By Ted Sares: If world rated super middleweight Allan “Sweetness” Green, 24-1, 17 KO’s, beats three-time title challenger Sherwin Davis on October 19 and Ireland’s John Duddy, 20-0 with 16 KO’s, wins over Uruguay’s Noe Tulio Gonzalez Alcoba,18-5, 12 KO’s, I see a natural match up of the two. “Sweetness” returns for the first time since undergoing major abdominal surgery which may have contributed to his poor showing against Edison Miranda. He is coming off an impressive first round icing over tough Darrel Woods in July and looks to be fit and ready..
As for Duddy’s opponent, Alcoba, he is fresh from a strong showing against Felix Sturm for Sturm’s World Boxing Association middleweight title this summer. This was his only defeat. He comes to fight and will be no pushover for Duddy.
John Duddy is a work in progress and is improving with each outing. He has a solid right and is heavy handed. Along with a solid chin, he showed he had heart against experienced Yori Boy Campas and demonstrated focus and discipline against rugged Freddy Cuevas. His big minus remains a porous defense which, against Green, could prove fatal. But that coin has a flip side.
Green’s defense is not the best as well (as his fight with Donny McCrary and Miranda revealed), but his jack hammer left hook frequently makes that academic. He too has power in both hands though his chin is not as solid as the Irishman’s. Green’s 18-second blow out of Jaidon Codrington was one of the scariest KO’s of 2005.
Duddy can engage in rugged toe to toe fighting; Green is more of a stylist, though he was tested to a minor degree by the experienced Emmett Linton. Against Miranda, he was flat out dreadful.
The two have a common opponent in former “contender” Anthony Bonsante. Green stopped him while Duddy won a hard fought TD.
Given the past records of these two fighters, their level of opposition, and their respective strengths and weaknesses, I submit a Duddy-Green fight is compelling with many fan-pleasing aspects. If it happens and if Duddy gets by “Sweetness,” a fight with Pavlik, Calzaghe and/or Kessler becomes a real possibility. The same holds true for Green. And if Miranda can come back from his devastating defeat to Pavlik, he might be able get back into the mix.
I like the possibilities.