By Rick Reeno
In response to comments that were made on Saturday night by WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and his promoter Bob Arum [Click Here To Read] - Paul Williams' promoter, Dan Goossen, has fired back with comments of his own. Goossen is willing to negotiate with Top Rank for Pavlik-Williams, as long as there is a 50-50 co-promotion on the event. Goossen counters Arum's comments regarding the contract for Pavlik-Williams in 2008 and December 5, 2009.
There was never a signed contract for a fight in 2008, or for the date in December, says Goossen. The fight was originally set for October, and Pavlik's staph infection forced the fight to be postponed to December. The December date was not going to happen either, as Pavlik was still fighting the staph infection.
"I just finished reading the latest comments by Bob Arum from last nights "big" victory for Kelly Pavlik which I just wanted to cry after reading, oh sorry, that's what Bob wanted to do fighting in Ohio where his fighter couldn't draw two thousand paid attendance and made over $1.5 Million Dollars less than Paul Williams did in his fight against a World Champion two weeks ago, that also happens to be considered a Fight of the Year candidate," Goossen said.
"Kelly Pavlik beats Miguel Espino and they believe they have Superman. Pavlik made $1.5 million less and couldn't draw two thousand paid in his own hometown. The wheels of justice have finally prevailed in Paul Williams' favor."
"Just a few factual comments starting with Paul Williams never pulled out of any fight with Kelly Pavlik as Kelly proclaimed in Mr. Vester's article prior to his loss to Bernard Hopkins. No contract was signed, hence the ability for them to fight Hopkins. As a matter of fact, despite what Bob said, there was no contract signed for December 5 either as discussions were ongoing. Bob can spin it anyway he wants to, but the bottom line is the only way this fights get done in the future is a simple 50/50 co-promotion. Period."
Based on Goossen's comments, it appears negotiations will once again take place, at some point in 2010. Goossen has very little confidence in the fight actually coming off. The two sides tried to make it happen on four occasions, and on four occasions it never happened.
"There isn't much more to say other than the fact that Paul Williams has demonstrated he will fight anyone at any weight between 147 and 160 pounds, including changing complete fighting styles weeks before a scheduled fight as he did with Martinez. Let me also remind everyone, it is Kelly Pavlik that has opted out of four different opportunities to get into the ring with Paul Williams for whatever reasons they want to use for the reasons: staph infections, money, making a fist, mandatories," Goossen said.
"We'll see just how bad they want to fight Paul Williams. They had their opportunity. We wanted it this year and they wanted it next year. If he doesn't want to do it, he can fight Bernard Hopkins again because it was brilliant the first time around."
"As I said before, I do have too much respect for our sport to react to any of Bob's personal attacks and the distortion of the facts, especially when so much could be said in response about Bob with the numerous transgressions we've endured as a sport. As for the possibilities of a Williams-Pavlik bout in the future, as the recent events have shown, Paul is doing quite nicely with his career, and has shown his greatness and heart inside the ring and not with his words. Now it's up to Kelly Pavlik if he really wants to fight Paul Williams or find the many other reasons he can, I'm sure, not to fight The Punisher?"
