By Mark Vester
Unbeaten middleweight John Duddy (24-0, 17KOs) makes his ring return Castle Plaza in Boston on June 28 with new trainer Pat Burns. Duddy was the original opponent for WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik on June 7 in Atlantic City. He was forced to withdraw after suffering serious facial cuts during a less than stellar performance against journeyman Walid Smichet in February. Gary Lockett would later take Duddy's slot.
Following the bout with Smichet, Duddy dumped trainer Don Turner and brought in Burns, who in the past trained the likes of Jermain Taylor and Hector Camacho.
"I still hope to get a world title fight with Pavlik this year. When I turned professional in New York in September 2003, I said I wanted to win a world title and that is still my target," Duddy told The Irish Independent. "I agree that I could have boxed better against Smichet last time out, and it is possible I was trying too hard to impress. At the same time I'm happy to have won the fight, even on a split decision. It's true that some of the American writers came down hard on me, including one from Ring magazine, but that goes with the job in this sport.
Pavlik's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, tells the paper that he's not against Duddy landing a shot at Pavlik at some point in the future.
"There is still a chance of Duddy meeting Pavlik for the belts later in the year or early in 2009," said Arum yesterday. "However, let's see how he progresses in the meantime. He is still an exciting prospect with a big following, and the door is always open."
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com
