Kelly Pavlik's upcoming fight with Paul Williams has been canceled again.
Pavlik had been scheduled to make a middleweight title defense against Williams on Dec. 5 in Atlantic City, but Pavlik is still having issues with his left hand, following two surgeries this summer. He resumed training two weeks ago, but is still unable to make a fist.
"He's trying," said his trainer, Jack Loew, who made the call to postpone. "He's been running, he's been trying to train in the gym. He's trying to shadow box with one hand, hit the speed bag with one hand. ... I've been trying to keep it a secret but it's not going great and I'm not going to fool anybody any longer."
Top Rank Boxing, Pavlik's promotion company, is trying to reschedule for Jan. 23 but Williams' camp may not accept. The fight has already been postponed once from an original October date.
"I'm sure we're going to get a very bad reaction from their people and I don't blame them," said Loew. "But we've got to do what we've got to do."
For more details, read Thursday's Vindicator or visit Vindy.com.
Comments
Pavlik has managed somehow to take being on top of the mountain and turn himself into being virtually irrrelevant. You just know there's a great story going on behind the scenes.
Dec, Jan, it doesn't matter, just make it a warm destination instead of Atlantic City, NJ in the Winter. How about The Bahama's or Puerto Rico; or at least Las Vegas?
Pavlik is finished.He is going to become a joke in Youngstown.If I was his wife I would get out now before all the money is gone. After this next fight no one will ever pay to see him fight again.