Duddy shows warrior side; Greene impresses

John &#8220Irish” Duddy is revered in New York City's Irish community because of his brawling style and strong brogue. It's often tough to make sense of what the County Derry native says. It's been even harder to realize how good Duddy is, not having fought anyone of much merit in his three-year professional career.
After his latest win, a gritty and possibly career-defining unanimous decision over Luis Ramon &#8220Yory Boy” Campas to earn the vacant IBA World Middleweight Championship in the main event of the &#8220Shamrocks and Sombreros” card at The Theater at Madison Square Garden Friday night, there were no such questions.
Fighting through adversity - he was severely cut below and above his right eye and above his left eye in the early rounds, causing blood to stream down his cheeks - Duddy (18-0, 15 KOs) managed to will himself to victory, somehow hanging on in the 12th and final round as Campas flailed away.
Starting slow and then barely finishing, Duddy, 27, controlled the middle-to-end of the bloody bout, finding his rhythm in the fifth, and nearly taking out Campas in the 10th and 11th with an array of his typical power punches and a new and improved left jab. &#8220I hit him with everything, but he wouldn't go down,” Duddy said. &#8220I really had my hands full because of his experience, but I never felt I was in trouble. I always felt I had enough left to get through the fight.”
Many at ringside - fans, writers and historians - called it a candidate for fight of the year. Coming out strong in the opening round by working the body and establishing his jab, Duddy was stunned by a powerful left hook, opening a cut over his right eye. In the fourth, Campas, landing punches in close quarters, opened a cut above Duddy's left eye. But the Irishman began to rally in the fifth, then, spurred on by the capacity crowd, took control as the evening progressed until that final round.
&#8220John came over here a determined person,” Harvey Keitt, his trainer, said. &#8220People think they are going to walk through John. Looks are deceiving. He's Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti all in one. It was like a see-saw. Yory Boy Campas was bringing - I mean he was bringing it, bringing it, and John showed me how much heart, will and desire he has, how bad he wants to be a champion. He never lost his cool, he never lost his composure. I was never worried.”
In the 35-year-old Campas (88-9, 72 KOs), with nearly 100 fights and 20 years of professional experience, Duddy had his stiffest test by far. The Navajoa, Mexico native, has lost to world champions Fernando Vargas, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, and Daniel Santos. Although Duddy will now miss the undercard of next month's Wladimir Klitschko-Calvin Brock card at Madison Square Garden because of the beating, it was obviously a fruitful evening.

&#8220Mean” Joe Greene was not the top attraction on the night, but the Jamaica native had the most entertaining locker room before his fight, that is for sure. As Greene, the super middleweight, prepared for his fight, 50 Cent, the world-famous hip-hop artist, paid Greene a visit. &#8220We're from the same neighborhood,” Greene said. &#8220He came to pay homage.”
Greene certainly did not let the G-Unit rapper down, dispatching of Dominican Luis Hodge (5-2) in a dominating six-round performance. Measuring Hodge with his electrifying left hand and a surprisingly powerful right, Greene floored him in the first, then chopped his opponent down by going to the body to improve to 12-0 with 9 KOs, as the fight was stopped at 1:27 of the sixth. &#8220I got power in both hands. If this one stops you, or this one stops you,” he said, pointing to each glove, &#8220something is going to stop you along the way.”