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« Pavlik Coverage
Pavlik-Williams fight postponed
Updated 09:50 a.m., August 18, 2009
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Rescheduling the bout, which went through seemingly endless obstacles to get made, may not be so easy.
By JOE SCALZO
Vindicator sports staff
YOUNGSTOWN — Kelly Pavlik’s injured left hand has delayed his opportunity to defend his titles.
Pavlik’s middleweight championship bout against Paul Williams scheduled for Oct. 3 was postponed due to the lingering effects of a staph infection on his left middle knuckle. The fight will be rescheduled for either late November or December. The original proposal was Nov. 21, but Williams' promoter has a conflict that day.
The fight will still be at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall and will still be televised on HBO, according to a release by Top Rank.
Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) originally injured the hand in February while training for his bout against Marco Antonio Rubio. Complications from a staph infection prompted Top Rank to postpone — then eventually cancel — a planned summer bout with Sergio Mora.
Pavlik had surgery last month and has worn a brace on his hand during the early weeks of training camp. After running through Mill Creek Park on Monday morning, Pavlik’s trainer, Jack Loew, asked him to remove the bandage so he could see the hand’s condition.
“It turned my stomach,” Loew said. “It’s really bad. There’s a hole in it.”
Pavlik visited his doctor, Sandy P. Naples, who said the hand would not be ready for full training in two weeks, which is when he was scheduled to resume punching.
“I asked Naples if he could punch something in two weeks,” said Loew. “He said, ‘Absolutely not.’
“If he’s not 100 percent, he ain’t fighting. I don’t care if it’s the night before the fight.”
Williams and his promoter, Dan Goossen, were en route to New York City for a planned press conference about this fight today.
He was not aware of the postponement until asked by a reporter.
“Obviously we’re very surprised,” said Goossen, who was equally unaware of the rescheduled date.
“When I hear that date [Nov. 21], I’d be very interested in one thing: Who’s he [Pavlik] going to fight? We know nothing about it.”
Goossen said his company “have a lot of things to evaluate” before embarking on a course.
Loew said Pavlik will go to the hospital this morning to get an IV drip, which will be on him for two or three weeks. Naples told Loew he’s optimistic that the six-week extension will give the hand ample time to heal, although no one knows for sure since no one expected the injury to linger this long.
“If we can’t get this thing right in six weeks, then it’s never going to heal,” said Loew. “This is nothing to play around with. It’s a very serious thing.”
Some members of Pavlik’s camp had wanted the extra time, but Pavlik’s promoters were under pressure to secure the Oct. 3 date from HBO, which was guaranteeing a multi-million dollar payday to both fighters.
Pavlik did not respond to an interview request.
Williams (37-1, 27 KOs) is coming off a dominant victory over former junior middleweight champion Winky Wright in April.
scalzo@vindy.com
Comments
Surprise Surprise, Loew needs to stick to his paving company because once his padded record champ loses these belts it will be game over. This can't surprise many, Pavlik ain't want no piece of Williams who will eat him alive. After getting schooled by a grandfather in Hopkins it is bout time media, press, and sporting world finally is seeing Pavlik's true colors. Let him enjoy these belts for now, he can't run, hide, and stay out of the ring forever. Mark my words Y-town's dahling and sweetheart will be no longer so hopefully he remembers what he learned at the joint vocational school in basket weaving.
Listen...I work in an emergency department, and this staff infection to K.P's hand could very well be career theatening. MRSA takes a LONG time (months) to heal and the least bit of disturbance will reopen the wound. Let alone, having your hands taped, sweaty and in a pair of boxing gloves. Mark my words, Pavlik will not be able to train effectively and this infection could cost him a career...
Then why did he miss 3 doctors appointments? Pretty stupid if you make your living with your hands.
If Pavlik indeed had the right people around him then he would have sought out the best medical care money could buy at a world renowned medical institution in this country due to what is at stake and that in reality a "career" is on the line, smart people in his entourage huh?!
Sounds like it's time to leave YTown Kelly, with local support like these bloggers?? Jealous losers.
Jealous of a punch drunk vocational school grad with experience in basket weaving and boxing. YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! spccpro, REAL jealous!!!!!!!!!
I guess i'd rather be a "punch drunk vocational school grad with experience in basket weaving and boxing" than a hypocritical fool with nothing better to do than throw stones. Stay where your at, we don't want you back.
Let me correct what I said "Mr YTown"---PATHETIC loser.
kelly pavlik is the middleweight champion of the world. That did not happen by chance, he earned it the old fashion way. I would guess mrYtown has never earned anything worth mentioning because people who have do'nt waste time trying to tear other people down. They spend time trying to further them selves. Hater.