By Dan Fitz-Simons – John Duddy never uses the F-word or trash talks opponents. Nor does he take steroids or conceal plaster in his gloves. He doesn’t clinch or run around the ring all night. But he does show up in prime condition to fight his heart out with a style that sometimes defies boxing principles. When he steps through the ropes there’s passion, blood, or somebody going down. What Duddy lacks in natural talent, he makes up for with arduous training and sheer determination. His fans know that and love him for it whether or not he wins a title. At age 30, Duddy knows the clock is ticking. He may still have a weak defense, but the snap is back in his punches. There’s fire in the belly of the Derry Destroyer; John Duddy is very, very hungry.
It took Duddy little more than a New York minute to dispatch Juan Astorga on January 19th. His first round annihilation of the hapless Astorga didn’t allow the card girls time to make their rounds.. Astorga was so stunned he could barely keep his hands up to ward off the ferocity of Duddy’s attack. Yet the Derry man emerged with hardly a scratch. Duddy displayed an impressive arsenal, including a powerful left hook, a solid overhand right, and an uppercut that dropped Astorga to the canvass. The victory boosted Duddy’s record to 28-1 (18KO’s). However, the level of his last opponent made the quality of the victory questionable. Astorga (14-3-1) from the Kansas minor league circuit was “expected” to lose, albeit not so quickly.
Nevertheless, Duddy’s appearance on the undercard of two major bouts (“Juanma” and Gamboa) was his ninth show at Madison Square Garden with a record of victories unmatched by any Irish fighter. The usual legions of Duddy fans were there, as was the Galliaghman’s old trainer Harry Keitt, and his cut man George Mitchell. Duddy had rebounded from his only loss against Billy Lyell last August, defeating Michi Munoz on points in October. Yet the lackluster win wasn’t Duddy’s most exciting performance. Consequently, Keitt set up a grueling training schedule that kept John in Gleason’s Gym almost three months. The benefits of that “gym rat” regimen could be seen when the hard charging Irishman showed up to fight in magnificent shape.
Duddy’s last six fights had all gone the distance; he hadn’t scored an early win for three years. Thus, the first round KO of Astorga sent a message: Duddy the brawler, who won 7 of his first 9 professional bouts by early stoppages, was back.
Moreover, his victory over Astorga could signal a trend for 2010. After the fight Duddy promised the fans, “…there’s going to be more of that to come this year.” Duddy’s aggressive performance has re-established his tarnished image and put his career back on track. Evidently Bob Arum is convinced the old spark has returned. It was announced soon after that Duddy would be on the undercard of the high profile Pacquiao-Clottey bout on March 13th at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
Duddy’s appearance on the undercard of the Pacquiao mega fight, which could draw 40,000 fans, could place him in the limelight for a title shot. Yet even without such an offer, 2010 could be a lucrative year. John’s brawling style fills seats, and he has a large following in the Big Apple. Thus, it’s likely he’ll appear on the undercard of other highly touted events at the Garden. There’s also the prospect of a large purse in his native Ulster. Irish promoters, including Brian Peters, would welcome the chance to match Duddy against Neil Sinclair, Andy Lee, or Matthew Macklin. But for now, it’s back to Gleason’s Gym under Keitt’s watchful eye. Dallas is only six weeks away, and John Duddy is on a roll.