Golden matchup at MSG
IT’S Timothy Dougherty's job to see all the angles. On Thursday, he'll need to see them to survive.
A promising matchup for some heavy hitters has been set for the 2012 Daily News Golden Gloves. That night, Dougherty (New Legend BC) and Joshua Ray Marte (Aaron Davis BC) will slug it out to determine who takes home the gilded 201-pound crown at Madison Square Garden.
Dougherty's run to the finals began at Flushing’s 7 Train Theater with a hard-fought 3-2 decision over Stylianos Kalamaras (K2 Boxing). Since then, the slugger has reeled off three more victories, including two impressive stoppages.
Born and bred in Fresh Meadows, Dougherty started his athletic career on the basketball court. Initially, the former forward got in the ring to help his footwork on the hardwood, but the sweet science eventually won him over.
“This past year, I realized that time is catching up on me,” the 25-year-old said. “I grew a passion for (boxing) over the years (and) I wanted to dive in and take a shot at it. And here I am.”
Dougherty works as a mechanical engineer in the Merchant Marines. Win or lose at MSG, the heavyweight is looking forward to a summer full of opportunities.
“After the Golden Gloves, I plan on working and going away for a while,” he said. “It could be anywhere: the Great Lakes in Michigan to the Middle East, Pakistan, Singapore, Egypt. It could be transfer vessel or a barge. My job is just to make sure that the ship runs correctly.”
Dougherty has done all he can to ensure that his time at the Garden’s Theater will be nothing but smooth sailing.
“I just need to go in there and give it my all,” he said. “(Marte) is a tough competitor (and) he’s going to step it up a notch, especially at the Garden.”
Marte, a Harlem grocer, won't be easy. After quietly collecting three straight decisions, the bruiser rolled in his semifinal at Empire City Casino with a 5-0 bashing of Louie Diaz (Gym X).
Now, he has to take on Dougherty.
“I’ve seen him fight (and) I kind of know what to expect from him,” Marte said. "But I don’t like to study too much (because) his coaches are going to be tightening up his mistakes. I'm expecting the highest level of Tim Dougherty that he can be.”