Pavlik's prime time is now

Aside from high school football, Youngstown may be best known for its long list of world-renowned boxers, most notably Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini.
The biggest name in Youngstown boxing today is 22-year-old middleweight Kelly Pavlik, who grew up in Lowellville and is pursuing boxing as his profession.
Nurtured by trainer Jack Loew of the Southside Boxing Club, Pavlik signed with promotional company Top Rank in 2000 and set out for a career that he hoped would provide him with a championship belt.
Big plans
As Pavlik's record grew more impressive and his punching power became his trademark, talk surfaced that he was well on his way to a world title.
Despite Pavlik's world ranking in boxing's major organizations and despite his intentions to make an impact at the top, his climb has been slowed.
Certainly, Pavlik's right hand, which he's injured periodically as a result of his punching power, has been a factor at times, but there's something else that seems wrong.
It's his progression up the ladder. Or rather, it's the lack thereof for a boxer who's 21-0 with 19 knockouts.
Early this year, Pavlik's camp referred to 2004 as his time to shine. It stressed this being the year that he would contend for a world championship.
Now, that plan seems to have been delayed. Pavlik and his fans deserve better than tainted predictions and false hopes.
"He's real close," countered Cameron Dunkin, Pavlik's agent with Top Rank and his co-manager. "He's ranked across the board. He's not far away."
That line sounds familiar.
A look back
Pavlik has fought three times this year, winning each by knockout -- beating Anthony Ivory (28-66-4) on Jan. 23 in Kansas City, Robert Baro (10-2) on March 26 in Phoenix and Pedro Ortega (30-13) on July 2 at the Struthers Fieldhouse.
His latest bout was against an aging boxer with 13 losses who happened to quit after six rounds. It was apparent from the start that Ortega, like many others, didn't belong in the same ring as Pavlik.
Other fights have been canceled, leaving the boxing community and his fans wondering just exactly where Pavlik's future in the sport is headed.
"The kid can fight. I'm not afraid of that. I'm not afraid to step this guy up," Dunkin maintained. "I want to be sure he's clear-headed and he's in the best shape of his life."
Added Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler, "Our reasons are for the athlete, not to defend his career moves. In the end, we look [the Pavlik camp] in the eye and say we did the best we could for you."
Pavlik appears ready to make a run at a world title. He's got an imposing stature (6-foot-4), the incredible punching power, a blue-collar work ethic in a blue-collar city backed by an established trainer, hometown support and the drive to be a world champion.
All he needs now is the opportunity, which, according to Trampler, may come in the super middleweight division (168 pounds).
"Kelly keeps getting bigger and bigger," he said. "I'm not a predictor, but I suspect we'll look closely at the super middleweight division next year and pick out the best guy for him to challenge."
Dunkin concurred, targeting Pavlik's title shot for next spring or early summer. In the meantime, the agent is seeking two more fights for Pavlik this year.
"Kelly is in a position where he still needs to learn, he still needs to stay busy," said Trampler, citing Pavlik's injured hand as a hindrance to his progress. "His opponents are more than adequate right now. Nobody is trying to be a hero at Kelly's expense."
Far from it.
Glorified sparring sessions
Mismatches may occur at the outset of a boxer's career, but when he's flirting with world rankings and showing the promise of becoming a potential champion in his fifth year as a pro, when the timing seems right to step him up against a formidable opponent, those mismatches become nothing more than glorified sparring sessions.
Maybe it's the sports fan in me that's become frustrated or the pride I've developed in this community in knowing that an athlete can improve a city's morale.
But at the core is the ultimate message: When someone is young and talented and ready to break out, it's a disservice to hold him back.
XBrian Richesson is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.