Former British middleweight champion Howard Eastman is aiming to propel himself back into world title contention by defeating rising Irish star John Duddy in Belfast tomorrow.
Unbeaten Duddy left Northern Ireland to pursue his career in New York and returns to a sold-out Kings Hall tomorrow night seeking to take a step closer to a world title fight.
Already he is highly ranked by all the major governing bodies and has built up a huge following on both sides of the Atlantic.
But former British, Commonwealth and European middleweight champion Eastman says he is ready to celebrate his 37th birthday in style by ending the rise of Duddy in their non-title ten-rounder.
'John Duddy is a good young fighter but this is my time. He can have his time later on, so he just has to chill out. This is my route back to a world title fight,' said Eastman, who disappointed in his last fight when losing a British title clash with Wayne Elcock, who tomorrow night challenges Arthur Abraham for the IBF middleweight title in Switzerland.
Eastman added: 'I got robbed in that fight, just like I got robbed in my world title fights with Bernard Hopkins and William Joppy.
'They said Hopkins was the best fighter in the world pound for pound but he ran from me because I told him he was going to find out why they call me the Battersea Bomber.
'John Duddy is their golden boy here but I'm ready to beat him. I have the experience and I know that when I beat him then I will get the chance of another world title fight.
'I have prepared very well, I have spent 12 days in Belfast before this and I can't believe the odds they are quoting against me.'
Duddy admits he expects Eastman to offer him the toughest test of his career but believes he will prevail and prove to the world that he belongs at the highest level.
Duddy said: 'You only have to look at Howard's record to see that he has been and still is a world class operator.
'I haven't fought a man like Howard before, someone with his ability and experience. He's a man who has been to the top, fought the best and he'll bring out the best in me.
'A victory over Howard will show the rest of the world that John Duddy is a true world title contender, that I belong up there with the best middleweights in the world.'
On the supporting bill, prospect Paul McCloskey meets Bulgarian Tontcho Tontchev at light-welterweight and fellow unbeaten Ulsterman Stephen Haughian challenges Italian Giammario Grassellini at welterweight.
