Andy Lee v John Duddy scheduled for March 12

For years Ireland’s premier crop of middleweights have shimmied and feinted around one another while fans salivated upon a big domestic showdown. It now appears that two of the big names are ready to engage in hostilities, but on away soil.

It has been reported that Limerick’s Andy Lee and Derryman John Duddy will meet in Connecticut on March 12, in what promises to be an explosive way to usher in the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

“The fight is just about definite,” legendary American trainer Emanuel Steward told the equally legendary Gerry Callan of The Irish Daily Star. “I am convinced Andy will beat John Duddy – I think he will knock him out - and then Andy goes for the [world] title, even if he has a warm-up fight beforehand. Connecticut’s a good choice of venue – an hour and a half away from Boston so there’ll be plenty of Irish there.”

Lee had been hoping to face off with Sergio Martinez, who is scheduled to meet Sergey Dzinziruk as the Connecticut March 12 headliner.

A European title battle with either Darren Barker or Matthew Macklin was also looked at for Andy towards the end of last year. Both Barker and Macklin are still embroiled in their own on/off saga for the same belt and Lee has taken himself back to America to look for big fights. Duddy meanwhile was last seen dropping a wide points decision to Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr in June but his manager Craig Hamilton still insists that a world title fight is within grasp.

Whatever happens next, the best way to get into a world title fight (in theory at least) is to beat a hungry fellow contender, with the loser sent right back to the drawing board. This is what is at stake for these two on March 12.