Going back to his fistic roots, actor John Duddy has taken undefeated featherweight prospect “Fearless” Feargal McCrory under his wing as the Tyrone transplant resumes his career States-side.
McCrory, a former Irish lightweight champion with an 11-0 [5 KO] record, has not fought since May 2019. He becomes the first fighter Duddy has trained.
The “Derry Destroyer” previously coached fellow thespian Robert De Niro for the 2013 comedy/drama “Grudge Match,” in which De Niro squared off with Sylvester Stallone. Duddy also works with recreational and white-collar boxers.
Star of the latest Colin Broderick movie, “A Bend in the River,” that can be seen on Amazon Prime, Duddy told the Echo that McCrory had reached out to him first. “Feargal came to visit me in Derry and we talked,” he said.
The talks went well and the duo shook hands. McCrory, a 27-year-old southpaw, arrived in New York three and a half weeks ago. He’s been training with Duddy, a Queens resident, six days a week at Trinity boxing club in lower Manhattan.
“I just want to give him the best opportunity that he can get,” said Duddy, a youthful looking 42 who retired 12 years ago with an impressive 29-2 [18 KO] record.
“[McCrory] is not here to mess around. He’s here to box,” Duddy added. “He’s 27, got a wife and two kids.”
The new trainer lauded McCroy’s pedigree. A boxer from age six, McCroy also played Gaelic football until adolescence when he committed to boxing entirely.
He was a four-division Irish national amateur champion with titles in the bantamweight, super bantamweight, featherweight and light welterweight divisions. McCrory represented Ireland internationally, fighting in tournaments in Ukraine, Germany and Greece among other nations.
He made his pro debut in Nov. 2015, stopping Hungarian Zsolt Schmidt in the first round at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall. Nine of McCory’s next 10 fights would be in Belfast and one in Tallaght.
Fight number 12 was supposed to be on the undercard of Michael Conlan’s then annual St. Patrick’s Day appearance at New York’s Madison Square Garden. McCrory had spent 11 weeks training in Brooklyn under Andre Rozier.
But it was March 2020 and a pandemic – unprecedented in a century – was sweeping around the globe. COVID-19 scuttled McCrory’s U.S. debut and almost his career.
“At the start of the pandemic, I was training for six or seven months and getting offers – but they would fall through,” he said.
Eventually, he lost heart and focused on his job as a grounds man. “At one time it was in doubt that I’d fight again, but the hunger and desire was there.
“I reached out to John on Facebook and asked if he’d be interested in working with me.”
Then followed their meeting in Derry – while Duddy was visiting his hometown -- and the hand shake.
“John’s a fantastic trainer and we’re working hard,” McCrory lauded the former world title contender.
In his ring days, Duddy was a wildly popular figure for his all-action fighting style and power.
His new charge touts that as his forte. “I am very aggressive. I come forward and fight inside,” said McCrory. “I like to sit in the pocket. I like to bring excitement and it will be exciting.”
The southpaw rates his right uppercut to the body as his best punch, and at 5-foot-7 inches points to his strength as another plus. There was confirmation of the latter when McCrory moved up to lightweight, in his second last fight in Feb. 2019, to TKO Karl Kelly in the ninth stanza for the Irish title.
And fans States-side may not have long to wait before seeing McCrory in action. There’s a possibility that he could appear on a March 25 show in Florida, and negotiations are underway for him to fight on the epic Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano undisputed world lightweight contest at MSG on April 30.
“I’m the same as any Irishman that’s been here,” said McCrory. “I’m going to work hard and will eagerly take the opportunities.”
