OH Kelly Pavlik, what have you done? Just after Boxing News went to press yesterday, news filtered through that the Youngstown hero had pulled out of his tune-up with Darryl Cunningham.
Of course, fighters withdraw all the time, but the reasons offered by Pavlik tell the tale of a man losing his grip on reality. While criticism pours in from all over the globe, the man at the centre of the chaos could be in need of help.
On Monday, after failing to show up for his morning run, Pavlik told his trainer Jack Loew that he would not be fighting Cunningham because he had no intention of then fighting Lucian Bute. The reason? Mikkel Kessler had reportedly been offered $3.4million to take on the Romanian ? dwarfing the $1.5million on the table for Pavlik to take on the IBF champion later in the year. And, as Kelly?s thinking goes, why bother with Cunningham ? a southpaw like Bute ? if the end goal had now been moved.
The logic is flawed of course. Pavlik could undoubtedly have demanded a heftier wage if he was still pummelling all-comers like he was three to four years ago. The fact remains, though, that since Bernard Hopkins exposed his one dimensional thuggery in 2008, he has been unable, or unwilling, to take heed of the valuable lessons on offer.
Falling from the winner?s podium is one of the hardest falls for a fighter to negotiate, particularly one whose game was fuelled by self-belief. Ever since Pavlik stood, head bowed, and heard the lopsided scores confirm Hopkins’ domination, the climb back to the top has looked beyond Kelly. There have been victories since then, of course, but none convinced anyone ? particularly Pavlik ? that he would be the all-conquering force of before.
Whispers of alcohol abuse became screams after he lost again, to Sergio Martinez. Rehab, street fights, sibling squabbles dominated the news in his hometown. Eventually, he came back to the ring, on the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley undercard in Las Vegas, and showed only flashes of what made him such a force in the game as he struggled past unknown Alfonso Lopez.
?He?s a confidence fighter,? opined the man who felt the full fistic wrath of a peak Pavlik, Gary Lockett. ?Think of guys like Jeff Lacy, once that confidence has gone, you never get it back. He?s had his chances since then, but he seems to have run out of ideas.?
The people behind those chances are Top Rank, his loyal promoters. It?s easy to criticise the superpowers of the game but Bob Arum and co have stuck by Kelly as he?s battled his demons. They had virtually secured a showdown with Bute. It was Pavlik?s chance to resurrect himself. And let?s be honest, $1.5million and a chance to rule again are exceptional rewards for ?The Ghost?s? recent form.
Arum voiced his concerns yesterday about Pavlik?s mental health without throwing the proverbial arm of trust around him. There were no guarantees of future opportunities, no more promises of vindication. At 29, it would now seem Kelly Pavlik has nowhere to go.
