Boxing News: John Duddy’s Home Sweet Homecoming

NEW YORK (November 2, 2005) – On November 4, 2005, at the Hammerstein Ballroom on West 34^th Street in New York City, middleweight knockout sensation John Duddy (12-0, 11 KOs) headlines “The Homecoming,” a fight card presented by promoter Cedric Kushner. Duddy’s opponent Friday night will be Byron Mackie (25-11, 4 KOs), who has won his last 13 fights, in a battle between Ireland’s and Canada’s finest bruisers.

John Francis Duddy made his mark on these shores almost as soon as he arrived from the Emerald Isle. With 11 KOs in 12 fights, his “if you blinked you missed it” style of fighting, a pugilistic blitzkrieg of bad intentions, has won the young Derry native legions of fans whenever and wherever he has fought. That combined with his disarming modesty, cloaked in a thick Irish brogue, has made the Irish prospect very much in demand.

According to Cedric Kushner, “John Duddy is one of the most popular fighters to hit the American shores from another continent in many a year. He brings a thrill a minute to his many followers. This is sure to be a very exciting night of boxing at the Hammerstein.”

In the co-main event, Armando Guerrero (40-4-6, 11 KOs) will put his IBO junior featherweight title on the line against Taklani Ndluvo (23-3, 15 KOs).

Also on the show, up-and-coming Richard Gutierrez (16-0, 10 KOs), in the very capable hands of legendary Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Duran, squares off against Edson Aguirre (11-3-1, 2 KOs) in a welterweight 8-rounder.

Duddy’s countryman, junior middleweight James Moore (3-0, 2 KOs), faces Manjie Conte (5-5-, 3 KOs) in a 6-round tilt. And rounding out the card, New York’s own Jorge Teron (7-0, 5 KOs) gets it on with Oscar de la Cruz (3-2, 2 KOs).

The bouts will be fought under the auspices of the Joint Association for Boxers, aka J.A.B., a boxers’ union headed by former light heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. J.A.B is affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. General President of the Teamsters, James P. Hoffa, is expected to attend.

Tickets for “The Homecoming” are priced from $40 to $200 and are available by calling TicketMaster at 212.307.7171 or by telephoning Cedric Kushner at 212.755.1944.