Kelly Pavlik and John Duddy in June at Madison Square Garden?
Think again.
With a proposed spring showdown against Pavlik, the WBC and WBO middleweight champion, under discussion by the two parties’ representatives, Ireland’s favorite son and Maspeth’s own barely survived against journeyman Walid Smichet Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. In doing so, Duddy’s shot against Pavlik is on hold.
Instead, he will be required to sit for a lengthy period to allow a grotesque laceration over his left eye, the result of several big shots he absorbed in the sub par showing, to properly heal.
In the co-feature of the Wladimir Klitschko-Sultan Ibragimov heavyweight unification bout, won by Klitschko, at the Garden, Duddy (24-0, 17 KOs) took a majority decision from Smichet, the well-traveled Tunisian heavy hitter.
Two of the judges scored it 98-92 in favor of Duddy but a third had it dead even at 95-all. The decision drew loud boos from the crowd. The six-point margin was not indicative of the action.
“I trained a lot better than I looked in the ring,” said Duddy, who returned to New York for the first time since a three-fight Irish tour. “I think I was rushing because I was back in New York.”
Duddy opened the fight at a frantic pace, but took a good amount of punishment. Smichet matched Duddy’s offensive output and tagged him repeatedly with flush left hooks and right crosses. Smichet opened a cut over Duddy’s left eye in the second round.
With blood pouring down the side of his face, Duddy fought the third round with a sense of urgency. He landed several hard shots on Smichet, who was pressed against the ropes. Nevertheless, by the end of the round, Smichet would connect with a series of hard right hands.
As the fight progressed, Smichet continued his fistic assault. He opened up another cut on Duddy’s face, this time above his right eye. Nevertheless, in typical Duddy fashion, he got better as the fight wore on. The slugfest slowed down, and Duddy controlled the fight with his jab, working off it.
Ultimately, his aggression persuaded two of the judges. Smichet, who fell to 17-4-3 with 13 KOs, voiced his displeasure afterward.
“I should have knocked him out in the first or in the second round,” he said. “Look at my face and look at his. Now you tell me who won?”
In other action “Mean” Joe Greene of South Jamaica retained his NABO/NABA middleweight title with a 10 round bludgeoning of veteran Francisco Mora.
Greene (18-0, 14 KOs), 22, was impressive throughout the contest. He dropped the tough Argentinean four times, twice in the second and twice in the fourth. The carnage came to a halt after the ringside physician deemed the outgunned Mora (52-13, 35 KOs) unfit to continue.
