Pavlik vs Espino Set For December 19, Top Rank PPV

[deanrw]

OK I found this:

"The fight was originally scheduled for October but had to be pushed back to Dec. 5 as Pavlik rehabilitated the left index finger where he developed the staph infection. Top Rank Boxing, Pavlik’s promotion company, asked HBO to move the card back two weeks to Dec. 19 but “the date is unavailable,” said Lee Samuels, a Top Rank spokesman.
“We talked to Dan Goosen [Wednesday]. It looks like [Williams] will likely get that HBO date and fight another opponent. He’s not waiting,” Samuels said."


So it looks like they only wanted the fight pushed to the 19th anyway to allow him time to be able to close his hand.

[jvsnypes]

I gave Pavlik the benefit of the doubt.Maybe his hand wasn't healed. But if he's fighting on the 19th of December, then that makes him very shady! He should be stripped of the title and even suspended for a period of time for letting the fans down that wanted to see the showdown between him and Williams.He is a paper champion.And now his victories over Jermaine Taylor don't look as impressive.We see that Taylor wasn't the fighter everyone thought he was.Pavlik's team is doing everything they can so that he doesn't get exposed as well.

[deanrw]

I gave Pavlik the benefit of the doubt.Maybe his hand wasn't healed. But if he's fighting on the 19th of December, then that makes him very shady! He should be stripped of the title and even suspended for a period of time for letting the fans down that wanted to see the showdown between him and Williams.He is a paper champion.And now his victories over Jermaine Taylor don't look as impressive.We see that Taylor wasn't the fighter everyone thought he was.Pavlik's team is doing everything they can so that he doesn't get exposed as well.

They had to know this fight would bring him bad press. Although I don't like the idea of a fighter going into a fight injured or unprepared, I cannot see how much difference two damn weeks would make. That cancellation will cast a huge negative shadow over him and he had better step up and fight real opponents very soon or he will lose fans, if he hasn't already.

[-Antonio-]

Wow. He really ducked Paul Williams. I believed the bull**** excuse. You'd think it be in their best interest not to fight the same ****ing day.

Pavlik's career is a mess.

[5betlight]

Kelly Jennifer Pavlik

[ShoulderRoll]

He couldn't fight Paul Williams on December 5th but now he can fight Espino on December 19?

Pavlik = *****.

[Check]

Pavliks team and Arum have to be the biggest idiots when you are talking about managing a fighter at a high level. They first sign a fight in December after saying they can't fight a dangerous opponent a few weeks before, that's dumb but that's just the tip of the ice burg. How can you then follow it up with putting him against a cab drive and on PPV? It shows that these guys really are money hungry and don't care much about their legacy or the sport. They are as bad as Mayweather, if not worse. I would hope that no one shows up to this sham of a fight or buys the PPV because it's disrespectful to the sport and the fans that the so called Middleweight Champion of the World did this. This is what's wrong with the sport, Kelly needed to fight Williams not some no name a few weeks later. He deserves to be bashed until he fights Williams or does anything in the sport. Living off two Jermaine Taylor wins has completely been forgotten. Kelly Pavlik=the greatest two year free fall in just 2 years.

[MASSMAN]

This is what you call ducking!!

This is what you call DUCKING an opponent, after a fight was signed TWICE! and only then to turn around and fight a lesser opponent 14 days later?!?!

[17gogetit]

Where do they get off making this PPV, who the hell wants to pay for this fight? It belongs on an undercard.

[Derranged_]

I lol'd at this news story today. Unbelievable, really. Well, hopefully Pavlik can turn his career around in 2010...