Team Pavlik Wants Final Tune-Up Before Big Fight

Lem Satterfield spoke with Cameron Dunkin, the manager of Kelly Pavlik, about the former middleweight champion's next step. Pavlik returned after a year off and a stint in rehab with a rocky but clean win on May 7 against Alfonso Lopez, and recently has had his name attached to rumors for a fight with Lucian Bute.

"With Kelly, we want to get him back into the ring again to knock some more of that ring rust off. I want to get him into the ring in August. But he has to be paid, and you don't pay a Kelly Pavlik $20,000. Do you jump right into a major, major fight so that he can get paid, or do you go after another warmup fight before that? That second situation is what I would like, it's what [Top Rank matchmaker] Bruce Trampler would like, and that's what the Pavlik camp would like."

Dunkin says that Pavlik has been contacted by Interbox and Bute, by Sauerland Event and Mikkel Kessler, and by Frank Warren for a possible fight with James DeGale.

Those who saw Pavlik's return fight on the Pacquiao vs Mosley undercard likely will agree that Kelly could use another tune-up. He turned it up late against Lopez, but was clearly rusty, and a similar level fight in August, or maybe a slight step up, would probably be beneficial for the Youngstown native going into a big fight against a top super middleweight.