The former world middleweight title challenger believes the surging popularity and rapid rise of the Enniskillen boxer could soon see professional boxing return to the county for the first time in decades.

Owens took another significant leap forward in his paid career on Saturday night, headlining Quigley’s Rumble in the Hills 3 bill at the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny.

Stepping up to eight rounds for the first time in just his fifth professional bout, the 25-year-old put on a clinical, mature display against durable Peruvian veteran Cesar Ignacio Paredes, sweeping every round to claim an 80-72 shutout decision.

Inside the arena, the travelling support from Fermanagh was impossible to miss. A vocal army of fans made the journey to Donegal, singing and cheering their hometown favourite through every round.

Seeing that fervent backing firsthand convinced Quigley that staging a show in Fermanagh is a realistic ambition for Sheer Sports Promotions.

Speaking after the bout, Quigley confirmed that it is something of interest, but there is a lot of work to be done before professional boxing could take place in Fermanagh.

“Oh, absolutely,” Quigley said when asked about the prospects of a fight night in Fermanagh. “We have to look into the logistics of it all and the venues and scope everything out.

“I know that there was boxing there many years ago, but there's a few laws and legislations that have probably been changed since then. So we've got to look at a few things, but, yeah, that's definitely in the pipeline for Rhys.”

While Fermanagh boasts a proud boxing heritage through grassroots amateur stables such as Erne Boxing Club - where Owens honed his craft on the way to winning an Irish Elite title - professional promotions in the county have been virtually non-existent in modern times.

Sourcing a suitable indoor venue that meets the stringent safety and regulatory requirements of the British Boxing Board of Control will be key, but the commercial appetite is undeniable.

Quigley has been hugely impressed not just by Owens’ ticket-selling power, but by his discipline inside the ring.

“He’s just showing his levels every time he gets into the ring,” Quigley added. “Usually [prospects] get hit, they hurt their opponent or see him wobble and they blow a head gasket and try to take them out of there, whereas he didn't do that. He was so composed, so controlled the whole way through the fight.”

Prior to his fight with Parades, Owens admitted he would love to fight in Fermanagh.

He said: “It's expensive at the end of the day to get down to Donegal and get up to Belfast. Not everybody's in a position to be able to do that.

“Anybody that has, they don't have to have went to all the fights, but even if they went to one fight, I'm thankful to them for being able to come down and show their support. It means the world to me.

“I think it'd sell itself 10 times over.

“I do big numbers wherever I go. So imagine the numbers I'd do in Fermanagh itself? What about Brewster Park?”