February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
The Arklow man aggravated a rib injury suffered in training when he missed a punch early in the third stanza. But he fought through the pain and landed a double right to the temple that leveled Conteh who was counted out at 2:34 minutes of the round.
“I hurt my ribs in training and felt it go when I missed a left hook at the start of the third round,” Moore, grimacing in pain, said in his locker room after upping his ledger to (4-0, 3 KOs).
“I knew I’d catch him when he made a mistake. I caught him with two rights. It felt great.”
A veteran of over 300 amateur fights, Moore’s gradual transition to prizefighter was most evident in this scheduled six-rounder. He was much calmer, composed and compact, and threw a persistent and steady jab while outboxing Conteh.
He scored a knock down in the last 20 seconds of the second round and on trainer Harry Keitt’s instructions added the uppercut to his repertoire, which was instrumental in setting up the stoppage in the next round.
After Moore’s final connect, Conteh spat out blood as he floundered on the canvas while trying to get up.
It was a highly impressive showing by the 27 year-old, made even more remarkable by his rib injury. A doctor diagnosed it as cartilage-related and ordered Moore to rest for four weeks, effectively sidelining him for the rest of the year.
Asked if he’d ever considered pulling out of the fight because of his bad ribs, which he hurt sparring first with light heavyweight Yasin Rashid and then John Duddy, Moore riposted: “Never. The only way I’d have pulled out is if they’d carried me out on a stretcher.”
Keitt said Moore had stopped sparring two weeks before the fight because of the injury.
“James did a hell of a job. He kept his hands up, his jab was stead and stiff; it was just a wonderful thing,” the trainer added.
“As long as he keeps doing what he’s doing, keeps working hard and keeps humble, the sky is the limit. He has the potential to become champion.”
Moore’s boxing trainer dad was impressed by his son’s performance.
“I thought his defense was good. Everything is going good,” noted Jim Moore, who flew in straight from Liverpool where he’d led the Irish side to the World Cadet (Under-17) Championships.
SHAMROCK EXPRESS
Ending all speculation of a John Duddy-Matt Macklin fight in the foreseeable future, Duddy handler Eddie McLoughlin announced an accord with Macklin and his Philadelphia-based manager Tom Moran.
McLoughlin said he’d work with Moran to jointly advance the ring careers of the two middleweights and Moore under the moniker the “Shamrock Express.”
“The Irish have been fighting for thousands of years and now that we’ve got two great fighters we’re going to work together for the good of Irish boxing,” said the Irish Ropes boss.
“(Macklin) is a fine boxer and a gentleman, to boot. We’ll call them the ‘Shamrock Express’ Matt, John and James. I’d love to have Matt on my show on March 16 (2006) the day before St. Patrick’s Day,” McLoughlin said.
Said Moran: “We’re working together. We’re family. It’s great to be Irish.”
IRISH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SQUAD
A five-man Irish squad has camped in the Philippines ahead of the World Amateur Boxing Championships that start in China next Monday (Nov. 14).
The team comprises 112-pounder Conor Ahearn of Baldonell Boxing Club; Eric Donovan (119 lbs) and Roy Sheehan (152 lbs) both of St. Michael’s Athy; 165-pounder Darren Sunderland (St. Saviour’s), and light heavyweight Kenneth Egan (Neilstown). Billy Walsh and Zaur Antar are the coaches.
William Rosinsky, the Queens amateur and great grandson of a Co. Clare immigrant who defeated Limerick’s Don O’Regan in the final of the New York Golden Gloves light heavyweight final last April, is in the 10-man United States that left for China last Friday.
Rosinsky is the U.S. national champion.