BOXING:Having delivered the win he promised in his first professional fight in Ireland, John Duddy hopes to go closer to home next and fill the King's Hall in Belfast on September 1st, one week after super-bantamweight Bernard Dunne defends his European title for the third time at the Point.
Dunne's August 25th defence against undefeated Spaniard Kiko Martinez was announced shortly before middleweight Duddy stopped Italian Alessio Furlan in 10 rounds. The Derryman now hopes to face German Mahir Oral in Belfast but the date and opponent are subject to change.
Duddy received 16 stitches after the fight, an early clash of heads doing most of the damage.
"We think that on the 1st of September we can challenge for the EU title," said Eddie McLoughlin of Duddy's New York-based Irish Ropes team yesterday.
"We've got to see how the scars of war heal up. Time will tell, we've just got to wait it out; and if push comes to shove it is not the end of the world if we have to put it back a couple of weeks".
McLoughlin added that Duddy will most likely fight three times before challenging European champion Sebastian Sylvester and at least another eight before a world title shot, providing there are no hiccups along the way.
"I'd like to think a world title is the ultimate prize. I'd like a few more fights for him and Don (Turner), his trainer, to gel a little bit more."
Duddy himself is reluctant to do the talking about future fights but has described the King's Hall as the Irish Madison Square Garden, saying the fight would mean a lot to him.
"You live with the history of the King's Hall," said Duddy. "The stage has been set, professional boxing is back on the map again in Ireland and it's about time.
"And we don't have just one fighter, we've got about 10 or 12 good Irish fighters.
"It's brilliant to be part of that generation and hopefully one of us, or all of us, can one day be at the top and be fighting for a world title here in Ireland."
The calmest man in the stadium on Saturday night was Turner, trainer of 19 world champions, and the American is confident he can mould another.
"I think he's got a great future," said Turner, who was a little disappointed with the time it took his man to finish the fight with the right uppercut, especially after he put the Italian down in the first.
"Each time you see him he's gonna get a little bit better. Until one day you'll see him and you'll say 'Wow, where did you he come from?'"
Furlan is also an admirer but feels that Sylvester has more power having fought nearly 12 rounds with the German in March. It emerged after the fight his five-year-old son Samuel had undergone surgery in Italy while his father was in Ireland.
"It depends on where they fight. If it is in Germany, Sylvester definitely has the advantage."
Martinez boasts a 16-0 record and is the number-one challenger for Dunne's title. The Spaniard will today appear with promoter Brian Peters and Dunne to confirm the details of his first fight outside Spain.
The undercard will see a home debut for unbeaten Limerick middleweight Andy Lee.
The night will also feature the first British title decider contested in Ireland when Belfast's Brian Magee takes on light-heavyweight champion Tony Oakey.
