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Rivera Challenger Damgaard No Danish
Pastry “Irish” Micky Ward Provides First-Hand Insight on Rivera,
DamgaardWORCESTER, Mass.
(March 15, 2005) – According to no less an authority on ring toughness
than “Irish” Micky Ward himself, No. 1 contender Thomas Damgaard (34-0,l
26 KOs) more than lives up to his nickname, “Lionheart,” and he poses a
serious threat April 2 in his first fight outside of his native Denmark.
“Damgaard’s tough, real tough,” Ward remembered. “He’s a good fighter
who comes forward and throws combinations. He’s not a one-punch knockout
guy, but his accumulated punches take a toll. Damgaard is very strong.”
The No. 1 rated contender Damgaard challenges WBA “regular” welterweight
champion Jose Antonio Rivera (37-3-1, 24 KOs) in the latter’s hometown
of Worcester in the 12-round co-feature promoted by Don King
Productions. The WBC/WBA Cruiserweight Championship Unification match
between Wayne “Big Truck” Braithwaite (21-0, 17 KOs) and Jean-Marc
Mormeck (30-2, 21 KOs) is the headliner.
In 1999, long before Ward’s legendary trio of fights with Arturo
“Thunder” Gatti, Damgaard brought Micky to Copenhagen as a sparring
partner before his European light welterweight title fight against
Khalid Rahilou. “Most European fighters stand straight up and don’t look
that strong,” continued Ward. “Damgaard, though, doesn’t stand as tall
and is very strong. He has a good style, strong upper body, and more
movement—not as stiff as your basic European fighter.”
Ward offers a unique perspective on Rivera-Damgaard because he’s also
sparred with Rivera numerous times, and they are friends. Micky’s
hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts, is only 40 miles northwest of
Worcester.
“I’ve been to Jose’s gym for sparring a lot of times,” Ward noted. “He’s
the real deal, more of a boxer type, but he can hurt you if you go to
sleep on him. He really puts his punches together and knows boxing. Jose
has a lot of ring knowledge—the ins and outs of boxing—and he’s going to
have to be smart against Damgaard. This guy is dangerous and Jose can’t
get too excited fighting at home, especially in the early going. It’s
going to be a great fight.”
Tickets, priced at $35, $50, $100 and $250, are on sale at the DCU
Center Box Office, all area Ticketmaster locations, online at
ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at (617) 931-2000 or (617)
228-6000. All tickets are subject to a $.50 facility fee. |
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