Deep cut could prevent Pavlik challenge

John Duddy W10 Walid Smichet... John Duddy received a disgustingly one-sided decision from two judges who are guilty of blatant favoritism. A horribly bloodied but courageous Duddy won a majority decision by an acceptable 95-95 and two unfathomable 98-92 scores, turned in by Jon McKaie and Don Trella. McKaie and Trella could not have been watching the first four rounds when Smichet pounded Duddy around the ring, repeatedly snapping his head back and reddening the Irishman's face. Duddy took the punches well, and was never close to going down, but make no mistake, he was getting dominated. Thing got even worse for Duddy in the fifth when Smichet opened up a huge cut in Duddy's left eyebrow. The gash looked to be as long as the eye itself and easily was bad enough to end the fight. However, with a world middleweight title shot against Kelly Pavlik hanging in the balance, Duddy was permitted to box on. To his credit, Duddy persevered and did well as the fight wore on. He began landing his jab consistently and Smichet seemed to be running out of gas. Although Duddy bravely ignored the cut and rallied over the second half of the fight, he was still getting his head snapped back by Smichet's long-distance bombs, and the rounds were close enough that giving everyone to Duddy shows bias or incompetence. Although Duddy was supposed to be auditioning for a June bout against Pavlik, the severity of the cut places that date in doubt. Needless to say, if Duddy fights like this against Pavlik, it will be easy work for Youngstown's favorite son.