New trainer for Duddy

http://www.secondsout.com/headlines/index.cfm?ccs=532&cs=22093 Keitt Out,Turner In At Team Duddy By Jerry Glick:IBA Middleweight Champion, John Duddy’s long time trainer Harry Keitt has been replaced by Don Turner, according to Irish Ropes head man Eddie McLoughlin. “We figure John has become stagnant in his last few fights,” said McLoughlin. “I wasn’t overly impressed with his last two fights and I think Harry took him as far as he can take him.” It was not an easy thing to do. Team Duddy has always been a tight knit group. A veritable family, with Duddy as the focus. That is what made it so hard on Keitt and Duddy. McLoughlin said that Duddy is fiercely loyal, but it was something that even he saw coming. “No disrespect to Harry, but he showed John all he learned,” added McLoughlin. “If you listen to the corner, he’s telling him the right things to do, but John is just not reacting the way he should be. When John went back to the corner he said that he couldn’t get his combinations going.” McLoughlin feels that a change to refresh the situation is in order. “I think the instructions have to come from a different set of eyes and mind.” Keitt may have had some inkling as to the possibility of this happening because Turner was working in North Carolina for a week at the Duddy training camp with Keitt. According to McLoughlin this may have made Keitt uncomfortable. “He was devastated,” is how McLoughlin described Keitts reaction to the news. Not only does it take him out of the Duddy camp, but at a time when it appears big fights are about to happen for John Duddy. “This is not a personal decision,” McLoughlin told Keitt. “If it was you would be with us right to the end.” “When John signed up with me I looked him in the eye and promised him I would make him a world champion,” said McLoughlin. “And lots of times people will get hurt along the way and this is one case that was hard on me to make that decision. I made a business decision.” “I feel bad that Harry feels bad,” added McLoughlin. The decision to change to Turner was decided before the last fight. The one in which Duddy took a unanimous decision over Dupre Strickland at the Beacon theater in New York City. “We gave it one more try to prove me wrong in my concern, and it didn’t.” What appealed to Irish Ropes about Turner was his tremendous track record with some of the biggest names in boxing over the years and the fact that he does not have a huge stable of boxers that will dilute his ability to give Duddy the kind of attention that a star such as the Derry, Ireland born slugger warrants. Right now Duddy is in Ireland and it is not expected that he will fight in the U.S. until March of 2008. With this going on Duddy’s fight game was affected. According to McLoughlin, “He wasn’t himself for the last fight, mentally. He’s always physically in shape, but his head wasn’t.” “I would say that Harry took him from a “C” fighter,” assessed McLoughlin. ”To a “B” fighter and I honestly think he took him there about four fights ago, and I don’t think he’s moved up since then.” Jermain Taylor is someone that is on McLoughlin’s mind, “Maybe next year; maybe by the end of the year.” “I was in Memphis, TN with an invite from Lou DiBella (Taylor’s promoter). He’s in negotiations with the mandatory guy right now, Pavlick.” “He offered us a good sum of money,” said Loughlin. “Before I saw the Taylor fight I had some concerns. I was very reluctant to take that fight before, but he looked as bad, or worse, than John did.” THINGS ARE JUMPING AT ROPES In other Irish Ropes news, Jim Borzell will rejoin the promotional group to guide light-heavyweight amateur star Alo Kelly, another Irish import, who will turn pro in about a month. Still in charge of the shows will be another Irishman, Bob Duffy. Being Irish and being as knowledgeable as Duffy is, helps when you are at Irish Ropes. Probably the right move since Duddy isn't improving. Like the article says its likely Duddy's fault not the trainer. Still worth a try though. Good to see that they have a realistic appraisal of Duddy as a B fighter and that they are considering moving him up.