| 23 December 2011
Remember back when Kelly Pavlik's trainer and manager got all bent out of shape because evil internet sites were reporting that the Pride of Youngstown needed rehab for substance abuse issues? Despite their indignant stance, the rumors were eventually proven to be correct when Pavlik did, in fact, enter rehab.
Sad as it is, Pavlik may not have won the battle with his demons just yet. He was charged with misdemeanor drunken driving earlier this week following a one-car accident near his home in Youngstown. As an isolated incident it may not be smart to read too much into it, but this is now just the latest in a pattern of self-destructive behavior from the former middleweight champ.
Boxing can grant an almost unlimited amount of "second" chances, so Pavlik can't be written off. Maybe the change of scenery from a planned trip out West to train with Robert Garcia will be what he needs to get his head straight. Still, you can't help but wonder if former trainer Jack Loew saw sticking with The Ghost to be a losing proposition.
One thing's for sure: If there was a Wikipedia page for "one step forward, two steps back" - and there's not, because I checked - it would have a sentence or two about the last few years of Pavlik's career. And his life, for that matter.
Let's get into some...
SHOE SHINING
* My friends who don't watch boxing regularly are always surprised when I tell them that a boxing ring can vary in size. Sometimes that is signficant, especially when sluggers want to limit the space in which opponents can dance around. Now ESPN's Dan Rafael reports that a fight has been canceled because one fighter and his team were dismayed to learn the bout would be taking place in a tiny ring. Strange but true, especially because the match in question (pitting Donovan George against Librado Andrade) would have determined the mandatory challenger for Lucian Bute...
* HBO's first boxing broadcast of 2012 hit a snag this week when Erik Morales had to have gall bladder surgery. A decision could come later today about whether El Terrible can take on Danny Garcia on January 28. Call me crazy, but I think the James Kirkland-Carlos Molina bout that was supposed to be the co-feature can stand on its own...
* In my post on the havoc wreaked by Floyd Mayweather's jail sentence, I forgot to factor in what might happen with Sergio Martinez. He'd obviously like to fight Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, and having Floyd out of commission for a while is no good for him - especially since Sergio will soon be turning 37 and can't afford to wait around. Michael Woods of thesweetscience.com and ESPN.com recently looked at why Martinez is more likely to face Mayweather and how the finances could work...
* The Andre Berto-Victor Ortiz rematch will have random drug testing of both blood and urine. Berto had his doubts about Ortiz after their first fight, but I always thought Ortiz was just a young guy who still could have been (and may still be) growing into his frame. I think Vicious Victor is clean, but the testing is never a bad idea.
