Kelly Pavlik cleared to train, will fight on December 5

by Scott Christ on Sep 10, 2009 3:18 PM EDT in Boxing News Analysis

Middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik has been cleared to train after a hand injury. Pavlik faces Paul Williams on December 5. (Photo via www.freefightingillustrated.com)

Middleweight world champion Kelly Pavlik has been cleared to resume training, and his December 5 championship defense against Paul WIlliams will move forward.

The two agreed last month to fight on October 3. Just days later, as everyone was preparing for the press conference to announce the bout, Pavlik pulled out of the bout with staph infection in his left hand.

Arum said the infection and staph infection existed before Pavlik's one-sided loss to Bernard Hopkins last year. Arum says that's why Hopkins dominated the fight.

"That why's Pavlik wasn't himself," Arum said. "He was on antibiotics. He had no energy."

That's the first time we've heard that, but why bother getting into it? It's not the first excuse, either. He had the flu or something last time they tried to paint it as something other than Hopkins demoralizing Pavlik because he was a much better fighter that night and Pavlik didn't seem prepared for someone that not only fought back, but took the fight at him. Eh, at least they haven't said he was drugged with funny water before the fight.

Pavlik-Williams is one of the major fights of 2009, frankly far more important than Mayweather-Marquez and I truly believe it's at least near the level of Cotto-Pacquiao. Williams deserves to be a bigger star than he is, and Pavlik probably does, too. Both are arguable as top 10 pound-for-pound, Williams is a unique and special fighter, and Pavlik is the type of power-punching throwback so many people want to see.

If you have any interest in boxing, watch this fight. Tell your friends. Treat it like it's huge, because it deserves to be. So long as they don't call it off again.

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If it was really a big fight

You’d have that button at the bottom.

Nah, just kidding.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Sep 10, 2009 3:56 PM EDT reply actions

ha.

by lcollins1 on Sep 10, 2009 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions

THIS FIGHT HAS BEEN BUTTONIZED

Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes

by Scott Christ on Sep 11, 2009 1:44 AM EDT up reply actions

This is a huge fight.....

Arum kills me with that excuse. That wasn’t the case, BHop gave him an old-fashioned whuppin’!!! With that being said, I pick Kelly to KO Williams somewhere after the 6th rd.

by SmittytheCutman on Sep 10, 2009 5:16 PM EDT reply actions

This fight is far more compelling than Money/Marquez and IMO just a notch below Cotto/Pacquiao.

Pavlik/Williams on HBO? That’s an absolute winner.

by MatteoFC on Sep 10, 2009 7:52 PM EDT reply actions

It’s gonna be a great fight!! Williams needs to slip n move move cause if he stands in front of Pavlik, it could get interesting.Pavlik’s just as big as him and has more power.But Williams has far more superior boxing skills. I wouldn’t say it’s as good and as important as you guys are saying,.But definitely worth not missing !! But definitely a huge fight in both of these guys careers.

by killah27 on Sep 10, 2009 8:47 PM EDT reply actions

I wouldn’t say it’s as good and as important as you guys are saying

Name a bigger fight at middleweight. Name a bigger fight for Paul Williams. Name a bigger fight for Kelly Pavlik. It’s a legit world champion against a rising P4P contender with a really intriguing style clash. This won’t be a major money maker, but it should be.

Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes

by Scott Christ on Sep 11, 2009 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

+1

Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)

by Chaos100 on Sep 11, 2009 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah

Who is Pavlik supposed to fight, Matt Macklin? And nobody in three divisions want to fight Tall Paul… Williams might be pound-for-pound the most difficult man to fight in the world. Actually, Pavlik repairs a little bit of his damaged rep just by taking this fight. This is an incredibly interesting styles matchup with lots of historical value and tremendous meaning for both guys. Also, chance are it won’t go the distance… both guys can really crack.

"This fight'll be the nastiest thing you'll ever see. I been sober for six weeks, and that makes me vicious."
-- Randall 'Tex' Cobb

by jrok on Sep 11, 2009 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions

At middleweight? None. But it’s not as important as Mayweather Marquez i think. “The Ghost” lost alot of steam with that shocking loss to Hopkins. If he was on antibiotics like Arum said: pullout of the fight..He was a money chaser .Plain and simple. He did not need that fight at all .. Prior to that fight, Pavlik was the hottest thing in boxing. He was on the virge of superstardom.The great white hope if you will. And u guys r right, Williams deserves far more credit than he’s given. Two veery good and exciting boxers.We might see a classic.

by killah27 on Sep 14, 2009 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions