Arum keen on Duddy

4 February 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Promoter Bob Arum has revealed that Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Yuri Foreman and middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik are all possible summer opponents for Irelands John Duddy.

Derry native Duddy will make his long-awaited return to the ring on February 21, when he fights Matt Vanda on the undercard of Miguel Cottos clash with Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight title.

Should he emerge triumphant, the undefeated 29-year-old will, according to Arum, be match with a marquee name in the summer.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fights again on March 28 in Tijuana and that show will be seen on pay-per-view and it will have various title fights on the card. If Julio is successful there and John is successful [against Vanda], they might be fighting as early as the summer. Now thats a major, major fight, the Top Rank boss is quoted as saying by boxingscene.com

Arum continued: There is also a possible fight with Yuri Foreman, which would sell out Madison Square Garden. Foreman is a top local fighter who is also undefeated. A match-up with him and John would be tremendous.

Kelly defends his title and if he wins wouldnt it be spectacular to have Kellys next title defence against John in Madison Square Garden?

Duddy was recently given the all-clear to fight again after becoming involved in a bitter legal dispute with his promotional team, Irish Ropes.

He now has the opportunity, though, to get his career right back on track with a win over Vanda.