Duddy world title tilt likely to get go-ahead

JOHN DUDDY’S world title shot against undisputed middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik this summer is set to be rubber-stamped tonight at Madison Square Garden.

The unbeaten Derryman fights Walid Smichet tonight as the main co-feature in support of the heavyweight title unification contest between Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov and Pavlik’s promoters Top Rank have been granted permission by the event’s promoters for time on the post-fight press conference dais.

Top Rank president Bob Arum is understood to have met Duddy’s promoters Irish Ropes in New York last night and is expected to use his time with the media to confirm that the fight will take place June 7 at Madison Square Garden, providing the 28-year-old Irishman (23-0, 17KOs) gets past Smichet (17-3, 13KOs) without serious injury.

Arum is expected to be joined at ringside by Pavlik himself to run the rule over Duddy with the champion having last Saturday in Las Vegas come through his non-title rematch with Jermain Taylor.

Also watching will be Limerick’s unbeaten middleweight Andy Lee, whose manager and trainer Emanuel Steward has had sparring with Klitschko in the build-up to tonight’s heavyweight contest. Steward believes Lee (15-0, 12KOs) should get a shot at the winner of Duddy-Pavlik.