[caption id="attachment_67506" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Sean Monaghan."]
Opting to slug it out with his bigger opponent, Seanie Monaghan scored a fifth round TKO over Anthony Pietrantonio in an exciting match at Madison Square Garden last Saturday.
Referee Eddie Claudio stopped the scheduled six-rounder at 2:51 with Monaghan pummeling Pietrantonio on the ropes. There were no knockdowns as the popular Long Island light heavyweight improved his ledger to 10-0 [7 KOs].
Monaghan finished with a bang after a slow start during which he took some heavy shots in the opening stanza. That served to wake him up, he later admitted.
In the second round, Monaghan, came out swinging and began the process of breaking down Pietrantonio with vicious hooks to the head and body.
Pietrantonio's activity level went down as the home favorite, roared on by some 500 traveling Long Islanders in the packed WaMu Theater, stepped up his attack.
"I didn't feel great and got off to a slow start. But once I found my rhythm, I started catching him," Monaghan said.
Pietrantonio was rocked by a big right hook in the third round but survived the ensuing barrage from Monaghan. He took a left hook flush on the jaw in the fourth and was at that point offering little in return.
By the fifth, the Ohioan was clearly running on fumes. He offered nary a protest when the referee decided to save him from further punishment during another Monaghan assault.
Pietrantonio's record dropped to 7-8, [6 KOs].
"He was a big, strong guy who took a good punch," Monaghan commended his foe. "But I just kept coming at him and felt better in the fifth [round] than in the first."
Monaghan, whose parents hail from County Meath, was overjoyed by the support of his fellow Long Islanders in the crowd.
"We sold 500 tickets and it could have been more but they [the promoters] didn't have anymore," he noted.
Monaghan was making his first appearance at the Garden as a pro and could return there Dec. 3 on the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito undercard.
Duddy returns to stage
Retired prizefighter John Duddy is reprising his role as "Kid Shamrock" in the critically acclaimed one-act play of the same title that returns for a third run, Nov. 25 - Dec. 4, at the TADA Theater in Manhattan.
Duddy, a world ranked middleweight before he hung up the gloves in January this year, will be joined by an outstanding cast including Vinny Vella of "The Sopranos" and "Casino" fame. Seamus McDonagh, another former Irish fighter, top referee Wayne Kelly and Nick Roman also return to the cast.
"Kid Shamrock" was scripted by boxing writer Bobby Cassidy Jr. and is based on his namesake father's illustrious life and career as a world title contender at middleweight and light heavyweight.
"It's the second time I'm involved with it and I'm very excited about it," said Duddy, who made his theatrical debut during the play's second run early this year.
He's looking forward to working with new director Michael Bentt, another ex-fighter turned thespian. The one-time WBO heavyweight champion portrayed Sonny Liston opposite Will Smith in "Ali" and also starred in "Public Enemies" opposite Johnny Depp.
Said executive producer David Schuster: "These fighters have shown a tremendous amount of heart inside the ring. Guess what? They display the same heart and courage on the stage. The fighters, the actors, they lay it on the line every night."
There'll be two matinee shows of "Kid Shamrock," on Nov. 27 and Dec. 4, both at 3 p.m. All other shows will be at 8 p.m. Call 1 (800) 838.3006 for ticket information. The TADA Theater is located on 28th St. in Manhattan.
