Duddy’s next move unclear
17 April 2008 – by Mark Doyle
John Duddy’s future plans remain unclear, with the Derry middleweight’s manager, Eddie McLoughlin, admitting that he is not sure when his fighter will be back in action.
Duddy had been scheduled to fight undisputed middleweight champion of the world Kelly Pavlik in New York on June 7 but he saw his world title shot taken away from him after sustaining horrendous cuts above both his eyes in his last outing, against Walid Smichet in February.
The severity of the facial damage he sustained that night at Madison Square Garden – he needed 25 stitches after the bout – resulted in a mandatory three-month suspension from the ring.
With the ban not set to end until May 23, McLoughlin is in no hurry to arrange Duddy’s return.
John is in training, but for the next month or so we have nothing planned in the line of fights, he explained.
Well start to work on that once the suspension is over. John is wrapping up some personal business and he is also due to go back to Derry to buy a house.
