Boxing: ROCK DUDDY SIGHTS; SPARKLING BERNARD MAKES OPPONENT EAT HIS WORDS.Byline: By MICHAEL SCULLY JOHN Duddy
Rock beat an 11th hour replacement after scheduled opponent Lee Murtagh pulled out of the bout the night before following a row over the weigh-in. Brian Phelan was the fighter who lost out in the bout for the Irish middleweight title vacated by Matthew Macklin Matthew Macklin (born 14 May, 1982 in Birmingham, England) is a professional boxer of Irish extraction, his father being from County Roscommon and his mother from County Tipperary. Macklin usually fights at light middleweight or the divisions either side. . Phelan, who has Tipperary roots, had been in a contest the previous week, but made a go of it despite only getting the call-up at 8pm on Friday. The 29-year-old lasted until the very last punch delivered by veteran Rock in the seventh round. "It was a very tough fight and all credit to Brian Phelan for stepping in," commented Rock. "It was very tough in there. I had a head cold and it was so bad I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to fight. "I went for a sleep at 4pm until half six and still felt it but the show must go on, I couldn't let the fans down." Rock's victory added another title to the lightmiddleweight and supermiddleweight Irish belts he already possesses, and Derry sensation Duddy's people were at the Stadium to see it happen. Rock is due to hang up his gloves at the end of the year and before that he would love to fight Duddy in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of - although Duddy's aim is to fight for an Irish title in Dublin. "I called John tonight and he said to me he would like to match his skills against Jim Rock," said Duddy's promoter Jim Borzell after Rock's win. "My partner Eddie McLaughlin is here and he has told me he has a great desire for John to fight here in Ireland. It's something we have to talk about (with Brian Peters)." Duddy is due to fight Freddie Quavis on Saturday in Madison Square Garden Current arenas in the National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference , and has another fight provisionally pencilled in for August 12. But the Duddy-Rock contest could possibly take place in September. Rock admitted: "Duddy is the man of the moment, and it would be great to fight in Madison Square Garden - I would be delighted to do it." Borzell also revealed that Duddy is considering tackling Matthew Macklin, possibly in 2007. CAPTION(S): IN THE PINK: Jim Rock |
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