Rick Reeno at BoxingScene.com reports that there's a bit of a bidding triangle going on right now involving middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, divisional chameleon and P4P contender Paul Williams, and junior middleweight titlist Sergio Martinez.
With Top Rank wanting Pavlik back in the ring between March and May, two April dates have floated as possibilities on HBO. Pavlik is interested in fighting Williams, Martinez and Felix Sturm. HBO low-balled a Pavlik-Sturm fight last year and Sturm is currently involved in a spat with promoter Universum (which he'd prefer to be ex-promoter Universum.
Late last month, it was reported that there were talks to get Pavlik-Martinez made. Reeno says today that Paul Williams and his team have come in with a better offer to Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter, for a rematch of their December 5 classic.
HBO is reportedly most interested in Pavlik-Williams, but the Williams side wants a 50-50 split, and Pavlik's manager Cameron Dunkin says that won't happen.
Of all the possible fights, which interests you most? For me, it's obviously Pavlik-Williams. As much as I like and respect Sergio Martinez, Williams got the W over him, Pavlik beat Miguel Espino, and now that fight is one that I think has to be made. It just has to be. And Felix Sturm, available or not, barely enters the discussion, in my view.