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The newest edition to Irish Ropes Promotions, Aloysius Kelly made his professional debut Thursday at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Kelly has been in the U.S. via his homeland of Ireland since September of last year, training with countrymen John Duddy and competing in New York ’s Golden Gloves in preparation for his professional debut.
Saddoboxing had the opportunity to speak with Kelly in an exclusive interview at an Irish Ropes press conference in New York City . The press conference announced their second card for 2007 with John Duddy headlining on May 18 at the Beacon Theatre, where Kelly will also be featured on the undercard.
Saddoboxing: How does it feel to be making your pro debut?
Aloysius Kelly: “It feels great; I have been training for the last six months. I was with John (Duddy) in Florida while he was training for his big fight. I was fighting in the Golden Gloves as well but I had to pull out after the first round. I was hoping to get one or two amateur fights in before this one, but it’s no big deal, I’m just looking forward to this fight. I was over here with Eddie (McLoughlin) seven or eight years ago training and I meant to come back and turn pro but I never came back, I just got fed up with boxing, it’s just great to be back.”
SB: What were some of the things that took you away from the sport?
AK: “I had family things and I had taken a hard look as well. The last time I was over here I was fighting in the Gloves. I fought in the first round of the Gloves and I stopped the guy in the second round. I was hoping to get a good draw so I would be able to go back to Ireland and fight in the Irish Nationals because it was trials for the Olympics. I didn’t get the draw so I had to pull out of the Gloves to go back home and fight for this trial for the Olympics. I won my first fight back home; I was actually the favorite to win. I was out training and broke my ankle so I had to pull out. So I just got fed up because nothing was going right for me at that time.”
SB: From what Eddie McLoughlin said during the press conference you were taken out of this year’s Golden Gloves due to a bad cut?
AK: “No, it wasn’t a bad cut it was a bloody nose. They couldn’t get my nose to stop bleeding at the end of the first round. It was only a matter of another round I’d say and it would have been over, because I had him. He was holding on, just the last punch of the first round he caught me at the nose and it just started pumping blood. They tried to stop it in the corner and the doctor said if you can’t stop the blood you can’t go out fighting. It was after getting an elbow to the nose two days before that fight while I was training, it started pumping that day as well so it never got a chance to heal up.”
SB: If you would have been in the Golden Gloves and got to the finals was your plan to go pro immediately after the Gloves?
AK: “Yes, we had a fight ready. I was just hoping to win the Gloves; I had got beaten in the finals a year ago. This was my third time to fight in them. I would have like to win it because I came so close twice. ”
SB: With your choice to go pro, you mention the Olympics previously was there any thought of perhaps maybe waiting and trying to get to the 2008 Olympics?
AK: “No, not at all. I came back out to America back in September, there was no way I would fight back home. It had to be here. The McLoughlin brothers are very good to me; I couldn’t be with better people to look after me. I go on trips with John (Duddy), that’s the best training you can get. It would never happen back home, if I was still in Ireland I wouldn’t be fighting. That’s the reason I came back was to come out fighting. I can’t believe it myself to be having my first pro fight. I didn’t think it would be this quick. I was always in shape, I hadn’t boxed for seven years, I used to smoke a lot, but I’m feeling good. I can run 10 miles really quick. (laughing)”
SB: Eddie (McLoughlin) commented about your running, you think that is your biggest asset, your speed?
AK: “Oh well… yeah it is. I run everyday, I would run twice a day but they don’t let me. But I love running, if I’m not running I’m not happy. I need to be running.”
SB: What do you think will be the biggest change from amateur to pro?
AK: “I don’t know because I’ve never fought pro and I don’t know what it’s like. I would be hoping that I would be stepping up to six rounders after my second or third fight because I don’t think four rounds suit me. I start a bit slow, it takes me one or two rounds to get warmed up, it was like that in the amateurs a lot for me so I am hoping to step up to six rounds pretty quickly.”
SB: What was your overall amateur record?
AK: “Well I reckon I had about 200 fights as an amateur. I had a fairly good record maybe an 85% record.”
SB: That’s great experience, I wish you the best of luck and I look forward to seeing you fight?
AK: “Thank you, it was a pleasure.”
