John Duddy – Tap Into Gatti Or Tap Out of Boxing

13 seconds left in the 10^th and final round. Medina tosses and lands a tired right hook on Duddy’s head, follows it up with a slapping left that guides Duddy towards the ropes.

‘Clap. Clap. Clap.’

10 seconds to go. Duddy’s back hits the ropes, he grins, and he let’s fly a left right combination. They both start trading heavily thumping and slamming blows. It’s that moment in a fight when violence takes on that caffeine effect and everything seems to speed up and somehow becomes lucidly clear and exhilarating.

‘Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding’

Referee Robert Chapa jumps in between the two men and John Duddy beams a big smile.

“Ya, that’s the happiest I’ve seen Duddy in the last, you know, week. And I don’t think it was because the fight was over. I think it’s ‘cause he was involved in the kind of exchange that reminded him of what he really likes to do” –Max Kellerman (HBO Commentator - directly after the fight)

March 13^th, 2010 – at Cowboy Stadium in Texas – “Ireland’s” John Duddy (W 29 - KO 18 and L1) took on Michael “Murder Man” Medina (W 23 - KO 18, L 2 and D 2) and opened up the show for Pacquiao v Clottey.

The bout itself was fairly uninspired and dull. There were a few moments of excitement, but for the most part it was stagnantly proficient and tediously professional. The fight just lacked passion. John won a split decision. Judges Michael Mitchell and Charles Phillips had it 96-93 for Duddy and Judge Arturo Velasquez had it 96-93 for Michael.

Here’s the thing – what’s happening to John Duddy?

Certain fighters fight happy – specifically, the brawlers fight with a sense of happiness or joy in what they do. They fight with a certain zest for it. There’s a passion and satisfaction that flows out of them when they scrap. They are not meant to “box”, but are meant to brawl. Fighters like Roberto Duran, Vinny Pazienza, Erik Morales, Johnny Tapia, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Jorge Arce, and of course Arturo “Thunder” Gatti.

John Duddy was at his best when he scrapped, and he seems to have lost something in recent fights, and that was very apparent on March 13^th, 2010.

“There used to be a fire in him [Duddy], but it’s not there anymore.” -Emanuel Steward (HBO Commentator - during the fight)

John needs to get that back. He needs to find a balance between fighting smart, so as not to just take a beating and get cut to ribbons - AND fight with the love of fighting again.

Duddy needs to tap into the spirit of “Thunder” Gatti or just tap out of sport because no one wants to see him become a boring fighter and merely be a test/gatekeeper for the up and coming next generation of Middleweights (160 lbs).

Here’s how he can reach back and reach forward at the same time. Fight smart, safe, and throw caution to the wind all at the same time.

First – new trainer.

The mantra in his corner at the end of the bout was “fight smart, not brave” and that’s just wrong. Duddy’s at a crucial career point where he needs to fight smart AND fight brave.

Two people can help with this. There are two men out there that can help John fight smart AND fight brave, and these two men can help Duddy tap into Gatti.

Buddy McGirt and Micky Ward.

It’s a difficult, yet simple thing that Duddy needs to do. He needs to become a better boxer and needs to embrace and let loose with the brawling beast.

If you think about where Arturo Gatti left off at the end of his career – trying to be more of a technician, more of a boxer, but he just couldn’t keep that berzerker scrapper too long at bay.

Duddy, in his current campaign, is trying to do what Gatti was doing, and truth be told, doing that part of it better than Gatti did, but for John, he has kept his brawler too much at bay.

McGirt can help him with the boxing side, building better skills, work out a much better defense - and Ward can help him connect with the inner body smashing, rib breaking, liver pulverizing brawler that needs to come back.

Duddy needs both men in his corner right now, he needs to connect with the Gatti fighting spirit, needs to listen to AC/DC’s “Thunder Struck” over and over and over again - and he needs to have fun in the ring again.

John Duddy is happiest when he’s trading blow for blow. If you’re able to, why not do what makes you happy?