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Billy Walsh's insight into Michael Conlan and Jason Quigley's US challenges

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98FM

08:10 13 Dec 2017


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Jason Quigley might be leaving Los Angeles for Sheffield but the Donegal man and Michael Conlan were two of Billy Walsh's former Irish amateur stars that have given the USA experience a chance and thrived in the ring.

Walsh, of course, is based there now as the main man in US Amateur Boxing, after a successful period as head coach of Ireland's high performance unit.

Speaking to Joe Molloy and Andy Lee tonight ahead of Katie Taylor's title defence in London, Walsh spoke about meeting up with Conlan recently in the US and the challenge both the Belfast fighter and Quigley faced in moving Stateside.  

Billy Walsh's insight into Michael Conlan and Jason Quigley's US challenges

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"It's fantastic. Actually, I was in LA last week and myself and Michael met up and I went to a training session with him," said Walsh.

"We went for a coffee and I know he's heading home for Christmas time. Yeah, it was great. It was actually fantastic to see him doing so well.

Billy Walsh and Jason Quigley

"And sometimes it's very difficult. It's great to be out there. Where I was with Michael, we were down by Venice Beach. It's beautiful. It was like 25 degrees and it was the 1st of December, right, and we're down at the beach.

"Actually, my son was with me and he went in for a swim. It was fantastic and it's easy to get used to that life. But at the end of the day, home is home.

"Michael and Jason had quality coaching at home. You had a quality system in Ireland and obviously they had their fathers coaching them as well. So you're going to miss that. I think the problem that they found when they got here, they're small fish in a big pond."

Walsh felt the system was more "personable" back in Ireland in comparison to the more business driven approach on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

"At home, it was very, very personable. You got relationships with your coaches, they know the quirky things about you, what makes you tick and what doesn't make you tick and so I think that's what the guys missed." 


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