February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
“The kid was no slouch,” McDermott said the morning after the fight on a Main Events-promoted card at Schutzen Park.
Two judges scored it 38-38 while the third gave Valdez the nod 39-37 as the 26-year-old McDermott’s record fell to 3-0-1 in his rookie year in the paid ranks.
Both men had their moments with McDermott, a Jersey City-based prizefighter with Foxford, Co. Mayo blood in his veins, the better technician and Valdez reputedly the bigger puncher with his wild hooks.
“He came in throwing hay makers and landed a couple,” McDermott conceded. “After the fight, ‘Irish’ Pat Murphy came up to me and told me I had a granite chin.”
Murphy, a former world welterweight contender, was a North Bergen regular during a 12-year pro career that wound up in 1979.
Tough as the bout was, McDermott, who first laced on the gloves at the North Bergen PA, said he needed the test but was pleased that it was his last four-round contest.
MAULER MACKLIN
Matt Macklin, in line to make his New York debut on a planned all-Irish card at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick’s Day eve next March, iced Russian middleweight titlist Alexey Chirkov in one round in Sheffield, England.
Macklin dropped the now 17-3 Chirkov twice en route to the brilliant win on the undercard of Ricky Hatton’s world junior welterweight title unification victory over Carlos Maussa at the Hallam FM Arena.
The “Hitman,” Macklin’s long time training partner in England, stopped the Colombian in the ninth round.
In New York, Irish Ropes chief Eddie McLoughlin, who’ll make his promotional debut with the proposed March 16 show at MSG’s Theatre, was thrilled with Macklin’s display.
“My heartiest congratulations to Matt. It was absolutely [fabulous] and against a credible opponent,” he said of the Irish champion’s performance. “We’re looking forward to seeing him on March 16.”
SWEET KO
Joe “Sugar” Rea (5-0, 4 KOs) scored a first round KO over North Carolina middleweight Michael Rayner at the Freeport Hall in Dorchester, Mass.
The 22 year-old Ballymena product now fighting out of Connecticut under the tutelage of Lennox Lewis’ former assistant trainer Harold “The Shadow” Knight, was returning to the ring for the first time since drilling Cory Phelps in two heats last April.
CLANCY VICTORIOUS
Also in Dorchester, Co. Clare heavyweight James Clancy pounded out a four-round majority decision over Texan Douglas Robertson, a former five-time tough man champion.
Clancy improved to 6-0 (1 KO) with scores of 39-37 (twice) and 38-38. Robertson’s pugilistic ledger fell to 1-4-1.
“He was a tough guy. He made me work a lot,” Clancy said of Robertson.
DUDDY FOE TRIUMPHANT
Emiliano Cayetano, John Duddy’s opponent on the Dec. 15 pay-per-view show in Hollywood, Fla., fired a warning shot at the Derry Destroyer by blowing out Ramos Cruz in one round in the Dominican Republic last week to win the vacant WBC Latino Middleweight title. The 33-year-old improved to 12-0 (7 KOs).
“Someone’s ‘0’ has got to go,” Duddy handler Eddie McLoughlin quipped, comparing Cayetano’s unbeaten record to his charge’s 13-0 run.
“These are the guys John has to be facing. Cayetano is 12-0 and very credible. He’s been put to the test in two title shots and came out smelling like a rose,” McLoughlin, added.
The latter was a reference to the World Boxing Association’s 154-pound Fedecaribe crown that Cayetano won two years ago.
Duddy vs. Cayetano will be the first fight on the $19.95 broadcast from the Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena. Dubbed “Global Warfare,” the card will also include heavyweights Sam Peter vs. Robert Hawkins in the main event and Lance “Mount” Whitaker vs. Russian Sultan Ibragimov
For ticket information, call (305) 358-5885, (954) 523-3309 or (561) 966-3309.
DUNNE BOUT
Bernard Dunne is scheduled to fight on the Kingsley Ikeke vs. Arthur Abraham IBF world middleweight title match in Leipzig, Germany, this Saturday. The Dubliner’s opponent had not been named by press time.
Dunne’s last match was a second round KO of Yorkshireman Sean Hughes that earned him the obscure IBC super bantamweight trinket in Dublin last October.
Once based in Los Angeles, Dunne is 17-0 (10 KOs).
Never miss an issue of The Irish Echo
Subscribe to one of our great value packages.