Boxing: Rising star John Duddy hopes his fight against Howard Eastman will move him another step close to a world title opportunity when the pair meet at the King's Hall on December 8th.
And Duddy, in line for a shot WBC world middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik next year, is eagerly anticipating following in the footsteps of his boyhood heroes.
He said: "When I was a kid I sat and watched Barry McGuigan and Dave McAuley at the King's Hall and they were great nights and now I have the chance to be on such a great stage.
"Howard comes with a lot of experience and he has fought at a very high level and I'm sure he'll bring out the best in me."
But Eastman declared that he was ready to end the world title ambitions of unbeaten Duddy who has become a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
Eastman, who lost last time out in a British middleweight title fight with Wayne Elcock, said: "On December 8th I'm going to beat your golden boy. A win against Duddy and I am back on the road to another world title chance and that's what this game is all about."