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KELLY PAVLIK is an angry man — but right now he's just glad to still be here.
The official line is Pavlik pulled the plug on his December 5 showdown with Paul Williams because of a hand injury.
With the bout having already been previously rescheduled, the middleweight king has had various accusations thrown in his direction since announcing the fight was off.
Some critics claim he is running scared of Williams, while others believe he is holding out for more money.
Yet the truth is what should have been a routine recovery from injury turned into a horrific nightmare.
Pavlik was laid low by a staph infection shortly after he defeated Marco Antonio Rubio in February.
He was playing basketball the following month when a knuckle split open.
But instead of looking down and seeing blood trickling from his left hand as expected, the American was confronted by a colourless liquid.
A doctor confirmed the presence of bacteria and a lengthy course of antiobiotics was prescribed to shift the problem.
However, the treatment did not do the trick and Pavlik eventually went under the knife to clean out the infection.
In theory, the surgery was job done as far as Team Pavlik were concerned.
But the 27-year-old, who still had a hole in his hand when the stitches were removed, was told he had contracted MRSA.
Pavlik then suffered an allergic reaction to medication and was admitted to hospital in a bad way.
And as his father Mike recalls, the Ghost was left facing the biggest fight of his career — and it wasn't even in the ring.
He said: "I'm not a medical man but Kelly was really close to the edge that day."
Pavlik himself does not have much of a recollection about the allergic reaction.
He said: "I don't remember that day, that's how bad it was.
"They told me it was pretty serious. It was the worst form of reaction you could have.
"I was ready to say right there, 'Chop the hand off'."
Pavlik admits he will always have his detractors, regardless of what he achieves he in the ring.
But what hurts the WBC and WBO champion the most is that some fight fans do not buy his reason for swerving Williams.
The Ghost said: "I want to fight but people question that because I've been inactive.
"There's nothing you can do about it and I'll eat and sleep well at night.
"I know the truth but it's hard on my dad and the guys in the camp who know what's going on."
For now, Williams is without an opponent for December 5 and Pavlik is left kicking his heels at home.
But if the Punisher beats whoever is eventually put in front of him, he expects to fight Pavlik in early 2010.
And Pavlik will hope he finally gets the chance to silence his critics — and erase the memories of what has turned out to be a year to forget.
The official line is Pavlik pulled the plug on his December 5 showdown with Paul Williams because of a hand injury.
With the bout having already been previously rescheduled, the middleweight king has had various accusations thrown in his direction since announcing the fight was off.
Some critics claim he is running scared of Williams, while others believe he is holding out for more money.
Yet the truth is what should have been a routine recovery from injury turned into a horrific nightmare.
Pavlik was laid low by a staph infection shortly after he defeated Marco Antonio Rubio in February.
He was playing basketball the following month when a knuckle split open.
But instead of looking down and seeing blood trickling from his left hand as expected, the American was confronted by a colourless liquid.
A doctor confirmed the presence of bacteria and a lengthy course of antiobiotics was prescribed to shift the problem.
However, the treatment did not do the trick and Pavlik eventually went under the knife to clean out the infection.
In theory, the surgery was job done as far as Team Pavlik were concerned.
But the 27-year-old, who still had a hole in his hand when the stitches were removed, was told he had contracted MRSA.
Pavlik then suffered an allergic reaction to medication and was admitted to hospital in a bad way.
And as his father Mike recalls, the Ghost was left facing the biggest fight of his career — and it wasn't even in the ring.
He said: "I'm not a medical man but Kelly was really close to the edge that day."
Pavlik himself does not have much of a recollection about the allergic reaction.
He said: "I don't remember that day, that's how bad it was.
"They told me it was pretty serious. It was the worst form of reaction you could have.
"I was ready to say right there, 'Chop the hand off'."
Pavlik admits he will always have his detractors, regardless of what he achieves he in the ring.
But what hurts the WBC and WBO champion the most is that some fight fans do not buy his reason for swerving Williams.
The Ghost said: "I want to fight but people question that because I've been inactive.
"There's nothing you can do about it and I'll eat and sleep well at night.
"I know the truth but it's hard on my dad and the guys in the camp who know what's going on."
For now, Williams is without an opponent for December 5 and Pavlik is left kicking his heels at home.
But if the Punisher beats whoever is eventually put in front of him, he expects to fight Pavlik in early 2010.
And Pavlik will hope he finally gets the chance to silence his critics — and erase the memories of what has turned out to be a year to forget.
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