Duddy’s demolition job cheers Irish fans

JOHN DUDDY surprised even himself with the manner in which he claimed his first title belt on a boisterous night in New York before 5,000 Irish fight fans.

The Derry boxer took his perfect record to 16-0, at Madison Square Garden’s Theatre, early into yesterday morning, and with it the vacant WBC Continental Americas middleweight championship, with a devastating first-round knockout of American Shelby Pudwill.

The North Dakotan looked a quivering wreck after becoming the 14th of Duddy’s victims to have failed to go the distance, and the 26-year-old Irishman’s ninth to have failed to last an opening round.

Pudwill, with a respectable record of 21 wins, nine by KO, two defeats and a draw, lasted just one minute and 31 seconds into the 25th fight of his pro career, when referee called the fight off after his third visit to the canvas.

It left a jubilant Duddy to soak up the near delirium of a sell-out crowd including actor Liam Neeson, former champion Mickey Ward and current light-middleweight powerhouse Sugar Shane Mosley.

“No way did I believe in my wildest dreams that I would come into Madison Square Garden on the night I was headlining on the eve of St Patrick’s Day and knock the guy out in the first round,” Duddy said.

“I knew he was a mover and a counter-puncher so my game plan was to put pressure on him, work on his body and hopefully slow him down and take him out later on.”

The plot was executed way ahead of schedule, however.

“You can’t say I meant it, but what I wanted to do from the first round on was to go to my game plan as soon as possible and see if he can take it, and that’s what I’m always going to do. He couldn’t take it.”

Duddy had Pudwill in trouble from the first bell and the American was sent crashing face-first onto the floor with a flashing left hook to his temple.

Somehow, Pudwill regained enough of his senses to rise, shaking his head in disbelief, and continue fighting. It was a short-lived moment of clarity.

Pudwill was floored again moments later and took a mandatory eight-count from referee Wayne Kelly. But the very next shot he took was to be his last, a clubbing right from Duddy to the side of the head that gave the ring official no choice but to immediately stop the fight.

“I thought my first knockdown was the best one. When he got up I could see his legs weren’t so good and from there on I knew I was hurting him. I think it was so good because I wasn’t trying to hurt him with it, I was just letting my punches go. After that I was just looking to take him out.”

There was plenty of Irish success preceding Duddy on a night when the usually risqué ring-card girls were replaced by Irish traditional dancers and even Sam Maguire made it into the ring for the headliner’s celebrations.

Arklow’s James Moore was equally as impressive as his Irish Ropes stablemate Duddy in stopping Savannah, Georgia’s Jose Felix, 26 seconds into the third round.

Bronx-born Maureen Shea celebrated her Kerry roots with an unanimous points victory in her four-rounder with LeAnne Villareal of New Mexico, while Boston-based Clareman James Clancy scored a similarly victory over New York heavyweight Mitch Rose.