Derry middleweight John Duddy scored a tenth-round stoppage of Italian Alessio Furlan overnight to triumph in his first professional fight on Irish soil.

John Duddy puts his unbeaten record, but not his IBA middleweight belt, on the line tonight when he takes on Alessio Furlan at the National Stadium.

HE HAS taken the US by storm.

JOHN DUDDY wants a shot at a European title sooner rather than later, and his manager, Tony McLoughlin, has predicted a title before the end of the year but the Derry man, himself, is reluctant to look beyond Saturday night’s homecoming fight against Italian, Alessio Furlan, aka “Il Guerriero”.

John Duddy fights as a professional in Ireland for the first time next week when he has a 10-round bout against Italy's Alessio Furlan, accompanied by new trainer Don Turner.

JOHN DUDDY’S first professional fight on Irish soil is to be televised live on US television.