Irish Boxing

when??? really??

 

dunno when but that was the terms of him fightin for irish title :good

 

So, who is going to 'The Undefeateds' card in Cork - I am thinking about it.:think

 

ill be there :good

 

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http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?cat=boxer&human_id=355994
spikes opponent for cork

 

To be honest im not to impressed by any of the opponents so far,Spike really needed a better class of opponent to move on his career.This guy is ranked 12th in Italy,Garcias lad lost 7 of his last 8 he won his last through injury.Alex's guys has been stopped in 8 of his 10 defeats,
Mike opponent although coming off two decent wins has a checkered past to say the least but is probably the most "live" opponent yet.
I know its not a tv show and all that i was just expecting a bit stiffer opposition,I heard the guy over the cubans wasnt afraid to splash the cash.Hope Willie and Andy get a better class of opponent or i think i'll stay at home and do my knitting.:yep

 

well it is neptune lol

 

Good show cumin up 7th Aug in Citywest, Dolphil runnin it, the first irish professional girl is on it, along wiyh a pro debut for Roscommons Darren Cruise, Wit both irish title holders fightin but not defendin them, fitz and waldron, fitz not sure who he fightin, but waldron cud be fightin robbie long, waitin to see if long excepts it. jj mcdonagh, finbar eade, Gavin prunty, willie casey also on the bill,

 

Will have an update on Lindsay up on the site later this afternoon.

 

Sure there must be at least 10 kgs between Robbie Long and John Waldron,

 

:good lookin forward to it

 

any word on the hyland adam taught peters was goin t do a card with them on it

 

Nice right up on Duddy



By Thomas Gerbasi

If John Duddy’s boxing career was a play, June 26th would be the beginning of Act III.

That’s the night the pride of Derry steps into the ring at the Alamodome in San Antonio to face unbeaten, but untested Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and if he should emerge victorious, he will have truly begun the resurrection process on his rollercoaster career.

And while it’s not too often that a fighter with a 29 wins, a single loss by split decision, and a rabid following in his home country of Ireland and in his adopted hometown of New York City would have his career described as a rollercoaster, but that’s where the 30-year old stands today, though you would hardly guess it by his demeanor as the biggest fight of his life approaches.

There could be a few reasons for that. It could just be that Duddy is the type of young man who refuses to look at the negative side of anything, a trait that has served him well in and out of the ring. Or maybe it’s because he’s turned the corner on his career, returning to his original trainer Harry Keitt while straightening out the managerial issues that could have crippled his career. Or perhaps most likely is that he is getting a Pay-Per-View main event against a fighter many believe doesn’t have the right stuff to survive the type of dog fight Duddy will love to drag him into in a little over a week.

That’s worth at least a smile or two.

“I look at it like this,” said Duddy after a recent press luncheon in New York City. “I’m going into waters where I’ve been before and I think that the world is more focused on Julio than myself. I’m there to do my job and do what I’m good at and what I enjoy doing, and it’s up to him to have the answers. I know that this is gonna be a great fight and the toughest and hardest fight of his career, and if I have my way, it’s gonna be one of the hardest fights of my career as well, but I’m looking forward to it, and I can’t wait for it to happen. On the night, whatever which way it will go, everybody knows what I’m bringing and they’re gonna get it, and we’ll answer the question whether he has it or not.”

There’s the difference right there, and the one reason why if you’re a real fight fan, you’re a fan of John Duddy. He isn’t the most skilled boxer in the world, he isn’t a Tyson-esque puncher (despite 18 knockout wins), and he has struggled against fighters that those originally dubbed as future world champions shouldn’t struggle against. But he’s an honest fighter, one who promises what he will eventually deliver. He won’t call for Armageddon in the ring and give you a waltz; he won’t mean mug an opponent and hug him like a long lost brother after the final bell. With Duddy, what you see is what you get – a tough, aggressive fighter who will do whatever he can to outwork you and beat you.

That’s one side of the ring on June 26th. The other side is the unknown quantity. Chavez is young at 24, has been matched very carefully yet still has come up on the bright side of the occasional verdict that is questionable at best, and is a lot further on in his career than he would have been if not named Julio Cesar Smith. That’s the bad news. The good news is that he is still young and learning, has some talent, and that renowned trainer Freddie Roach is now on board to help refine that talent. Duddy knows all of the above, and he believes he has the antidote for his opponent.

“I see a guy that’s probably gonna be very similar to Michael Medina, who I fought in Dallas,” said Duddy, who scored a split decision win over the Mexican in March. “He’s gonna be right there in front of me, he’s got a great double left hook, a strong right hand, and I think it’s gonna be an exciting contest for the fans because we’re gonna duke it out. I think I’m gonna prove and show that I’ve got the bigger heart and have more courage and that I want it more.”

Heart, courage, and desire are recurring themes in Duddy’s life and career. A stellar amateur with over 100 wins to his name, Duddy relocated to the United States to begin his pro career, and after a torrid run from 2003 to 2005 that saw him go 14-0 with 13 knockouts (eight coming in the first round), he was not only a star back home in Ireland and in New York, but around the boxing world.

A tougher than expected 12 round scrap with Yory Boy Campas in 2006 was loved by boxing fans for its not stop action, but the fact that he was pushed as hard as he was by the shopworn former champion was an ominous omen.

Two fights later, his first and only pro trainer, Harry Keitt, was fired, and replaced by Don Turner. A successful three fight tour of Ireland was capped by a win over Howard Eastman in December of 2007, but with a fight against middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik seemingly in the bag, he won a controversial ten round decision over Walid Smichet that left him battered and cut, so cut up that the fight with Pavlik was scrapped and Turner fired.

With new trainer Pat Burns on board, Duddy defeated Charles Howe and Matt Vanda, but on April 24, 2009, Duddy – who was also going through issues with his former manager Tony McLoughlin and promoter, Irish Ropes – lost for the first time as a pro to unheralded 18-7 Billy Lyell. The Duddy bubble had burst.

“I think that fight just was an accumulation of a lot of things that were going on outside the ring,” said Duddy softly, a sense of gravity evident in each word.

After the defeat, Duddy retained the services of Keitt once again, and while it wouldn’t be accurate to say that he has looked spectacular in three straight wins over Michi Munoz, Juan Astorga, and Medina, he has gotten the “W”s, and mentally, he seems to be in the perfect place as he gets ready for Chavez.

“I think that in the three fights I’ve had since, I’ve certainly stabilized my life outside the ring a lot better and I’m working forward and upwards inside the ring, my relationship with Harry Keitt is as good as it ever was, and I’m just thrilled and excited and looking forward to giving a hundred and ten percent on the 26th against Chavez because I know anything less ain’t gonna get the job done,” he said.

He’s right, because for all the question marks around Chavez, there are a few around Duddy as well. He’s gone life and death with fighters who didn’t have the natural gifts of Chavez, and sometimes youth and talent can overwhelm a veteran who doesn’t get the chance to take a fight into the later rounds, or whose skin doesn’t hold up under a few blistering hooks or crosses, simply making the bout a test of survival. Duddy can’t let those thoughts into his head, but he is expecting a war; more accurately, he’s hoping for one, once again separating himself from us mere civilians who couldn’t fathom journeying to the depths required to gut out a 10 or 12 round prizefight.

“When I was growing up, I was a fan of boxing, and I don’t remember any favorite fights that I watched being easy fights,” said Duddy. “It’s the hard fights that light people’s eyes up and what set people’s hearts pounding, and they’re what make people remember you for a long time. I’m in a sport that I love doing, I love watching it, and I want to be in the sort of fights where people can turn back and say ‘well, that kid was involved in some exciting fights.’”

He’s already done that, and regardless of the outcome on June 26th, Duddy is still in a position to fight practically anyone and attract a crowd that doesn’t care about glossy records or alphabet belts, but that just wants to see a fight. And this Irishman will always deliver that, but he’s not content with being exciting; he does want something to show for his blood, sweat, and tears when the curtain falls on his career.

“I believe we all want to do something we love, and if you do something you love, you want to achieve the most success out of it as possible,” he said. “As a kid, I grew up watching world champions like Barry McGuigan, Wayne McCullough, Dave “Boy” McAuley, and Sugar Ray Robinson and all those guys on video tapes, and at the end of the day, I want to be known as being the best that I can be in the job I love doing.”

“I’m in a good position, I’m moving forward, I’m still on a competitive road for hopefully someday fighting for a world title, and that’s always been my goal and my dream,” he continues. “To be fighting in the main event on a Pay-Per-View card where the world can watch it, it doesn’t get much bigger than this, and as long as I keep to my guns, keep my head down, keep working hard, and keep the belief in myself that I’m always getting closer to that goal of one day fighting for a world title, and maybe someday becoming a world champion, it doesn’t get much better for me, and I’m enjoying every minute of it. I’m like a kid in a candy store and having a pack of everything that I want.”

He doesn’t even mind going to San Antonio and being the black hat against the Mexican favorite.

Nah, that’s great,” he smiles. “I actually like black myself.”