February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Duddy will be gunning to add the bigger Brady, a 13-4-1 (6 KOs) super middleweight out of New Mexico, to his list of conquests when the two 26-year-olds clash in a scheduled eight-rounder at 160-pounds.
In the co-feature, light middleweight James Moore, Duddy’s Irish Ropes stablemate and Queens neighbor, makes a rapid jump to the six-round stage against an opponent to be named, after two quick wins in the pro ranks.
And Collins, most recently seen in Tyson conqueror Kevin McBride’s corner, will finally make his long-delayed comeback, also against a foe to be announced.
Duddy-Brady will be the main event of the Mansfield show meant to introduce both the hard punching Derry middleweight (11-0, 10 KOs) and Moore to Irish fans in the Boston area.
“He’s been around the horn — he knows his way around the ring,” Irish Ropes boss Eddie McLoughlin said of Brady last Sunday.
“I think this is another step up for John,” added McLoughlin, noting that the Albuquerque resident, a pro since 2000, has more wins than Duddy.
“But the most important thing is that we’ll be introducing him [Duddy] to Boston area fans who’ve been waiting to see him in action for a long time.”
Duddy and Moore will be in Boston today (Wednesday) to kick off the publicity campaign for the show with an open workout at Micky Ward’s gym. This will be followed by a press conference at Paddy O’s. The duo will fly back to New York in the evening to continue their preparations at the Irish Ropes gym in Far Rockaway.
In his last fight, in Chicago two months ago, Duddy burnished his reputation as a knockout specialist with a two-punch stoppage of Patrick Coleman on national television. Moore improved to 2-0 (1 KO) with a points win over Cory Jones in White Plains two weeks ago.
COLLINS COMEBACK
Paschal Collins is certain that his year-long comeback bid will finally take off on the Duddy-Brady undercard.
“I’ve been trying to fight but things haven’t worked out,” the 34-year-old kid brother of the legendary “Celtic Warrior” Steve Collins said in Boston.
Most recently, Collins has been working as an assistant trainer to heavyweight Kevin McBride and helped whip the “Clones Colossus” into shape for his shocking TKO win over Mike Tyson in Washington, DC, last June.
But the super middleweight has been working up a sweat in the gym himself and believes that he’s back in fighting shape.
“I’m in training camp and ready to fight. It will be six or four
rounds,” he said.
Collins’ last contest on his 13-2-1 (4 KOs) ledger was a four-round
defeat to Richard Grant in Rhode Island six years ago.
AMBASSADOR McCULLOUGH
Wayne McCullough has been tapped a World Ambassador for Peace and Goodwill in Sports by the World Boxing Council whose bantamweight title he once held.
The appointment, to be formally announced at the WBC’s annual convention in Gibraltar next month, is in recognition of McCullough’s courage and exemplary life outside the ring, the organization said in a statement.
Said the Las Vegas-based McCullough: “For the first time in my life, I was knocked off my feet when I received the news from the WBC. I always wanted to be remembered not only for my boxing ability but also for my clean living, honesty, integrity and dedication to the sport.
“It is a privilege and an honor to be recognized by the WBC as the World Ambassador for Peace and Goodwill in Sports. This was totally unexpected and I have expressed my thanks to Jose Sulaiman, WBC president, for even thinking of me.”
McCullough, who’s 35, is coming off a 10th round TKO loss to WBC super bantamweight holder Oscar Larios last July, in a rematch of their first meeting also won by the Mexican five months earlier. It was the Ulsterman’s first stoppage defeat even though he was never off his feet.