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Moore, others prep for action

February 17, 2011

By Staff Reporter

While his Derry mate would quit the sport before returning as a professional States-side, Moore, the older and more experienced of the two, would fight on for three more years after the world championships, logging over 300 amateur bouts in all.
This Thursday, Moore joins the undefeated Duddy in the paid ranks when he meets fellow debutante Gabrial Garcia in a four-round light middleweight bout on a Lou DiBella-Damon Dash show at the Manhattan Center (34th Street and Eighth Ave.). The first match is scheduled for 7 p.m.
On the same night at the Borgata Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, Irish middleweight titlist Matt Macklin makes his maiden U.S. ring appearance against Leo Laudat in a scheduled six-rounder. The contest will be on the undercard of an Oscar de la Hoya promotion to be broadcast live on HBO Latino.
“I’m ready as can be,” Moore, a 4th round KO winner over a super middleweight in his last amateur fight last November, said during a workout at Gleason’s Gym last Friday.
“He’s been ready (from) a long time ago,” trainer Harry Keitt chimed in.
Moore has spent the better part of 2005 in New York preparing for his debut. He shared his philosophy on tackling unknowns like the Ecuadorian Garcia: “Expect everything and you won’t be surprised.”
“We heard that he’s from Ecuador. We don’t know how many great fighters Ecuador has, but we’ll find out on August 4,” said Keitt.
“I’m not too worried about the guy he’s fighting because James has got a lot of (amateur) experience and fought different types of guys — Cubans, Russians and others.”
The Irish Ropes taskmaster who’s nurtured Duddy into a knockout sensation spoke highly of his latest Celtic charge.
“He can punch and I like his relentlessly,” noted Keitt, who’s matched Moore against Duddy and Paulie Malignaggi, the WBC International junior welterweight titlist, in sparring sessions. “I like what he does. He puts a lot of pressure on guys.”
Moore’s best punch, by his estimation, is the straight right. He also throws a mean right uppercut and right hook.
On his left hand, the Arklow native said: “it’s my range finder.”
Eddie McLoughlin, the brains behind the growing Irish Ropes stable that he launched in Far Rockaway, Queens, last year with his brothers Tony and Martin, said they were happy to have the former amateur standout on board.
The McLoughlins have high hopes for Moore.
“Harry (Keitt) says he’s as good as a pro who’s 10-0 with all his amateur experience,” Eddie said. “He’s a fast learner and anxious to learn.”

MATT QUEST
Macklin (13-1, 9 KOs) may have John Duddy in his long-term sights, but his first order of business is to win over the American boxing public. His mission begins against Laudat (7-8, 7 KOs), a heavy-handed albeit glass-jawed 154-pounder.
“I feel sharp, I feel ready to fight,” Macklin, who’s 23, said from his new Philadelphia base last Saturday. “I’m in good shape and trained hard.”
In Laudat, remembered for scoring a flash knockdown against Duddy in the middleweight sensation’s third pro fight, Macklin faces a cagey six-footer who will have a two-inch height advantage over him.
The 27 year-old Tennessee-born journeyman is coming off a 3rd round TKO loss to Joe Greene, his second defeat since Duddy iced him in one stanza in November 2003.

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