By Mark Vester
Sergio Mora (19-0, 4KOs), who won the first season of "The Contender" reality show, is one of two fighters in the running to face WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29KOs) in 2008.
The other fighter in the running has been well publicized, popular Irishman John Duddy (21-0, 16KOs) of New York.
Of course this all depends on whether or not former champion Jermain Taylor exercises an immediate rematch clause in his fight contract with Pavlik. The clause also states that a rematch would have to take place above 160-pounds.
Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank told writer Dan Rafael that he believes Taylor will pass on an immediate rematch, and take a fight or two before facing Pavlik again. Arum has already had conversations with Mora's promoter Jeff Wald and Duddy's promoter Irish Ropes. Arum would like a Pavlik-Duddy bout to take place in New York's Madison Square Garden. In the case of Mora, Arum tells Rafael that he would stage that fight in Pavlik's hometown of Ohio.
It would interesting to see if Mora fights Pavlik in Ohio, since he turned down a May bout with then middleweight champ Jermain Taylor because the fight was being staged in Taylor's hometown of Arkansas. According to insiders, Mora's offer to fight Taylor was a high six-figure amount.
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingscene@hotmail.com
