Middleweight John Duddy (26-1) will fight Michi Munoz (21-3) in a 10 round fight at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden on October 10.

The Derry native, who got married to Grainne Coll on Sunday, is currently enjoying his honeymoon in Ireland, but will be back in New York in a few weeks to prepare for his fight against the Mexican.

Munoz has been linked with Duddy in the past and was a candidate to fight the Irishman at the National Stadium in Dublin in October 2007. However, Munoz picked up a knock and had to pull out, and Duddy went on to defeat Prince Aaron at the venue.

Munoz is a 28-year-old from Leon, Mexico who now lives in Topeka, Kansas. ”El Matador” has only lost three times in 23 outings, a unanimous decision defeat to Contender star Joey Gilbert for the NABO middleweight title in March 2007, a round three TKO loss in February, 2008, to the then 18-0 Vanes Martirosyan (who incidentally also fights on the same October 10 card at MSG), and when he was last in action on May 7 in a round three tko loss to Carson Jones for the WBC Continental Americas light middleweight title in Oklahoma. 

The 5’9” fighter weighed in for that fight at 152 pounds, but has fought as high as 176 pounds during his career.

Duddy last fought in the Garden when he defeated Matt Vanda in the main arena by unanimous decision on February 21. For nine of the 10 rounds that night Duddy used his jab to fend off the tough Minnesotan, and a repeat of that performance would be welcome at this stage as he tries to set up a big year in 2010.

The stakes are high for Duddy as a good performance could seal a significant fight early in the New Year, and he must rebound well after his shock defeat to Billy Lyell on April 24.

Top Rank, which is promoting the event, also handles Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (39-0). Bob Arum has talked in the past about pitting the two men together.

"There are three big ways to go. He could fight Kelly (Pavlik) for the middleweight title, he could fight Yuri Foreman (NABF light middleweight champion) in a great battle for New York, or the third possibility is to put him in with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Las Vegas this summer, which would be monstrous," said Arum before Duddy's fight against Vanda last February.

If Duddy can overcome Munoz and Chavez can get past James LeHoullier on September 12, the two could meet early in 2010.

The 30-year-old Derry Destroyer must win, and win well, to put him in the frame for a big fight with the likes of Chavez Jr.

Meanwhile, light middleweight James Moore (17-2) is back in New York and has started training in Gleason’s gym as he prepares for a possible fight in the fall. 

Finally, super middleweight Darren Sutherland (4-0) is back in action in October 16 at the Seaburn Center in Sunderland, England against an unnamed opponent.