By Mark Vester

A fight very few were looking forward to, Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Mora, is off. Pavlik, the WBC/WBO middleweight champion, is suffering from a staph infection on one of his hands and withdrew from the bout that was scheduled for June 27 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The fight was going to headline an independent Top Rank pay-per-view.

Top Rank president Todd duBoef told Dan Rafael that WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez will replace Pavlik, and fight an opponent to be announced at a later date. The plan is to move the event from the Boardwalk Hall and place it at the Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York. Once source close to the situation advised BoxingScene.com that the event may still end up taking place at the Boardwalk Hall.

Pavlik-Mora may get rescheduled to a date in September. Though Mora's promoter wants his fighter to take an interim-bout.

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvester@gmail.com