Pavlik's fight with Miranda now set May 19 in Memphis, Tenn.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Undefeated middleweight contender Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik has had his bout with Edison "Pantera" Miranda changed again.
But this time the change just might be for the WBO middleweight championship.
Pavlik and Miranda had been scheduled to fight July 28, but that fight has been moved up to May 19 and will be the co-featured bout on the card of WBO champion Jermain Taylor against Cory Spinks.
The Pavlik-Miranda fight will be held at The Pyramid in Memphis, Tenn., and will be televised by HBO.
Could be title bout
According to both Pavlik's trainer, Jack Loew, and his Las Vegas agent Cameron Dunkin, the winner of the fight just might become the WBO champion.
"If Kelly goes out and just dominates Miranda then you can look for Taylor to probably vacate his title following his match with Spinks," said Loew.
"Taylor can draw millions from just about any fight he takes right now, but if Kelly were to dominate Miranda, I don't think that Taylor would want to take a chance against Kelly," Loew added.
Dunkin also feels that Taylor will vacate his WBO title regardless of what Pavlik does against Miranda.
"I think he's looking for another weight class and it's a pretty good bet that he will vacate, thus making the winner of the Pavlik-Miranda fight the new champion," Dunkin said.
Pavlik, 24, who is 30-0 with 27 knockouts since turning pro in 2000, last fought Jan. 27 when he knocked out Jose Luis Zertuche in the eighth round.
Loew was upset when he first learned that Pavlik was being scheduled to fight July 28, which would have meant a layoff of nearly six months.
"That's a long time to go between fights when you are the number one contender," Loew said. "This date is much more acceptable to us."
Miranda, 28-1 with 24 knockouts, is a native of Colombia, but fights out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The bout will be a scheduled 12-round event.
Pavlik to begin training
Loew said that Pavlik will begin training today.
"We'll start out working four days a week for the first two weeks, getting the kinks out and working the muscles back in to shape," Loew said.
"Then the last six weeks we will really go at it hard," he added. "We'll train here in Youngstown up until about a week before the fight and then go down to Memphis.
mollica@vindy.com