John Duddy: “March 16th is going to be a tremendous night for the fans!”
 INTERVIEW By Benny Henderson Jr (Feb 26, 2007) Doghouse Boxing
Coming up March 16th at the famed Madison Square Garden and live on pay-per-view, undefeated middleweight contender John Duddy 18-0 (15) tries to continue his winning ways when he faces off against the former Contender contestant Anthony Bonsante 29-8-3 (17) in a scheduled twelve round middleweight match-up.
In what has been billed as the ‘Erin Go Brawl’, Northern Ireland’s Duddy will be defending his IBA middleweight strap as well as battle for the vacant WBC Continental Americas middleweight title against the always gusty Anthony Bonsante, who is best known for his stint on the reality boxing series The Contender.
Since making his professional debut the fall of 2003 the hard-hitting Irishman has kept his record intact with some
impressive performances that have kept the fans coming back for more.
Although the twenty-seven year old boxer is best described as a straight out slugger, especially since fifteen of his opponents were stopped via knockout including nine in the opening round, he is adapting with each battle and evolving from a puncher to a boxer, but his style remains explosive and entertaining.
Duddy is coming off the biggest win of his career gaining a hard fought W over the ninety-six fight veteran Luis ‘Yory Boy’ Campas this past September, and now pitted against the always forward coming Bonsante, we are in for a slugfest for sure.
In this exclusive interview Duddy conducted with the Doghouse, the middleweight contender speaks on his upcoming throw down against Bonsante as well as taking a look at his progress thus far in his career, enjoy.
Benny Henderson Jr.: Hey man, first off I just want to say thanks for once again taking the time out to speak to Doghouse Boxing, always a pleasure. When we first spoke way back when you were just a prospect beginning to make a name for yourself, now here you are a full fledged contender. How would you define your journey this far?
John Duddy: It has been very enjoyable, it has been a lot more successful than what a lot of people thought it would be. But it all begins with a team and we have good people at Irish Ropes and my coaches, we all know our job and they know the bigger picture so to speak. We have grown stronger and stronger as times rolls on and the fights keep coming.
BH: I didn’t see it for myself but I caught wind that your bout against Campas was a hellacious scrap, give us your thoughts on that fight and what did that win over such a experienced veteran means to you and your career?
JD: I supposed the next time I am in the ring you will know that it has done for my career, but I think on a personal note mentally and physically I found out things about me that I never knew I had. I finally answered the question to myself that I really want to be a boxer. I do want to compete at that level and it also explained a lot of thing to myself and what I need to work on, I have the right team around me to help me work on that stuff. I just think when it all came out it was all pluses and that there is a future here and we are on the right track and I am looking forward to getting out against Bonsante and showing everybody what I learned in that fight against Campos.
BH: You are fighting Anthony Bonsante March 16th, the day before St. Patrick’s Day, give us your thoughts on this bout?
JD: I think it is going to be a good fight, I have a lot of respect for the man in the ring and out side of the ring, the man has been looking out for his kids on his own for a few years and I have to take my hat off to him for being a full fledged father holding down a job and also trying to carry a professional boxing career along with it. The man defines the true meaning of the word hungry, and I think he is coming into this fight and plans on beating me to better his children’s future. He is a gutsy fighter, he comes 100% ready and I am looking forward to going on and trying to prove that I have learned from the mistakes in the past in the ring.
BH: You were ringside to see Bonsate-Vanda, what were your thoughts on that match-up and what did you take from that fight that you could use for your bout against Bonsante?
JD: He seemed to be a very patient fighter, when he went against Vanda I thought that he took his time. I think that he has more experience than me and a lot of hunger and desire to try to win and with his style and my style I think it is going to be a very exciting fight, with the added atmosphere at Madison Square Garden I think it is going to be a tremendous night.
BH: How has it been training in Florida?
JD: It has been great, the temperature has been lovely, it hasn’t been to warm and it is nowhere near freezing like in New York. (Laughs) We have been running on the beach and I have done plenty rounds of sparring and everything is going great. I am learning something new everyday.
BH: How do you see this fight playing out again Bonsante?
JD: I’m going to win, that is the only thing I can say. I am going into this to show a more professional John Duddy instead of an amateurish fighter. I plan on using my jab more and boxing a bit more instead of trying to just go out there and knock guys out as I did in my early fights. I want to go on and use my boxing more against Bonsante and try to take him out, using my jab and as the rounds go on hopefully knock him out.
BH: If you could send out a message out to Anthony before the fight what would it be?
JD: I wish him luck for the fight, and I am sure he is the same, he is a gentleman, he speaks very well and there is no can of bullsh*t about him at all. He wants to go out there and do his job and I am the same. I think the two of us have great hearts and we are going to come out slugging and put on a great show for the crowd.
BH: Anything in closing?
JD: I would like to thank all the fans that have supported me, and I am going to be working damn hard to keep learning and putting on a great show for them. Also this show is going to be on pay-per-view for $24.95 so if you can’t get to the fight then be sure to get that.
I would like to thank Bob Trieger once against for setting up another interview, and thanks goes out to Duddy for his time and thoughts.
|
|
|
|
© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2007
|
