Kelly Pavlik captured the imagination and hearts and souls of boxing fans worldwide in 2007 when he first blasted Edison Miranda out of the ring in six rounds and then got off the canvass in the second stanza to later stop Jermain Taylor and win the much coveted middleweight title. A great white hope from Middle America, Pavlik endured adversity in and out of the ring to persevere.
A modern author, Walter Mosley recently wrote:” If you've never been knocked down, then you've never been in a fight.” Kelly Pavlik has been knocked down and he knows a thing or two about being in a fight, but his biggest hurdle is battling his vices.
I caught up with former middleweight champion in Oxnard, California at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy on Monday, right after I watched Chavez Jr. fight Marco Antonio Rubio for a title that used to belong to Pavlik.
“Do you think you could take Chavez Jr? I asked
“I don’t think I know I can,” replied Pavlik right after he finished hurting a heavy bag in the gym:” I am not impressed with him at all. I wish Rubio would have done a little more. He fought a little scared. But no, Chavez didn’t impress me at all.”
Here is a fight that could be easily made, since both fighters are promoted by Top Rank. But what weight would they fight at? Chavez Jr looked like he is not going to be a middleweight for too much longer.
“It’s going to be sixty eight, sixty is just so hard,” said Pavlik when I asked him about what weight he was planning to campaign at:” But we’ve got a great nutritionist here. We’ll see where the weight goes after a couple of weeks. But right now I think it’s going to be sixty eight.” One hundred and sixty eight pounds should be a good weight for both Pavlik and Chavez Jr.
Last time out after a long lay off due to battle with alcoholism; Pavlik came back to the ring in May of 2011 on the undercard of Pacquiao Mosley main event in Las Vegas. Fighting as a super middleweight Pavlik managed to squeak by Alfonso Gomez with a majority decision win, but he did not look impressive. I asked him about it.
“It was my first fight in thirteen month,” said Pavlik (37-2,2KO’S):” It was a long lay off. He was an awkward fighter in that fight; he moved around, he’d jump in and out and hold. It was something that we had to get used to, but I think it’s a lay off more than anything on that fight.”
Pavlik was in the news again last year for turning down a big fight with Canadian champion, Lucian Bute. Kelly said that he was not happy with his compensation, but most believe he had to finish battling his inner demons before he could accept a big fight.
Twenty nine year older former champion believes that moving to Oxnard would be a new chapter in his life and still promising boxing career.
“I feel great,” said Pavlik:” Mentally, physically; I think the whole package is there. I think getting away from Youngstown was a very good thing too. There are no distractions here so everything is going good right now.”
Pavlik broke off ties with a long time trainer and confidant , Jack Loew to move to Southern California and to train under former champion, Roberto Garcia.
“There was a falling out,” said Pavlik about his former trainer:” At this stage of my career, sometimes you just have to make a move. He is a great trainer. We went through a lot together. We went to the top together, but at this stage it’s a move that I had to make.”
I asked Kelly how he fells about his new place and a new coach.
“Robert is a phenomenal trainer,” said Pavlik:” I am just getting to the boxing atmosphere again. Top Rank, they wanted me to fight and Cameron thought this was the best situation for me and so far it’s been wonderful. I’ve been feeling great training. My energy level is sky high. I feel good. I look forward to training every day. Everything feels good. My cardio, my endurance, my strength is coming along. I’ve only been here three weeks now and I just feel good, ready to go.”
The next fight has not yet been scheduled for a slugger from Youngstown, but he is hopping to get back into the ring in March or April of 2012.
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Contact Igor Frank at axident@pacbell.net or follow me on Face book or follow me (Fightmonger) on Twitter
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