Source: Max Boxing (Steve Kim)
From Steve Kim's Max Boxing article:
When reached on Thursday afternoon at the Top Rank offices in Las Vegas, Bob Arum believed he had a deal in place for his middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik to face the current WBO welterweight titlist, Paul Williams, on September 27th in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
"I'm dealing with (Dan) Goossen, it's a deal. But I'm not sure," said the veteran promoter. When asked why he was unsure, Arum would say, "Goossen. You never know if it's a deal. I think there is a deal. But if my life depended on it, I wouldn't swear to it. With Goossen, you're never quite sure."
Rumblings for this fight have been heard before, as Williams previously said that Pavlik and team had turned him down after a challenge. The idea was easily debunked, as it simply came down to financial logistics. Where was the money going to come from to pay Pavlik and Williams?
But, all that said, it's probably one of the most interesting fights that can be made for Kelly right now, and it's certainly intriguing for Williams, who is coming off of a first round knockout of Carlos Quintana, the man that handed him his lone "L."
Pavlik's other possible opponents in rumor are Winky Wright (Arum has said Winky has priced himself out), Allan Green (according to Steve Kim, the current "plan B") and Mexican slugger Marco Antonio Rubio.
What makes Pavlik-Williams more attractive than any of those fights, in my view, is just the meeting of two star fighters. Williams is hardly mainstream, but we know he can fight. He's got a win over Antonio Margarito and violently avenged his only loss. Plus with his freakish build, a step up to 160 wouldn't be a physical problem for him. I'd also certainly give Williams a better shot at upsetting Pavlik than I would Green (who I like despite his glaring flaws, but just isn't good enough) or Rubio (who has a tomato can-built record).
If you can't make Pavlik-Wright, then Pavlik-Williams makes a lot of sense.