Jump to content

Duddy back in action.... Yawn


Faulks
 Share

Recommended Posts

Middleweight contender John Duddy will return to Madison Square Garden this Saturday confident he has the all-round style to get back into contention for a world-title shot.

 

The Northern Ireland-born Duddy will step into the ring against US-based Mexican Jorge 'Michi' Munoz (21-3, 14 KOs), for his first bout since losing for the first time in April on a split decision against unheralded American Billy Lyell.

 

Now based in New York, Duddy (26-1, 17 KOs) has returned to trainer Harry Keitt after a two-year spell that saw him adopt a less explosive style under the guidance of first Don Turner and then Pat Burns without necessarily fixing any of the defensive problems that cost him a world-title challenge against Kelly Pavlik in 2008.

 

Duddy was one fight away from a summer showdown with Pavlik when he was sucked into a bloody battle with Walid Smichet in February last year and though he won the fight a deep cut above his eye left Duddy on the sidelines as Pavlik's handlers switched their attentions to Welshman Gary Lockett.

 

Now with a new management set-up and back in tandem with Keitt, with whom he turned professional in 2003 and scored 15 of his 17 knockouts in his first 20 pro fights, Duddy says he is looking forward to returning to some of his old ways.

 

"I know what I'm capable of, I know what I'm good at and I think the days of me being a pretty dancer are long, long behind me," Duddy said.

 

"I've got to work on what's right for me and what's good for me."

 

Duddy has built a loyal and vociferous following among his fellow expatriates and Irish Americans during his time in New York and they had revelled in his barnstorming style on numerous occasions at Madison Square Garden.

 

The middleweight believes those fans are in for another treat this weekend as he attempts to get back on the world-title trail, happily taking an undercard slot to a double world championship bill featuring WBO junior-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez against Rogers Mtagwa and WBA featherweight title-holder Yuriorkis Gamboa versus Whyber Garcia.

 

"I'd just like to get back to the snappy, explosive self that I've been known to be in the Garden," Duddy said.

 

"Munoz is a come-forward fighter as well so I think it's going to be an exciting fight and one in which I can put the foot down and show everybody there's something to look forward to.

 

"I'm just looking to get back to a wee bit of the old and maybe add what I've picked up these last two years and hopefully put on a bit of a performance and maybe show I'm a bit more of a mature fighter for what I've come through.

 

"But at the end of the day I'm a rough-and-tumble fighter and I think I showed against Matt Vanda (in February 2009) that I can box a bit too and there's a time and a place and it's up to me to be mature enough now to know when those times are."

 

 

Dont know what peoples thoughts are on this but i think hes one of the most overrated boxers around at the moment. Ok he's been brought back down to eath a little with his loss in April but if he had got into the ring with Kelly he would of been severley beaton. He just isnt on that level. No where near IMO

 

He is well supported because he fights out of New York and all the Irish follow him but when i was at the MSG in June i was speaking to some of the Irish lads and they were saying even they thought he was crap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...