By Rick Reeno and Mark Vester
Despite what's been reported on other outlets, Andy Lee (14-0, 11KOs) will not be fighting middleweight veteran Howard Eastman (42-6, 35KOs) on the Feb. 23 undercard to Wladimir Klitschko-Sultan Ibragimov at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Jim Borzell, the matchmaker for the show, tells BoxingScene.com that Andy Lee is not presently scheduled to appear on the undercard and there are no plans to bring him on. Emanuel Steward, Lee's manager and trainer, confirmed the same.
Although Eastman is the preferred opponent down the line, talks have not been held. Steward told BoxingScene.com that reports to the contrary are premature and based on speculation. He would like Lee to appear on 2/23, but the undercard bout is far from a given.
"We would like to be there (Klitschko-Ibragimov card). It's not locked in. I mentioned Eastman as a possibility for Andy. That's who we are probably going after. Right now Andy is taking a fight on Feb. 2 in Limerick, Ireland and we also have him on an ESPN Fiday Night Fights card on March 21 at the Mohegan Sun," Steward said.
John Duddy (23-0, 17KOs) on the other hand will make an appearance on the Klitschko-Ibragimov undercard in a co-feature position. The frontrunner opponent is Matt "The Predator" Vanda (37-5, 21KOs), but Borzell tells BoxingScene that other possibilities exist. Considering the tight timeframe, Duddy should not be expected to fight on the proposed date of 3/15.
"Matt Vanda is being considered, along with a number of others as John Duddy's opponent on the 23rd. The opponent should be named right after the New Year," Borzell said.
