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By Joe Scalzo (Contact)

Published February 21, 2009

Former boxing champions Harry Arroyo, Ray Mancini, Roy Jones Jr. and Vinny Pazienza were all introduced to the crowd and all got big ovations, but the biggest ovation was for Mancini.

Also here are Jim Tressel, Browns QB Brady Quinn, OSU Heisman winner Troy Smith, Packers LB A.J. Hawk (also from OSU), Howland native Doug Datish (OSU) and Browns TE Martin Rucker and Browns linemen Ryan Tucker and Hank Fraley. I tried to get an interview with Troy, but he was whisked away.

Smith did finally give a Plain Dealer reporter an interview.

Also, Ursuline grads Daryll Clark (the Penn State QB) and Alex Allen (University of Akron) are here.

"This is great," Clark. "This is the hometown hero in his hometown. It's gonna be one heck of a fight."

This is the first time Clark has been to a Pavlik fight and he drove over from State College today.

Any snow?

"A lot," he said, laughing.

In case you missed it, tonight's attendance is 7,228, which is the largest for any event in the history of the Chevy Centre. That numbers sounds pretty legit to me.

 I've been at Pavlik's previous six bouts and I have a feeling this is going to be the loudest. The previous-best was probably the first fight against Jermain Taylor. That place absolutely exploded when he won the title. The only event that compares (that I've been to) was LeBron James' first playoff game in Cleveland.