Good Luck to Ossie Duran

Familiar to British fight fans, most notably for a 3 round victory over Jamie Moore – who was forced to retire with a hip injury – Ossie Duran seeks to establish himself as a ‘face’ on the American circuit this evening when he tackles unbeaten prospect James Kirkland on ShoBOX: The Next Generation.

Duran has relocated to the States and the Kirkland fight will be his fourth since ending his six year residency in British rings, a period in which he beat good pro’s Geoff McCreesh, Colin McNeil and Glen McLarnon and returned to Ghana to beat Joshua Okine. In his most recent bout he beat Contender Series 1 participant Jonathan Reid, though the kudos associated with that victory is diminished by Reid’s increasingly poor form and opponent mentality.

If Duran pulls the upset, and Kirkland’s press conference references to only being 80% fit for the contest suggest it isn’t impossible he could find himslef elevated into world-class competition. Not bad for a guy outboxed by Bradley Pryce in his last appearance in a British ring.