Moore to return next month

22 July 2008 – By Mark Doyle

Irish light-middleweight prospect James Moore will be hoping to prove that the first defeat of his career was nothing more than an one-off aberration when he returns to the ring in New York next month.

The Wicklow native dropped a controversial points decision to Gabriel Rosado on June 4 but Moore insists that he is over the shock loss and intends to prove as much in his August 6 showdown with Lloyd Christan Joseph at the B.B. King Blues club in Times Square.

“We’ve had some real ding-dongs in the gym of late,” Moore stated during a press conference in Manhattan.

“Everything is back to normal. I’m feeling really good and I can’t wait to get back on the winning track.”

On Joseph, Moore commented: “He is a tough and durable opponent, which is exactly what I need right now.”

Promoter Lou DiBella believes that Moore will attract plenty of fans to the card.

“It’s hard not to love the way James fights,” he enthused. “His loss to Rosado was just a bump in the road and I admire the fact that he took a comeback fight against Joseph, who is not a pitty-pat opponent.

“But James is very exciting to watch. I love his body punching and his attitude.”

Speculation is rife that if Moore gets his career back on track with a win over Joseph, he will be rewarded with a spot on the undercard of the Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. light-heavyweight show later in the year.