John Francis Duddy is a Derry man making serious waves in New York. He’s already won over the Irish American fight fans after some sceptical early responses. Next on the list is the Puerto Ricans. And his trainer has some unconventional methods:
Duddy is likeable, gracious and charming. He has a thick Irish brogue, matinee-idol good looks and a sense of humour. ‘My trainer, Harry Keitt, has some different training methods,’ he noted recently. ‘One of the things we do is hit a lorry tyre with a sledgehammer for 20 minutes at the end of each training session. Boxers like Jack Dempsey and Muhammad Ali used to chop wood in their training camps. But if you start cutting down trees in New York City, they’re going to put you in jail.’
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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