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By Mitch Abramson - Trying to crack the “Duddy Factor”
The promotional company Irish Ropes has done a marvelous job of turning John Duddy into a star in Ireland and New York.
But establishing Duddy as a legitimate contender worthy of a title shot on one of the major networks apparently has not been as easy.
Duddy (25-0, 17 knockouts) was supposed to fight IBF junior middleweight champ Verno Phillips in September, but little interest in the fight by HBO and Showtime scuttled those plans.
“There was an agreement between the two promotional groups, but we did not have an agreement on the fight,” Irish Ropes matchmaker Jim Borzell said. “It was agreed on in principal, but the fight was un-sellable. Basically, nobody wanted to buy the fight.”
Neither Showtime nor HBO showed any interest Borzell said.
While the bout would seem to be an intriguing match-up for fans: an aging but sharp pro in Phillips against a rugged, young fighter in Duddy, for whatever reason the fight didn’t connect with the major networks.
Art Pelullo, Phillips promoter from Banner Promotions was surprised by the snub, especially given the fight’s potential for action and intrigue. It would seem to be an appealing match-up; fans will be deprived of a fun fight.
“There’s a great storyline,” Pelullo said. “There’s the old lion and the young kid who is trying to build his career. It made for a big story. They’re both action fighters, one guy is experienced and the other is trying to make his name. I went over all this, and I was unable to get HBO or Showtime to get an interest any event. I don’t know why they didn’t have any interest. I just don’t know.” [details]
The promotional company Irish Ropes has done a marvelous job of turning John Duddy into a star in Ireland and New York.
But establishing Duddy as a legitimate contender worthy of a title shot on one of the major networks apparently has not been as easy.
Duddy (25-0, 17 knockouts) was supposed to fight IBF junior middleweight champ Verno Phillips in September, but little interest in the fight by HBO and Showtime scuttled those plans.
“There was an agreement between the two promotional groups, but we did not have an agreement on the fight,” Irish Ropes matchmaker Jim Borzell said. “It was agreed on in principal, but the fight was un-sellable. Basically, nobody wanted to buy the fight.”
Neither Showtime nor HBO showed any interest Borzell said.
While the bout would seem to be an intriguing match-up for fans: an aging but sharp pro in Phillips against a rugged, young fighter in Duddy, for whatever reason the fight didn’t connect with the major networks.
Art Pelullo, Phillips promoter from Banner Promotions was surprised by the snub, especially given the fight’s potential for action and intrigue. It would seem to be an appealing match-up; fans will be deprived of a fun fight.
“There’s a great storyline,” Pelullo said. “There’s the old lion and the young kid who is trying to build his career. It made for a big story. They’re both action fighters, one guy is experienced and the other is trying to make his name. I went over all this, and I was unable to get HBO or Showtime to get an interest any event. I don’t know why they didn’t have any interest. I just don’t know.” [details]
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