By Mike Coppinger

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin is slated to make his HBO debut on Nov. 5 in Mexico against Craig McEwan, the co-feature to Alfredo Angulo-James Kirkland match.

It’s the kind of opportunity Quillin (25-0, 19 KOs) has been waiting for.

“This is my opportunity to showcase where I am as a fighter,” said Quillin, 28. “Right now this is the fight for me to take. This is what I’ve always been working towards, I love being a fighter. I walk around as a fighter, all the time, regardless of where I’m at – vacation – I’m a fighter.”

For many fans who have never seen the Brooklyn-native in action, Quillin plans to impress.

“They’re going to say ‘future champion’,” said Quillin. The only reason they’re going to say that is because I’m working hard to make that happen myself. When I go out there and fight, I know I got a lot of pressure to perform. “

As for the entertainment aspect of the bout, Quillin sees a toe-to-toe fight.

“You got a guy that comes and puts everything on the table,” said Quillin of his former sparring partner. “You got a guy in me that of course is going to do that. You want to measure up to performances, you see Andy Lee come close to losing to Craig until coming back. So let’s what can happen in a fight between me and Craig."

Quillin is ready for his shot in the spotlight and knows that his preparation will be key, as he looks ahead to a title shot in 2012.

“I’m a disciplined fighter, I know what it takes to keep myself together,” said Quillin. “I don’t go up in weight never. All these things are going to make me the topic, the guy that keeps screaming for a title shot.”

Mike Coppinger is a regular boxing freelancer for USA TODAY and Ring Magazine. He’s a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, the Ring Ratings Advisory Panel and the Yahoo! Sports Boxing Panel. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeCoppinger.