February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The scheduled eight-rounder was bound to be brief and predictable once Duddy’s original foe, 8-1-1 Texan Larry Vaughan, failed his medicals the day before the fight.
In came Orso, a 4-5 junior middleweight from Alabama, who was scheduled to fight another 154-pounder on the joint Northeast Promotions-Irish Ropes Boxing card. It was a mismatch.
Once the ear-splitting ovation that had greeted Duddy’s ring entrance, and 12-year old Muireann Phelan’s soulful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner had died down, it was just a matter of time.
Duddy began walking Orso down from the first bell and there was no escape for the 23-year old stand-in despite his southpaw stance and movement.
Showing the boxing skills he’s rediscovered under trainers Harry Keitt and Karl LeShore, Duddy pressed the action behind a strong left jab and short hooks.
He wobbled his man early with a right hand and rocked him again with a short left to the jaw before a one-two midway through the round ended it.
Orso, who had knocked out three of the last four men he had beaten, was caught by a straight right, followed by a left hook to the ear. He crashed to the canvas and although up on his feet before referee Michael Ortega counted 10, he seemed in no condition to continue.
It went down as a KO, 1:37 minutes in the opening stanza, despite Orso’s protests of a rabbit punch behind the head.
“This is the opponent we had. I don’t choose them, I just beat them,” Duddy said after upping his unblemished record to 8-0 with eight KOs.
Irish boxing’s brightest ring prospect was still displeased at not getting enough rounds, even though few in the 2,800 crowd complained.
“For the first time I was disappointed that I couldn’t get more rounds,” he said. “I’m disappointed because I wanted to keep the show moving forward. We’re always trying to step up one fight at a time.”
Keitt had no qualms with either the stoppage or quality of opponent, and said Duddy had performed as expected.
“A guy like he had in front of him, he’s supposed to get rid of him or else he’ll make him look bad,” he explained.
On Orso’s quality, Keitt noted: “Opponents are either pulling out or failing medicals. But I’m happy we won. We’ve got a long road ahead and sometimes we’ve got to step over dead bodies to get there.”
LeShore was equally pleased with Duddy’s display. “Being a good student, he did what he’s supposed to do. There’s no reason for this fight to go more than two rounds because of (Duddy’s) style and punching.”
Eddie McLoughlin, the Irish Ropes promoter who has guided the undefeated Duddy’s career, defended the decision to match Orso against the Derry Destroyer.
“He was a last minute replacement and he’d knocked out three guys, including one who had an 11-2 record, so we thought that he’d go a few rounds,” he pointed out.
“We have lots of confidence in John and once he starts unloading, the outcome is obvious.”
Team Duddy’s confidence in their charge is such that they’ve signed off on a potential thriller on national television, the night after St. Patrick’s Day, against 16-0 (11 KOs) Catskill resident Leonard Pierre.
The six-round bout with the “Haitian Sensation,” who is drilled by former Mike Tyson trainer Kevin Rooney, will be broadcast live by ESPN2 from the Foxwoods Casino on March 18, matchmaker Ron Katz confirmed.
“John will take him,” promised Keitt, who’s watched Pierre fight.
MIXED EMOTIONS
Duddy’s easy victory over Orso was the icing on the cake for McLoughlin on a night of mixed emotions for the colorful veteran.
Moments before the start of his maiden show as a promoter, McLoughlin received word that his 79 year-old father, Tony, had fallen into a coma after suffering a heart attack at his Mullingar, Co. Westmeath home.
McLoughlin flew home the next day.
McLoughlin’s other Irish Ropes fighter, bantamweight Max Daguizan, featured in the most exciting bout of the night, a four-round war with Texan Keiron Armour that ended in deserved draw.
Daguizan is now a rare 0-0-2 after his second drawn match since his debut last October.
DANNY’S DEBUT
Danny McDermott, a Jersey City lightweight who traces his lineage to Foxford, County Mayo, made a high profile debut in Atlantic City, outclassing Jason Chacon over four rounds on the undercard of Arturo Gatti’s successful WBC super lightweight defense against Jesse James Leija.
McDermott, who’s 25, is a two-time New Jersey Golden Gloves finalist and Diamond Gloves winner who compiled a 36-6 amateur log before joining the paid ranks.
He’s mentored by Gatti, the Jersey City brawler whose trilogy with Mickey Ward is now part of boxing folklore, and trained by Buddy McGirt, who also works with Gatti.