Duddy digs deep to take world title

NEW world champion John Duddy will have to miss a return date at Madison Square Garden as he recovers from the toughest fight of his career.

The Irish middleweight claimed the vacant IBA crown in New York’s legendary venue on Saturday when he became only the ninth man in 97 fights to beat Mexican strongman Luis Ramos ‘Yory Boy’ Campas.

A thrilling unanimous points victory after 12 gripping rounds came at a price for the unbeaten Derry man (18 wins, 15 KOs) as he suffered three deep cuts above his eyes that will keep him out of the ring for eight weeks, according to his trainer Harry Keitt.

That means Duddy, 27, would be off the world heavyweight championship card at the Garden on November 11 headlined by Wladimir Klitschko’s title defence against Calvin Brock.

“John’s gone for a while after that,” Keitt said. “He’ll be off for probably two months. He’s supposed to be on the Klitschko card but that’s not possible.”

With an 18th victory and a minor world title in the bag, Duddy was just delighted to see off a veteran who was IBF Light-Middleweight champion in 1997. Even the defeats were high profile: five of Campas’s eight losses coming in world title fights, to the likes of Felix Trinidad, Fernando Vargas and Oscar De La Hoya.

“I hit him with everything but he just wouldn’t go down,” Duddy said. “I was going for the knockout but he wouldn’t fall. I never doubted that I was going to win the fight.”

Duddy overcame a torrid second round that saw him cut early on and then rocked down onto one knee with a vicious short left from 36-year-old Campas, who had knocked out 70 of his previous opponents.

Duddy said: “Yory Boy’s experience is second to none and it’s the best experience I’ve had in the ring. He caught me with some good body and head shots but after the second round he never really hurt me.

“He’s only lost nine fights, but with the calibre of opponents he’s lost against, I know I’ve got a lot more work to do. But this a great stepping stone for me for the future.”

Keitt praised Duddy’s strength and fitness as well as the corner work of cut-man George Mitchell.

On the Duddy undercard, Arklow’s James Moore took his record to 9-0 with the second-round knockout of Puerto Rican Willie Cruz. Galway super middleweight Simon O’Donnell, fighting out of Philadelphia, maintained his unbeaten start to his pro career when opponent Terrance Miller was disqualified for refusing to fight in the fourth round of their bout.