Ireland’s John Duddy, now rated No. 6 by the WBO and No. 9 by the WBA, will return to action in the New Year following his thrilling September win over former world champion Luis Ramon “Yori Boy” Campas at Madison Square Garden.
Duddy, 18-0 (15), now fighting of out Queens (NY), said that his hellish cuts, sustained in the fight, are now healed and that he learned a great deal from that 12 round war.
“It’s hard to put into words what I learned in that fight against Campas,” Duddy said. “I think it will be reflected in my next fight. I took some great shot, overcame a few cuts, and showed my heart. I proved that, when my back is to the wall, my opponents still have to reckon with me. I never stopped believing I was going to win the fight.
“I’m glad ‘Yori Boy’ took the fight because he helped me. I took everything he gave me without complaining to the referee. I just started going back to the gym. We’ll go over what I did right and wrong and work to fix it. I need to keep improving.”
Duddy, 27, said he is looking forward to using the IBA ‘world title’ he holds as a tool for climbing the rankings.
“This title is a stepping stone for me,” he explained. “James Toney held the IBA title and the other title I had (WBC Continental Americas), Jermain Taylor once held. I’m on the right track and showing people I’ll find a way to get to the very top. I’m very lucky to have my fans. They keep coming to watch me fight and I love them. I’ll keep training 110-percent to be better. My cuts have healed and I hope to be fighting again in mid-January.”
