John Duddy Vows To Be Impressive on Latin Fury Card

By Terence Dooley

John Duddy has vowed that he will better than ever when he returns to action at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.  Duddy, 30, was being carefully guided towards a world title before the wheels came off in April after a points defeat to Billy Lyell.

Duddy’s suspect defence needed addressing and New York-based Irishman turned to his former trainer Harry Keitt in order to re-ignite his career.  Duddy was making a name for himself as the Irish Arturo Gatti - at one point he looked set to take on middleweight kingpin Kelly Pavlik only to blow his chances by getting badly cut up in an MD win over Walid Smichet.

Duddy has told PA Sport that he intends to put things right during this latest phase of his career.  “I'd just like to get back to the snappy, explosive self that I've been known to be in the Garden,” said Duddy.

“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.”

Indeed, Duddy can box when the occasion requires it; however, the moment he gets hit he reverts to type.  Duddy previously trained under Don turner and, prior to that, Pat Burns, he believes that he can now mix some boxing in with the brawling and will be looking to make a point or two come Saturday.

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