Robert Garcia has added another fighter to his stable, as troubled former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has reported for camp in California. Garcia tweeted this photo today of the two of them in the gym:
While Pavlik (37-2, 32 KO) has definitely had his out-of-ring issues in the last three years (including a recent DUI arrest), this is a good and very big first step. Getting him focused on his career, and frankly getting him out of Ohio, can't be anything but good, really. If he's even going to have a fighting chance of getting his career back on track, he had to do something like this, and Garcia was an excellent choice to replace Jack Loew.
Pavlik is looking to return in the spring, probably with a tune-up sort of fight as he's had only one bout since losing his middleweight championship to Sergio Martinez in April 2010, and Kelly wasn't exactly aces in that fight with Alfonso Lopez. There is surely a ton of work to do if he's going to get back to his former level, but Pavlik has time on his side to mount a comeback if he can dedicate himself to doing it -- and obviously, that's no sure thing. We'll see with Kelly Pavlik, but at least he's gotten himself started.