By Mark Vester

According to the Belfast Telegraph , two more tentative dates have been discussed for a possible showdown between WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) and "Irish" John Duddy (21-0, 16 KOs), currently slated for Jan. 26 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Former champion Jermain Taylor still has until Oct. 29 to exercise a rematch clause with Pavlik. The rematch will take place at 166-pounds.

Taylor is the first roadblock in making the fight, speedy negotiations for Pavlik-Duddy is the other. If negotiations take longer than expected, the fight could pushed back to either February 23 or March 15, at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Until Taylor makes a decision and the terms are agreed upon, Duddy will move forward with a Dec. 8 bout at the King's Hall in Belfast. If a deal for Pavlik-Duddy happens in the next few weeks, the December bout will be scrapped.

Eddie McLaughlin of Irish Ropes, Duddy's management company, admits that his fighter will be a big underdog against Pavlik.

"John's next fight will be in December at the King's Hall and the only thing that will sidetrack that will be a world title fight," McLaughlin said. "If a fight with Pavlik goes ahead John will be going in as a big underdog. Pavlik has the title but John has been fighting professionally for four years and has won his 22 fights. You can't judge him on Prince Arron, but the last 21 fights.

Duddy has been busy training for last weekend's bout against Prince Arron, so busy that he never saw Pavlik's seven-round stoppage of Taylor to capture the titles.

"To be honest I haven't even had a conversation with Eddie about what is happening next or anything to do with Pavlik. I was in training camp for six weeks and I didn't even see his win over Jermain Taylor when he won the world title," Duddy said. "One thing I would say is that it's great that when you consider the point I am at in my career that the world champion is talking about me and wanting me to fight him."

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com