new member on his team.
“Everything’s set in play,” Quillin said. “Al Haymon is working with me as far as my
advisor now, so that shows you the power he’s got.”
Quillin is coming off an impressive sixth-round stoppage of
Craig McEwan on HBO last November. He
stressed the importance of consistently honing his craft and pointed to a
couple of changes in his lifestyle.
“I just got a tattoo on my left shin of the bonsai tree,”
Quillin said. “It symbolizes the
tranquility in my life and showing growth as a human being. For that matter, I gave up drinking.
“I like to have fun, but it definitely has an effect on a
professional fighter. When you drink,
you might not always be ready to give your best in the gym the next day, so I
gave it up. I want to be a powerhouse
nonstop.”
Meanwhile, the 40-year-old Wright hasn’t fought in almost
three years, with the last bout a wide decision loss to Paul Williams. Undoubtedly one of the best southpaw stylists
of this era, the questions for this fight are whether the pride of St.
Petersburg, Fla., has anything left in the tank, and Quillin’s ability to penetrate
Wright’s guard.
“I’ve been keeping my weight down to 172 pounds so far,”
said Quillin, who is working with trainer Eric Brown. “Of course, when I fight Winky, I have to
keep my volume up. But I’m not just the
type of fighter who just throws a bunch of punches just to throw them. Whatever punches I put on his ass got to come
with something so he feels them.”
The news of the May 26 date was initially reported by Steve
Kim of MaxBoxing.
Ryan Maquiñana writes a weekly column for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (CSNBayArea.com). He’s also a member of
the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Panel.
E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com,
check out his blog at norcalboxing.net or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.
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