By Mark Vester
Craig Hamilton, manager of middleweight contender John Duddy, has disputed widespread reports that his fighter will be facing Andy Lee in an all-Irish battle at New York's Madison Square Garden on December 4. Hamilton says there have been talks with Lee's trainer/manager Emanuel Steward but "nothing is definite."
A fight between Duddy (29-2-0) and Lee (23-1-0) would be big in Ireland or New York. Hamilton says a fight like this needs time to get done, and a venue, and a promoter, to get behind it.
"There's certainly an interest in the fight and both sides are trying to make it happen," Hamilton told the Derry Journal. "It's a fight we want and we're working on it. We've had discussions, but it takes time. Lee has a fight coming up, if he gets by that okay then we can keep working on it. It's certainly a fight of interest. We need a promoter involved and a site so nothing concrete is happening right now."
A fight with Lee is not the only option for Duddy. Top Rank has interest in matching him against Yuri Foreman in early 2011.
"I don't think the Lee fight is the only way for John to go, there was talk about him fighting Yuri Foreman as well. There's still a lot of support for John. He wasn't embarrassed against Chavez, he lost - there's no disputing that - but he gave 100 per cent like he always does. It's never good to lose, but very few guys can go through their career without getting beat."
