Duddy to return next month

17 May 2008 – by Mark Doyle

John Duddy will make his eagerly-anticipated return to the ring at the Castle Plaza in Boston on June 28.

Duddy had been hoping to fight undisputed middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik next month but that deal collapsed after the Derry native sustained horrendous cuts in his laboured points win over Walid Smichet in March.

However, despite the setback, Duddys manager and promoter, Eddie McLoughlin, is confident that a title shot is still within his fighters grasp.

Our target is the middleweight title and nothing has changed except the timeframe, he is quoted as saying by the Irish Daily Mirror.

The Smichet bout put everything on hold but John will get that out of his system next month and then its full steam ahead.

The bout in Boston will be Duddys first with his new trainer, Pat Burns.