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07/21/2005 Archived Entry: "John Duddy: ‘I Look Forward to Performing Tomorrow Night!’"
John Duddy: ‘I Look Forward to Performing Tomorrow Night!’
By Juan C. Ayllon
Photo courtesy of http://www.irishropes.com/_images/John_Duddy_Publicity.jpg
ROSEMONT, IL, July 21, 2005 – Exciting middleweight boxer Irish John Duddy, at 10-0-0 and 9 KO’s, is preparing for a bout this Friday the Allstate Arena against one Patrick Coleman, 29-11-0, 20 KO’s. Tall—at 5’ 11”—and handsome, Duddy hails from County Derry, Ireland and, like many revered Irish fighters before him, can punch a bit. This combination of good looks, Irish roots, and punching power holds promise of great marquee value if he continues on his winning ways.
In March, he stopped highly regarded prospect, Lenord Pierre, in the first round. Pierre was 16-0 with 11 KO’s at the time and also had done some sparring with Chicago middleweight Michael Walker in preparation for this bout. In June, Duddy won an eight round unanimous decision over Patrick Thompson at Madison Square Garden.
Duddy’s opponent on Friday, Patrick Coleman, is no slouch. Despite 11 losses on his ledger, he is dangerous enough that he defeated Jose Antonio Rivera in December of 1999; Rivera went on to win the WBA Welterweight Title in September 2003.
Dubbed, "Ireland's John Duddy", Duddy granted the Cyber Boxing Zone this exclusive interview.
On how he’s feeling going into tomorrows fight:
John Duddy: I’m doing okay. Training’s been great. Just looking forward to perform tomorrow night.
On what he knows about his opponent, Pat Coleman, whom he will face on Friday:
JD: He’s a very durable boxer, he’s got a lot of good experience, and a good right hand. It should be an exciting contest.
On his amateur background as a boxer:
JD: 130 fights as far as amateur fights; I lost 30 fights. I’m from Derry City in Northern Ireland.
On his most exciting bout to date:
JD: I would say my last fight in Madison Square Garden against Patrick Thompson, the fact that it was in Madison Square Garden. It was a great number of Irish fans there to support me!
On what his biggest strength is as a fighter:
JD: Probably my punch, that’s what it seems to be at the moment.
On interim or short term goals:
JD: Try and win every fight. That’s it. I don’t look that far ahead, I’ve only had ten fights.
On opponents he would like to face in the near future:
JD: I don’t think that far ahead.
On long term goals regarding championships and such:
JD: Well, there’s no point in looking that far ahead. I try to keep it plain and simple and look forward to my next fight; I let my manager, advisor and promoter plan my next year. I just worry about my next fight.
On special training methods he incorporates:
JD: Well, my trainer, Harry Keitt, has me training with a sledgehammer. I hit it off a tire. You can’t chop trees down in New York because you’ll go to jail; but it’s the same principle!
On whether he incorporates weights in his routine:
JD: Not at the moment, no.
On sparring and training:
JD: Well, we always spar, hitting bags and pads. Sparring, it depends: it could be eight, 10 or 12 rounds, depending on what my trainer has planned. I’ve been sparring with a guy called Yassein; also James Moore, he’s an Irish prospect, like myself.
On whether there’s a special woman in his life:
JD: I’m in love.
On hobbies outside of boxing:
JD: I would say I read a lot, cycling and swimming. I like playing the guitar. That’s what I do to relax. Go to the beach in the summer and so.
On predictions for tomorrow’s fight versus Pat Coleman:
JD: Just a victory.
Parting comments:
JD: Tune into ESPN2 tomorrow night because it’s going to be a great night of fighting!
John Duddy will be fighting Pat Coleman in the co-main event in an exciting night of fights at the Allstate Arena. Artyon Simonyan will fight Agapito Sanchez in the main event. Hitz Boxing Promotions is promoting the event.
The Allstate Arena is located at 6920 N. Manheim Road in Rosemont, Illinois. Doors open at 7 PM. The first bout starts at 8 PM.
