John Duddy to face former World title challenger Howard Eastman

from www.fightnews.com

Two-time world title challenger Howard Eastman will be out to turn John Duddy's Kings Hall dream into a nightmare when they clash at the legendary Belfast venue on December 8th on the next Hunky Dorys Fight Night. The 36-year-old Eastman (42-5, 35 KOs) is somewhat faded, having lost four of his last six, all against world class opponents, but the "Battersea Bomber" is certainly not a gimmee opponent for Duddy, who is biding his time waiting for a world title shot. "It doesn't get much better than fighting a guy with Eastman's reputation at the Kings Hall," said Duddy. "He's had almost twice as many KO's as I've had fights so that tells you everything about him. He has an amazing record and there's no doubt he's a very dangerous man."

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I was really surprised to see this one turn up on fightnews just now, because Duddy is famed for fighting in an exciting style and really going into the trenches, and Eastman is almost the exact opposite. A measured boxer who looks to throw just enough to win each round. I know Eastman's form is not sparkling over recent years, but he's still a threat, and came very close to beating Elcock last time out, and will really give Duddy a big test, possibly even better than Yory Boy did. If he wins, I think Duddy will prove a point that he deserves to be considered as a real proven contender among the middleweights.

Fucking beautiful!!! Oh nice one!!!
I presumed it was going to be the original opponent from the last fight!!!!

Ringsiiiiiidddeee here i come!!!! Nice one!!!
Thanks a million superheavy!!!
Would really dig a good supporting card, il be able to find out some rumours early on this!!!

This is a hell of a good test for Duddy right now IMO. Will really bring to light where Duddy is heading in his career, even though Eastman is a little long in the tooth.

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Originally Posted by LEGION

This is a hell of a good test for Duddy right now IMO. Will really bring to light where Duddy is heading in his career, even though Eastman is a little long in the tooth.

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Agreed, Eastman is a good step up, and in my opinion a much better choice than diving headfirst into a title fight with Pavlik.
This not only will be a good indicator of how good John really is, but also a good learning fight which will educate him for future opponents.

Eastmans done imo, he was absolutley awful against Ashira and he then was beaton soundly by a limited Elcock, this is a fight for Duddy to look good in against a faded name in Eastman.

Awesome matchup! Perfect step up for Duddy, kudos to his team for not throwing him to the wolves too early. I can see Eastman giving him alot of problems with his defense, this will be a great learning experience. Im predicting Duddy will eventually get to him late and get the k.o.

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by LEGION

This is a hell of a good test for Duddy right now IMO. Will really bring to light where Duddy is heading in his career, even though Eastman is a little long in the tooth.

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Agreed, Eastman is a good step up, and in my opinion a much better choice than diving headfirst into a title fight with Pavlik.
This not only will be a good indicator of how good John really is, but also a good learning fight which will educate him for future opponents.

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I disagree this is a horrible style matchup for Duddy. Duddy has proved in recent outings that he's only a slight step up from his opponents an ageing Yory Boy Campas and the world's greatest dad Anthony Bonsante.

He's not a world class boxer and although Eastman is faded he has fought at the very highest level.

I think Duddy is going get upset here. He doesn't have the greatest boxing skills and will almost certainly be outboxed and he doesn't have the power to hurt Eastman either.

Eastman wide UD.

Great news! I'm happy to hear this. We're really being treated to some great matchups this year. Eastman is still a durable challenger and will provide Duddy with a stern test. Duddy to win on points.

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Originally Posted by skel1983

Eastmans done imo, he was absolutley awful against Ashira and he then was beaton soundly by a limited Elcock, this is a fight for Duddy to look good in against a faded name in Eastman.

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I think you're right about Eastman being done, but it's a hell of an improvement IMO than that bum Duddy just fought; and like DonnyBoy said, it sure is better than jumping in with Pavlik who could ruin him. Iwouldn't count Eastman out in this one though, people may be surprised ;)

Good match-up. If Duddy can't beat old nut nut at this stage he's not going anywhere.

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Originally Posted by No Contest

Awesome matchup! Perfect step up for Duddy, kudos to his team for not throwing him to the wolves too early. I can see Eastman giving him alot of problems with his defense, this will be a great learning experience. Im predicting Duddy will eventually get to him late and get the k.o.

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I'd be shocked if that happened. Eastman is a tough nut to crack and I don't think Duddy has the power to do it. Outbox him over 12...yeah...but a KO? If he did that I'd be believing he is going places.

GOtta say ill have money on Eastman UD in this one.

Too much experience, and just has the style to frustrate duddy

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Originally Posted by Bilbo

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by LEGION

This is a hell of a good test for Duddy right now IMO. Will really bring to light where Duddy is heading in his career, even though Eastman is a little long in the tooth.

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Agreed, Eastman is a good step up, and in my opinion a much better choice than diving headfirst into a title fight with Pavlik.
This not only will be a good indicator of how good John really is, but also a good learning fight which will educate him for future opponents.

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I disagree this is a horrible style matchup for Duddy. Duddy has proved in recent outings that he's only a slight step up from his opponents an ageing Yory Boy Campas and the world's greatest dad Anthony Bonsante.

He's not a world class boxer and although Eastman is faded he has fought at the very highest level.

I think Duddy is going get upset here. He doesn't have the greatest boxing skills and will almost certainly be outboxed and he doesn't have the power to hurt Eastman either.

Eastman wide UD.

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Honestly Bilbo i don't see any justification for your right wing mind frame in relation to Duddy, but if ur right i owe you an apology.
Eastman is a shadow of what he once was, in addition even at his best Eastmaen himself was not world class, his fight against Hopkins? Would you refer to that as having "fought at the highest level?"

Because i don't i refer to that as "lazily participating at the highest level."

You recall Jermaine Taylor's & the Ring's deeming of that fight as "a dance between two old men?"

Well Eastman looked old back then, hows he going to survive against all action Duddy now, particularily after his poor showing against Elcock?

Eastman does have one foot out the door but this still is a good step up for duddy.

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by Bilbo

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by LEGION

This is a hell of a good test for Duddy right now IMO. Will really bring to light where Duddy is heading in his career, even though Eastman is a little long in the tooth.

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Agreed, Eastman is a good step up, and in my opinion a much better choice than diving headfirst into a title fight with Pavlik.
This not only will be a good indicator of how good John really is, but also a good learning fight which will educate him for future opponents.

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I disagree this is a horrible style matchup for Duddy. Duddy has proved in recent outings that he's only a slight step up from his opponents an ageing Yory Boy Campas and the world's greatest dad Anthony Bonsante.

He's not a world class boxer and although Eastman is faded he has fought at the very highest level.

I think Duddy is going get upset here. He doesn't have the greatest boxing skills and will almost certainly be outboxed and he doesn't have the power to hurt Eastman either.

Eastman wide UD.

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Honestly Bilbo i don't see any justification for your right wing mind frame in relation to Duddy, but if ur right i owe you an apology.
Eastman is a shadow of what he once was, in addition even at his best Eastmaen himself was not world class, his fight against Hopkins? Would you refer to that as having "fought at the highest level?"

Because i don't i refer to that as "lazily participating at the highest level."

You recall Jermaine Taylor's & the Ring's deeming of that fight as "a dance between two old men?"

Well Eastman looked old back then, hows he going to survive against all action Duddy now, particularily after his poor showing against Elcock?

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I agree that much depends on how much Eastman has left but in his prime he'd finish Duddy inside six rounds imo.

He's certainly looked lacklustre and old as of late but he's still a wiley old sod and could frustrate Duddy.

The fact that an Duddy went life and death with a 100 fight welterweight makes me think he won't like Eastman's punches much.

Five years ago if this were the prediction contest I'd have put an Eastman KO as my joker pick, now it depends how much he has left.

I missed his fight with Elcock but he still showed some desire in his fight before that, although still frustrating at times.

I'm still tipping him to derail the Duddy train however.

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Originally Posted by Bilbo

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by LEGION

This is a hell of a good test for Duddy right now IMO. Will really bring to light where Duddy is heading in his career, even though Eastman is a little long in the tooth.

---

Agreed, Eastman is a good step up, and in my opinion a much better choice than diving headfirst into a title fight with Pavlik.
This not only will be a good indicator of how good John really is, but also a good learning fight which will educate him for future opponents.

---

I disagree this is a horrible style matchup for Duddy. Duddy has proved in recent outings that he's only a slight step up from his opponents an ageing Yory Boy Campas and the world's greatest dad Anthony Bonsante.

He's not a world class boxer and although Eastman is faded he has fought at the very highest level.

I think Duddy is going get upset here. He doesn't have the greatest boxing skills and will almost certainly be outboxed and he doesn't have the power to hurt Eastman either.

Eastman wide UD.

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Although it is the kind of match-up that will challenge Duddy stylistically, I think that it will be a good test for him, though I doubt it will be a great viewing spectacle. If Duddy comes through he's proved a point by beating a very good boxer, and if he loses then he's been found out and Eastman gets himself another comeback until he's beat again.

Dangerous test for Duddy, it'll be a great to see if a higher level of competition pushes him to greatness or makes him faulter, perfect choice of opponent for that. I am also impressed that Duddy is staying as busy as he has been 5 fights this year.

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Originally Posted by superheavyrhun

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Originally Posted by Bilbo

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by LEGION

This is a hell of a good test for Duddy right now IMO. Will really bring to light where Duddy is heading in his career, even though Eastman is a little long in the tooth.

---

Agreed, Eastman is a good step up, and in my opinion a much better choice than diving headfirst into a title fight with Pavlik.
This not only will be a good indicator of how good John really is, but also a good learning fight which will educate him for future opponents.

---

I disagree this is a horrible style matchup for Duddy. Duddy has proved in recent outings that he's only a slight step up from his opponents an ageing Yory Boy Campas and the world's greatest dad Anthony Bonsante.

He's not a world class boxer and although Eastman is faded he has fought at the very highest level.

I think Duddy is going get upset here. He doesn't have the greatest boxing skills and will almost certainly be outboxed and he doesn't have the power to hurt Eastman either.

Eastman wide UD.

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Although it is the kind of match-up that will challenge Duddy stylistically, I think that it will be a good test for him, though I doubt it will be a great viewing spectacle. If Duddy comes through he's proved a point by beating a very good boxer, and if he loses then he's been found out and Eastman gets himself another comeback until he's beat again.

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That's part of my point. Eastman can only really make Duddy look bad imo win or lose. He's a frustrating fighter to face.

I agree with the majority that Eastman's better days are past him but in his prime he would have taken Duddy to school.

As he's never been in any wars I always feel that Eastman has one great performance left in him and that he can box his way to a win over Duddy.

I'm torn as to who I want to win. Duddy's a likeable but limited fighter on the way up and Eastman is an old fighter who really should have won a world title. I'd like to see him have one last chance but to be honest Eastman has had more last chances than Mike Tyson :-\

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Originally Posted by Bilbo

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by Bilbo

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Originally Posted by hitmandonny

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Originally Posted by LEGION

This is a hell of a good test for Duddy right now IMO. Will really bring to light where Duddy is heading in his career, even though Eastman is a little long in the tooth.

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Agreed, Eastman is a good step up, and in my opinion a much better choice than diving headfirst into a title fight with Pavlik.
This not only will be a good indicator of how good John really is, but also a good learning fight which will educate him for future opponents.

---

I disagree this is a horrible style matchup for Duddy. Duddy has proved in recent outings that he's only a slight step up from his opponents an ageing Yory Boy Campas and the world's greatest dad Anthony Bonsante.

He's not a world class boxer and although Eastman is faded he has fought at the very highest level.

I think Duddy is going get upset here. He doesn't have the greatest boxing skills and will almost certainly be outboxed and he doesn't have the power to hurt Eastman either.

Eastman wide UD.

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Honestly Bilbo i don't see any justification for your right wing mind frame in relation to Duddy, but if ur right i owe you an apology.
Eastman is a shadow of what he once was, in addition even at his best Eastmaen himself was not world class, his fight against Hopkins? Would you refer to that as having "fought at the highest level?"

Because i don't i refer to that as "lazily participating at the highest level."

You recall Jermaine Taylor's & the Ring's deeming of that fight as "a dance between two old men?"

Well Eastman looked old back then, hows he going to survive against all action Duddy now, particularily after his poor showing against Elcock?

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I agree that much depends on how much Eastman has left but in his prime he'd finish Duddy inside six rounds imo.

He's certainly looked lacklustre and old as of late but he's still a wiley old sod and could frustrate Duddy.

The fact that an Duddy went life and death with a 100 fight welterweight makes me think he won't like Eastman's punches much.

Five years ago if this were the prediction contest I'd have put an Eastman KO as my joker pick, now it depends how much he has left.

I missed his fight with Elcock but he still showed some desire in his fight before that, although still frustrating at times.

I'm still tipping him to derail the Duddy train however.

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Well like i said, if ur right i owe u an apology and a pat on the back, but for me Eastman gets dominated in this fight, by sheer workrate and determination.
The fight before Elcock was against Ashira was it not?

One thing that surprised me about Duddy in his last fight was his technique.
Turner was supposed to have revolutionised Duddy and i was expecting some new technical twist to the Duddy style...All i saw against Prince Aaron was a basic body attack against a Tall fighter.
Perhaps the Eastman fight will be more of a showing as Duddy fights a less intimidated, less mobile and shorter opponent.

Eastman is a shadow of his former self , but he will beat Duddy who is totally over rated in my opinion.

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Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

Eastman is a shadow of his former self , but he will beat Duddy who is totally over rated in my opinion.

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Just out of interest, are there any up-and-comers in Britain that you don't think are over-rated?

We all know that Eastman is long past his best but this will be a great test for Duddy, it will be the first time he is in with a guy who has faced the caliber of opponent Howard Eastman has with the exception of Campos. I think this may be a bout where Duddy is not able to control the tempo by making it a slugfest. He will be forced to box a bit more.

I pick Duddy to win but it will be a good learning experience for him

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Originally Posted by No Contest

Awesome matchup! Perfect step up for Duddy, kudos to his team for not throwing him to the wolves too early. I can see Eastman giving him alot of problems with his defense, this will be a great learning experience. Im predicting Duddy will eventually get to him late and get the k.o.

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I won't praise his team too much, he'd be going in against Pavlik if Taylor hadn't opted for the rematch. Just luck of the Irish that he dodged that bullet, for now...

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Originally Posted by Myk_Myk

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Originally Posted by No Contest

Awesome matchup! Perfect step up for Duddy, kudos to his team for not throwing him to the wolves too early. I can see Eastman giving him alot of problems with his defense, this will be a great learning experience. Im predicting Duddy will eventually get to him late and get the k.o.

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I won't praise his team too much, he'd be going in against Pavlik if Taylor hadn't opted for the rematch. Just luck of the Irish that he dodged that bullet, for now...

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Luck of the Irish might see Taylor beat Pavlik and Duddy getting his shot there.
Stylistically and physically Taylor is a much more feasible victory for Duddy than Pavlik.
I giv him 0 chance against Pavlik, but there is a possability of A win v Taylor.

Duddy is such a hard puncher but he is sloppy and leaves his chin exposed. This fight will be good for him to get more world class experience. But from seeing Pavlk, pavlik would knock him out no problem.

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Originally Posted by skel1983

Eastmans done imo, he was absolutley awful against Ashira and he then was beaton soundly by a limited Elcock, this is a fight for Duddy to look good in against a faded name in Eastman.

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I say Duddy loses. ;D

Go Eastman. I love Eastman...he's got great skills & he could be the man...but he just don't apply himself.

If he does beat Howard...it'll be a good step up for Duddy & will put him in the running to face the winner of Taylor Pavlik II , atleast I would think.

I'm making a list of all you Duddy doubters and I am gonna call you on it when you try to become fans later. ::** Duddy ko round 8, Duddy will outwork him and I think he can take anything Eastman has left. Duddy should do well as long as he puts combos together like I know he can.

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Originally Posted by No Contest

I'm making a list of all you Duddy doubters and I am gonna call you on it when you try to become fans later. ::** Duddy ko round 8, Duddy will outwork him and I think he can take anything Eastman has left. Duddy should do well as long as he puts combos together like I know he can.

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You can put me at the top of that list...their aint shit that Duddy can do that could ever win me over...not even MIRACULOUSLY beating Pavlik. ;D

Eastman would be good for Duddy's development, as he is excellent technically and not easy to hit. No way a win would mean anything, however. Eastman is finished in top class if he couldn't beat Elcock - decent fighter but would struggle at European level.

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Originally Posted by wacko3205

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Originally Posted by No Contest

I'm making a list of all you Duddy doubters and I am gonna call you on it when you try to become fans later. ::** Duddy ko round 8, Duddy will outwork him and I think he can take anything Eastman has left. Duddy should do well as long as he puts combos together like I know he can.

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You can put me at the top of that list...their aint shit that Duddy can do that could ever win me over...not even MIRACULOUSLY beating Pavlik. ;D

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Good :lickish: we dont need flip floppers on the bandwagon, who's your pick for Kessler Calzaghe this week. :-*
Just messing with ya.

May be a perfect time for Duddy to catch Eastman.He'll defiantly Make the fight steaming forward and Eastman will have to weather it early.He'll have to offset Duddys aggression with smart counter boxing and if he comes in at TOP FORM ( of whats left with him) and goes rounds he will have his best chance down the stretch.
Bonsante and Campas greeted Duddy head to head,This will be a totally different style and a level of savy boxer he has yet to run across IMo.
If Eastman is as weathered and immobile as is suspected and he has shown at times.....He better wear a Helmut and bring a BAT.My only hope is that he does not come in excepting he might be what Duddy camp wants...A good name ready to be put out to pasture By one tuff S.O.B

CC I like your style, you know your shit ;)

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Originally Posted by No Contest

CC I like your style, you know your S*** ;)

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Dont want to presume....... ??? CC back to you chief thanks.

You can take off the censorship thing in your profile, I was just saying you know your "stuff". Anyone who backs Duddy is a genius in my book. ;D

Why is Eastman still fighting?


TKO win for Duddy late rounds.

Another brilliant post. CC Mick. ;D

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Originally Posted by No Contest

Another brilliant post. CC Mick. ;D

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CC#274 on me NC.

When you say 'another' what other post are you referring to?

Too many to name, 8) except Chavez lost to Whitaker. ::**

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Originally Posted by No Contest

Too many to name, 8) except Chavez lost to Whitaker. ::**

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Oh! you mean the one where I feel that Chavez beat Whitaker.
As I posted once before and I'll do it again.
Was I biased when I saw the fight?
Yes, I was 12 at that time.
Was I biased when I saw it again years later?
A little.
Was I biased when I saw it yet again years later?
No, and I saw JCC win by 1 point.
Do I score the fight the same?
NO, One day I'll score the fight one way the next day I'll score it different.
If I watched the fight right now who's to say I wouldn't score it for Pernell.


But to be real here, Pernell has got to be the unluckiest fighter ever I mean according to his fans all of his loses are robberies and even then the loss to Tito is scraped as fight that never took place or should have happened. So I guess that makes Pernell undefeated. The Bojorquez fight is a past his best Pernell (I agree) but it's still a loss.
I mean IMO tho Pernell was an exceptional fighter and master at being elusive sometimes for my liking he left much to be desired from.
I mean from JLRamirez all the way to the Bojorquez fights theirs excuses to him loosing.

I really hope you dont think Jose Luis Ramirez won that fight , he had been living in France for awhile and was pretty popular. I really think that those judges were off, the American had Whitaker winning 117-113, the Judge named Campos had JLRamirez 118-113 and the French judge 116-115, they were all watching a different fight it seems....