By Rick Reeno

Sources have disclosed to BoxingScene.com that a fight between middleweight champions Kelly Pavlik and Arthur Abraham is being eyed for the early part of 2010. Both sides had hoped to make the fight in 2009, but several factors came into play.

Both Pavlik and Abraham were scheduled to make title defenses on June 27, with a unification meeting in the fall. Pavlik's June defense with Sergio Mora was postponed. Abraham's mandatory defense against Giovanni Lorenzo, also scheduled for June, has  been postponed.

Top Rank is trying to schedule Pavlik's next defense for September [whether it's Mora or another opponent]. Sauerland Event was trying to get Abraham's mandatory obligation with Lorenzo out of the way by making them fight in June. A source told BoxingScene that Main Events, who promote Lorenzo, were asking for too much money [I heard $400,000] and the fight will head to a purse bid. Instead of Lorenzo, Abraham will make a voluntary against Mahir Oral on the same June date, and then get Lorenzo out of the way in September [the same month that Pavlik should see action]. 

If both of them win, a source who is familiar with the ongoing conversations says the fight might finally happen in January or February. One concern is the weight. The fight is worth a lot more money to the American and German television networks if both fighters are champions, or at least have a major title on the line. Both of them are struggling to stay at 160. Both of them view this fight as their last at middleweight. Fingers are being crossed that both of them continue to make the middleweight limit until the fight takes place.