Duddy’s special ‘Homecoming’

AFTER taking the Big Apple by storm, John Duddy has finally decided to return to his roots for a belated European professional debut and a build-up to a European title shot.

Irish fight fans, who have been clamouring for a glimpse of the Derryman since he joined the paid ranks, get their chance at the National Stadium on July 14 when he will headline The Homecoming — a star-studded show promoted by Brian Peters.

But it is more than just another fight for Duddy. It is the beginning of an onslaught on the European scene which he hopes will culminate in a title before he takes on the best in the world.

With no rankings as such — there are 20 rated middleweights in Europe at the moment — he needs just two successful fights to qualify for a shot at a European title.

His fight in Dublin — against an opponent yet to be named — will be the first and, depending on the success of that show, which will be televised live on RTÉ, Peters will be looking at The Point, Kings Hall in Belfast or possibly an open air show in Duddy’s native Derry for the second.

Peters, however, is well aware the top Europeans won’t be queuing up to meet Duddy. However, he is adamant he will come up with a credible opponent for Duddy who is unbeaten in 20 fights.

Back in the States Duddy has a choice of opponents. Even the world champion, Jermaine Taylor, has been knocking on his door.

“I am in a great position right now,” Duddy said. “After what I have achieved in New York everybody wants to fight me. Now we are hoping to get off the ground at home with a big bang and, hopefully, you will see John Duddy fighting in Ireland for the long and foreseeable future.”

His promoter, Tony McLoughlin, said they are getting good if not amazing offers back in America. “But you take one fight at a time,” he said. “We’ll get over John’s first pro fight in Ireland and we will see what offers we get after that. As John said, Taylor approached us. They made the offer to us but we know we have a little learning to do. We know we are not quite there yet. We will go when the time is right for us.”

Duddy has just changed coaches and will now work under Don Turner who has coached the likes of Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield and Mike McCallum to world titles. He returns to the US today and will set up camp at Pononos Mountain in Pennsylvania to prepare for The Homecoming.

His opponent on July 14 will not be Matthew Macklin. Brian Peters, who manages Macklin, admitted that would be a mismatch at the moment as Macklin has not had a fight since his epic with Jamie Moore while Duddy is in the shape of his life.

He is aware that Jason McKay, the last man to beat him as an amateur, is waiting in the wings.

McKay was scheduled to box Matthew Macklin on the Bernard Dunne undercard in March but Macklin got injured. He has been signed up for a shot at Jamie Moore and it now appears certain that he will box Andy Lee at Cork City Hall next October.

Bernard Dunne’s next defence of his European super-bantamweight title against Reider Walstad at The Point on June 23 looks like being a sellout and the most recent news is that the winner of the Neil Sinclair-Francis Jones fight is guaranteed a title a British title fight against Brian Anderson who beat Eamonn Magee recently.