Lee gets in some final sparring in Belfast

Boxing News: Andy Lee, who fights Jason McKay for the vacant Irish super- middleweight title at the National Stadium on Saturday night, will arrive in Dublin this afternoon, along with manager-trainer Emanuel Steward.

Lee (13-0), who had flown over for last weekend's John Duddy- Howard Eastman fight at the King's Hall, remained in Belfast to get in some final sparring prior to his main event against McKay (18-1), and was joined there by Steward yesterday.

Duddy, who ran his record to 23-0 with his points decision over Eastman last weekend, plans to remain in Ireland over the holidays before returning to New York to begin his preparations for his February 2nd date with Matt Vanda (37-5).

Duddy-Vanda will be the co-feature of a Showtime-televised card headlined by WBC heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev's defence against the organisation's "interim" champion, Samuel Peter of Nigeria.

(Contrary to reports that place that card at Madison Square Garden, the venue is very much up in the air and will likely be one of the Indian casinos in Connecticut).

Duddy's promoters, Irish Ropes, have a "hold" on Madison Square Garden's Theatre the weekend before St Patrick's Day in anticipation of a bout that weekend, but by then Duddy may have bigger fish to fry.

Bob Arum, the promoter of middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, said in New York on Tuesday if Pavlik prevails in his February 16th return bout against Jermain Taylor and Duddy gets by Vanda, Pavlik's first title defence (The Taylor rematch will be a non-title fight contested at 166lbs.) could be against Duddy in June.

© 2007 The Irish Times

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