(Managing Editor’s Note: Eoin Redahan is our newest Feature Writer at RSR. He will be covering boxing, focusing on many of the up and comers and stars from Ireland. I, along with the rest of the team, welcome him aboard.)

By Eoin Redahan

 A Pinch of Celt

Ireland’s contenders are currently jostling for position on the rungs of boxing’s middleweight ladder.

In a trinity of articles, I analyze the merits of three prospects: John Duddy, Andy Lee, and Matthew Macklin…

 A funereal silence greeted the verdict in Newark, New Jersey. A thousand olés stayed in their larynxes, and a solitary pin whistled through the air.

 John Duddy may have fought and won since his solitary defeat against the unheralded Billy Lyell, but it lingers in the minds of his fans and critics; however, the Northern Irish middleweight went some way toward mending his punctured prospects after a convincing victory over Mexican-born American Juan Astorga on January 23.

 Gone was the pensive approach that pervaded previous bouts, to be replaced with incisive urgency and vicious power. The dormant jab was snapping, the wince-inducing body punches were smarting, and the busyness that typified his rise to renown was apparent. Unfortunately, all of this only lasted for one minute and 57 seconds. Duddy must be given credit for his performance, but the caliber of his opponent must also be questioned.

 Astorga may have had a respectable record of 14 wins in 18 fights prior to their fight, but his résumé looked flimsy when inspected. Not one of his vanquished opponents held a winning record, and on the three occasions he made a step up in class, he was knocked out. Nevertheless, the John Duddy that battered Astorga into submission looked more like the relentless pressure fighter that got so close to a world-title shot against WBC and WBO world champion Kelly Pavlik and less like the one that sustained protracted punishment against Matt Vanda, Walid Smichet and (to a lesser extent) Billy Lyell.

 While Duddy has become better known in the professional ranks for his all-action brawling and often-masochistic defense, people can sometimes forget about his pugilistic prowess. With an amateur record of 100 wins from 130 fights, and decision victories over former world champion Yory Boy Campas and world title challenger Howard Eastman (albeit, when they were past their best), Duddy has proved that he can box, as well as brawl.

 His physical attributes, on the other hand, are seldom questioned. Irish boxing analyst, and former European super middleweight titleholder, Jim Rock, outlined the physical challenge that Duddy poses in a recent interview: “With John Duddy, you have to be at your fittest to beat him…. You would have to stand toe-to-toe with him all the time.” That said, with the exception of the Astorga fight, Duddy has not been knocking out opponents on a consistent basis in recent times. While Mick Dowling, former Irish Olympian bantamweight and boxing analyst for Irish state broadcaster RTE, was complimentary of his ability and power, he would like to see him develop a more ruthless streak in bouts: “He’s got a lot of good things going for him, but I’d like him to get in there and finish guys off.”

 Billy Walsh, Head Coach of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association High Performance Unit, underlined Duddy’s all-round ability: “He’s a very capable boxer and a good athlete with loads of heart;” however, he did point out some of the boxer’s well-documented defensive frailties: “He needs a lot more head movement. He’s very straight up, which makes you easier to hit. He has a very good jab, but he doesn’t use it enough.”

Unfortunately, when fans are used to seeing you fight in a certain manner, it can be hard to change, and Duddy is an entertainer. Rock mentioned that popularity  while obviously beneficial  can lead to excessive pressure: “A lot of Irish fighters start off their careers with two lines at the end of a page, and there’s no expectation…. If you go to the US and you get all this publicity; right from the start, they’re expecting monumental tasks of you.” Walsh explained how Duddy’s immense popularity among many Irish-American fight fans, may have its drawbacks in the ring: “He has a big following, and he wants to put on a big show, [but] toe to toe slugging can lead to all sorts of trouble.”

 In recent years, Duddy has tried to attack his defensive shortcomings. He enlisted the services of world champion trainers Don Turner and later, Pat Burns, to help add defensive elusiveness to his skill set. The results were mixed. Duddy appeared to box better in spurts, though he still proved easy to hit, and the scars of battle were written all over his easily cut brow. Furthermore, he seemed to lose the intensity that had made him such an effective pressure fighter.

 He then reunited with long-time trainer Harry Keitt after the Lyell defeat in an effort to regain this lost intensity. In an interview with The Belfast Telegraph after his recent fight against Michi Munoz, he said that: “I learned a lot with Pat Burns, and I used some of that in this win. But I feel that Harry [Keitt] is very good for me at this point. He works me hard, which is what I need.”

 And, there is no doubt that Duddy will have to work harder in future bouts. He is yet to fight any boxer in the top-15 of the current WBC, WBA, WBO, or IBF rankings, with the exception of Billy Lyell (15^th in the IBF). He is overdue a step up in standard. Rock mentioned that, while a fluctuating level of opposition is natural for any boxer learning their trade, “when they get to the top end, they have to take certain people who they wouldn’t want to take. That sorts the men out from the boys.”

The hope is that Duddy steps up his caliber of opposition for his upcoming fights. Unfortunately, the proposed bout against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has fallen through, due to the latter’s alleged use of a banned substance; however, there is no shortage of suitors.

Duddy is now scheduled to fight heavy-handed Mexican fighter Michael Medina, 22-1-2, 17 KO’s, on the Joshua Clottey vs. Manny Pacquiao undercard on March 13. According to ESPN, Duddy may then fight on the undercard of the proposed Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman bout on June 12, possibly against “Contender” boxer Jimmy Lange. Should he come through both fights, Duddy would be reasonably well placed to call out one of the middleweight supremos.

Not many would fancy him to cope with Paul William’s prodigious output or Kelly Pavlik’s power, but Duddy has always relished fighting on the big stage. As Billy Walsh said: “Boxing is a funny game. Anything can happen with it. John is a very determined young man. He’ll look at this as his big opportunity.”

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