Five months after recording the first defeat of his professional career, Donegal boxer Jason Quigley begins his comeback against Abraham Cordero on Friday. 

Under the tutelage of former middleweight world champion Andy Lee, Quigley, who cut ties with his Sheffield-based trainer Dominic Ingle after the July defeat to Tureano Johnson, will be hoping to resign that loss to history and move forward with his previously flawless record.

At 28-years-old, however, Jason Quigley can no longer consider himself an up and coming prospect. It is the reality of a situation that has not been lost on Lee.

"There's pressure on him now to look good," he said of Quigley's California-based bout, "to remind people how good he is.

"I've certainly said that to him, that it is important he looks good in this fight and that he puts on a dominating performance."

In Abraham Cordero, Quigley will face a 24-year-old Mexican boxer who is without a win in his last three bouts.

"I don't think he'll pose much of a threat to Jason technically," suggested Lee. "Jason can win the fight, easy, but it is about how he goes about doing it.

"If he can reproduce what he does in the gym, doesn't have any performance anxiety, then he should stop Cordero or at least dominate him in every round."

Nevertheless, Andy Lee's confidence in the Irish boxer's capabilities runs alongside the stark understanding that any mistake could leave Quigley in a perilous position.

"He's 28-years-old and 17 fights into his career," noted Lee, "he's not a prospect anymore.

"He's in this nowhere-zone where he has to start making some noise about himself and get people excited about him - put his name up there with the contenders of the division.

"Because he hasn't got too much longer left, and the next year is very important to Jason.

"He needs to push on for a title because if not he will just drift off and become ... someone who had potential, but didn't make it."

Insistent that Jason Quigley does have a lot to offer, Andy Lee will be in the Donegal native's corner for the first time on Friday.

You can watch Andy Lee speaking about Jason Quigley's upcoming bout in its entirety here. Furthermore, you can watch Andy preview this weekend's heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr here. 

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