Moore Focused on a Win

Irish Voice Sport

Moore Focused on a Win

March 12, 2008

By Declan O’Kelly

LIGHT middleweight James Moore (14-0,10 KOs) will headline “A Fistful of Shamrocks” in the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden this Saturday night, March 15.

The 30-year-old will step out of the shadows and take center stage as he headlines the St. Patrick’s Day weekend feature bout against Juan Carlos Candelo (27-9-4,18 KOs) at a catchweight of 156 pounds.

It is the biggest fight in the Arklow, Co. Wicklow native’s professional career so far, and a real test to his aspirations to challenge on the world stage.

At the press conference on Monday in Jack Demsey’s bar and restaurant in New York, Moore was in a confident mood ahead of the 10-round bout.

“I could have taken an easy fight, but this is a real tough fight for me. He is a world-class guy that I am fighting, but I have no fear and I am confident in my own ability,” said Moore. “Come Saturday night I really want to shine and show people what James Moore is really all about.”

The man trying to block Moore’s star is Candelo, who was not present at the press conference. He will represent the toughest challenge Moore has faced.

“He has a lot of experience and has fought a lot of rounds. In 40 fights, he has only been stopped once and that was in the last round,” Moore told the Irish Voice shortly after the fight was confirmed in early February.

The 34-year-old has 18 knockouts on his ledger and challenged Ronald “Winky” Wright for the IBF light middleweight title in 2003. Though he lost that one by unanimous decision, the Colombian has fought some of the 154-pound division’s best, going the distance with Alex Bunema in 2000 (losing a split decision) and losing by TKO to Kasim Ouma in the final round in early 2004. He also went the distance with Verno Philips in April 2006.

Though he has been in with world-class opposition, Candelo has only won once since July 2003, and that was in his last fight against journeyman Anthony Greely, a 7-22-2 fighter.

When leading boxing writer Thomas Hauser pointed this out at the press conference and asked Moore if this was the step up that was satisfying to him, or if he would like to go very soon to something much bigger, the Irishman’s reply was insightful.

“Everyone would like to go for the jugular straight away, but sometimes you have to take the right step at the right time and I think this is the right step at the right time. This guy is not going to go away, he has had 40 fights and has only got stopped once. I haven’t gone past six rounds,” replied Moore.

“This is the opportunity for people to see — do I merit the 10 knockouts going in against a world-class fighter? Is my punching power as good as it is? This Saturday we are going to find out the answers to the question of stamina over 10 rounds. Hopefully I’ll get a 10 round points decision, if the knockout comes it comes. But this guy has been in with the best.”

Moore’s answer to this tough but legitimate question was one of the most substantive and mature that he has given as a professional. On Saturday night we will find out the answers to these questions, but Moore’s more relaxed and confident demeanor in front of the media suggests a man with complete belief in himself.

Moore’s trainer Harry Keitt also sounded like he was feeling good about his fighter’s chances. “It’s been said that James won’t fight nobody with a heart beat but the guy he’s fighting now got five heart beats,” said Keitt.

“We hope to beat him (Candelo) Saturday. There are a lot of junior middleweight titles out there and we want to fight for one of them,” said the popular trainer.

“We have been training very hard for this fight. We have taken no shortcuts. James is in tremendous condition. Don’t miss it when James gets in that ring.”

The card will also feature unbeaten light middleweight New Jersey-based Polish-American Pawel Wolak (19-0), who will fight Dupre Strickland (18-2-1) in the co-feature.

Strickland’s last outing was in May, when he lost a unanimous decision to Derry native John Duddy. Wolak is also a top prospect, and he has often been touted as a possible opponent for Moore.

When asked when the two might meet in the ring the Irishman quipped, “Why don’t you let us win a world title each, and then we will fight for them in Madison Square Garden.”

Matchmaker Bruce Silverglade (also owner of Gleason’s Gym) was coaxed out of retirement to work with Celtic Gloves Promotions and was complimentary to the organization and to the two main fighters.

“This show has been easy. Everybody wants to box for these fellas, they are great promoters. They are not stingy and they want to make a good show,” said Silverglade.

“It was a real pleasure to work for the two main events. They said, ‘We don’t want an easy fight, give me tough fights.’ They want to step up, and they have good competition there.”

Also featuring on the 12-fight card is Oklahoma-based lightweight Oisin Fagan (20-5, 12 KOs) from Dublin. It will be the first professional fight in New York for the 34-year-old Dubliner.

In his last outing, Fagan lost a split decision to Verquan Kimbrough for the USBA Lightweight title in West Virginia on December 30. He was extremely upset after that tight decision loss, but Fagan’s experience should get him back to winning ways this weekend when he takes on Missouri’s Brian Carden (6-4, 5 KOs) in a four-round contest.

Philadelphia-based Galweigan Simon O’Donnell (middleweight, 5-1, 2 KOs) will fight Puerto Rico’s Roberto Irrizary (2-3) in a scheduled four rounder. It will be O’Donnell’s first fight on U.S. soil since his loss to Danny Rivera by TKO in round four last August. In the meantime he beat Anthony Young (4-3) in London on September 23.

London welterweight Steve O’Meara will make his professional debut on Saturday night against Julius Edmonds (1-0), and former Irish Ropes boxer Martin Wright (welterweight, 4-0-1) will fight Juan Carlos Sanchez (3-2-0).

Female junior middleweights Cristy “Code Red” Nickel, 7-5 (4 KOs) and Oliva Fonseca, 1-1-2 (1 KO) will fight in a four-round special feature.

Celtic Gloves Promotions co-owner Mike O’Sullivan had the last word at the conference. “We are two guys (referring to himself and brother Donal) who don’t know too much about boxing. Our business is construction. That’s why we surround ourselves with Bob and Colleen (from Premier Strategies and Communications PR) and Angie and Bruce (from Gleason’s Gym).

“We are committed to James and he is committed to us. I hope every one has a great time on Saturday night, so come on out.”

Tickets are available by calling Celtic Gloves Promotions at 917-559-8467, Gleason’s Gym at 718-797-2872 or through Ticketmaster.

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