By Mark Vester
Most boxing fans were throwing shoes at their computers when BoxingScene.com broke the news of Kelly Pavlik's probable summer opponent, Sergio Mora (21-1-1, 5 KOs). The last time we saw Mora, last September, he was getting his head knocked in for twelve rounds by junior middleweight champion Vernon Forrest. Mora's reward for that beating is a major title shot against a much bigger and stronger fighter. If the fight gets finalized next week, it would take place on June 20, July 18 or July 25 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
When reporter Joe Scalzo of the Vindicator asked Pavlik (35-1, 31KO) for his opinion on Mora, the Youngstown fighter was brutally honest. He compared him to Marco Antonio Rubio - but without the power. Three weeks ago, we saw Pavlik pound Rubio for nine rounds in a one-sided mismatch. Rubio had a minor chance to win that fight by landing a lucky lottery punch. Rubio has power, but Mora has only been able to score five knockouts in his entire career. Mora, best known for winning the first season of The Contender, stands a decent chance of winning if Pavlik allows him to use a baseball bat in the ring.
Pavlik finds nothing overwhelming about Mora. At least he gives him props for his amateur career.
“He’s a pretty slick fighter,” Pavlik said. “Nothing overwhelming. He’s probably the same as Rubio, although Rubio has a lot more power, a lot more bang in his punch. Mora had a great amateur career, too.”
Pavlik says the fight is far from a done deal but Mora is the likely choice because there no other opponents who are available. Pavlik's promoter, Bob Arum, claims the other two champions, Felix Sturm and Arthur Abraham, are asking for too much money to face Pavlik in America. Just in case people are wondering, Pavlik is not exactly interested in facing either of the two in their backyard of Germany.
An agreement has been reach on Mora's end. Arum told BoxingScene on Wednesday that he still needs to sit down with Pavlik and his team to work out the money on their end.
“It’s still kind of up in the air. We don’t know what’s going on. No contract has been signed. There’s been no talk of money,” Pavlik said.
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvester@gmail.com
