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Duddy agrees to drop 6 lbs for title bid

February 17, 2011

By Staff Reporter

“They have agreed in principal but [are] still working on a venue and TV deal. Date to be determined by those two factors but hopefully late September, early October,” said Bob Trieger, publicist for Duddy’s handlers, Irish Ropes Promotions in an email to the Echo.
Trieger said the fight would be a joint production between Irish Ropes and Artie Pelullo’s Banner Promotions that handles the 38-year-old Phillips.
Trieger added that nobody is concerned about Duddy fighting at 154 pounds.
“He was 158 and a half pounds for his fight in Boston and ate a big breakfast the day of the weigh-in. He looks great on a new strength-and-conditioning program, as well as a nutritional diet. John should be a big 154-pounder as opposed to a small 160-pounder,” the publicist noted.
Duddy ended a four-month layoff with an outstanding ten rounds points decision over Charles Howe in Boston on June 28. The Derry native’s impressive performance convinced Irish Ropes that he could be a viable world light middleweight title contender.
Now back home in Derry for a month, Duddy would almost certainly be a betting favorite to dethrone Phillips, a 54-fight veteran [42-10-1, 21 KOs] originally from Belize who’s nine years older than him and three and a half inches shorter. He turned pro in 1988.
The victory over Howe upped Duddy’s ledger to 25-0 with 17 KOs and put him back on track for a title shot at Kelly Pavlik, who holds both the World Boxing Council [WBC] and the World Boxing Organization [WBO] middleweight belts.
While facing the increasingly dangerous Pavlik would be a weighty proposition for Duddy, who’s ranked second at 160 pounds by both the WBC and WBO, the aging Phillips would represent a vulnerable opponent for the seasoned Irishman.
Phillips is coming off a 12 round split points decision over Cory Spinks — son of former heavyweight titlist Leon Spinks — that saw him regain the IBF diadem last March.
He’d previously won the vacant title with a sixth round TKO of Carlos Bojorquez in June 2004 only to lose it in his first defense four months later to Ugandan Kassim Ouma.
Among Phillips’ other notable opponents are J.C. Candelo, a recent victim of once-beaten Arklow light middleweight James Moore. Phillips won a unanimous points decision over the Colombian in April 2006.
MOORE DEFENSE
And if all the chips fall in place and Duddy beats Phillips, a possible early challenger may be emerging in Jamie Moore.
The Lancashire southpaw stopped Ciaran Healy in three rounds in Dublin last weekend to capture the Irish light middleweight title.
According to reports from Ireland, Moore has been told that if he wins the European title from Zaurbek Baysangurove, and Duddy relieves Phillips of the IBF belt, an all-Irish world title fight could be staged in the United States next spring.
“Me against John Duddy would be a hell of a fight,” said Moore. “I’ve shown what I’m made of and he’s shown he’s got a granite chin and that he can dig deep. The fans would be in for a treat.”
HYLAND CROWNED
On the Moore-Healy undercard, Dubliner Paul Hyland, formerly based in upstate New York, outpointed Marc Callaghan for the Irish super bantamweight title.
The 23 year-old Hyland [11-0, 4 KOs]joins his brothers Patrick and Edward as reigning Irish champions.

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