By Edward Chaykovsky
One overlooked story during a busy boxing December took place ten days ago, when trainer Jack Loew appeared on a local radio station in Youngstown, Ohio and revealed the details of a bitter split with longtime fighter Kelly Pavlik. The former middleweight champion is reportedly leaving Youngstown and hooking up with popular trainer Robert Garcia in California.
Loew appeared on WFMJ Channel 21, according to the Youngstown Vindicator, and discussed the split.
“It’s sad in the way it ended,” Loew said. “When you can’t control a fighter outside of the ring, it’s time to walk away. I have no control of Kelly outside of the ring anymore and I refuse to take the heat for things I can’t control.”
“I have no desire to work with Kelly Pavlik anymore. I wish him the best. If he goes to California ... and becomes the world champion again, then God bless him. We have fond memories.”
Loew started training Pavlik when he was 9 years and led him all the way to the middleweight crown in 2007 with a career high win over Jermain Taylor.
According to Loew, the loss of Pavlik is no surprise. Loew discussed how Pavlik's manager Cameron Dunkin, and Kelly's father, Mike Pavlik, had pressured the boxer for years to get a new trainer.
Pavlik admits to receiving pressure from Dunkin, but the final decision had nothing to do with the manager.
The boxer told WFMJ that Loew should be more respectful of his decision because he made "him money that he never would have seen in his life.”
“I’ve never heard anyone run their fighter down like Jack has run me down,” Pavlik said.