Quotes from John Duddy Luncheon on Thursday at Gallagher’s Steakhouse in Manhattan

TRAINER HARRY KEIT

Keit returns after training Duddy from January 9, 2004 (4th professional fight) thru May 18, 2007. Duddy will fight Island Warriors: Latin Fury 12” card on Saturday, October 10, at the WaMu Theater in the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden.

I noticed that he was real tight, he was fighting like he was in a straight-jacket.  He wasn’t snapping his punches like I knew before h e left.  Right now we’re making John Duddy work and every time he spars he is looking better.  He’s moving his head and snapping his punches – looking like the old John Duddy.

I told him he had to relax and stop feeling like he had to fight for his people.  If you can’t accept a loss, you cannot win.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. doesn’t even exist right now – that is just a name floating around.  We don’t want to make (Michi) Munoz a Buster Douglas.  Everybody wants to be a Buster Douglas.

If people out there think John Duddy is done…let them not rain.  John was like an old building when he came to me.  When you get an old building you need to bring it back, refurbish it.  John Duddy needed some restructuring.  It couldn’t have been that bad because he was still winning.

JOHN DUDDY

I had a very big year but unfortunately I got slapped around in the ring a little bit.  But I got married to my girlfriend of ten years.  I didn’t have much of a honeymoon because work came calling pretty fast to get ready for October 10.

By no means am I through – I’m 30 years old but there are many miles left in this engine.

I had a great relationship with Pat (Burns) but I felt like a visitor traveling around when I went to different cities to train.  I wanted to stay and settle in New York.  I want to thank him for the knowledge he gave me.  Harry works me hard which is what I like and what I am used to.

I have proved that I can be a better boxer with both hands.  When I’m in the ring I have to make a decision on when to box and when to fight and I think I’ve learned that.  I like to throw and left hook and put on a good show.  I have to focus on what I’m good at. The focus is to train and be the best I can be.

Whether I fight in the US and back home in Ireland, I will go where it takes me to become world champion.

But there is no place better to do it than at MadisonSquare Garden in New York.