Community pride runs high after Kelly Pavlik's TKO victory

Kelly Pavlik — YOUNGSTOWN — While Kelly Pavlik pummeled his opponent to become the No. 1 middleweight championship contender, he also gave the Mahoning Valley a positive punch.

“It’s a great victory for Youngstown,” said Anthony Traficanti, Mahoning County commissioner. “That young man is on his way to the top. It was one heck of a fight.”

The victory is good for the community, too.

“It speaks volumes on the quality of people that come out of the Valley, not only in the professional business field, but also in sports, and Kelly Pavlik is definitely a great testament to that,” Traficanti said.

Some watched from home while others traveled to their neighborhood taverns to take in the action.

Shawn Durkin, manager at Buffalo Wild Wings in the Great East Plaza, Niles, said the restaurant was packed for the big fight.

“We probably had 200 people in here,” Durkin said.

A lot of anticipation led up to the first bell, and some were nervous about the outcome, he said.

Once the bout started and Pavlik dominated, “there was just this roar,” Durkin said. “It was just loud, and everyone was high-fiving each other and really enthusiastic.”

Room was packed

Jason Kather, manager at Quaker Steak & Lube, Interstate Boulevard, Austintown, said the restaurant was standing room only for the fight.

The restaurant seats 500 people.

“It was an electric atmosphere here,” Kather said.

Every time Pavlik mentioned Youngstown, the crowd cheered, the manager said.

“It was like any playoff game for the Steelers or the Browns,” he said.

Pavlik volunteered as a celebrity bartender at the Austintown restaurant occasionally, and SportsTime Ohio, a television station filmed one of his recent appearances there.

Quaker Steak will likely host another party when that program airs, Kather said.

Officials’ responses

Elected officials also tuned in to the fight.

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams believes Pavlik’s victory ranks among the greatest moments in the city’s annals of sports history.

“I think this is a new chapter being written,” he said.

Williams referred to comments from the announcers at the fight about Youngstown’s great sports and boxing tradition, specifically mentioning Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.

“Kelly Pavlik represented, first and foremost, himself and his family, but also the city and the Mahoning Valley in an exemplary fashion,” the mayor said. “It was a tremendous feat and a tremendous accomplishment.”

He was also impressed by the number of times the fighter mentioned the city.

Williams acknowledged he’s not a boxing analyst, but believes, as some experts in the sport have opined, that the undercard fight between Pavlik and Edison Miranda should have been the main event.

That main attraction was the fight between Jermaine Taylor, the middleweight champion, and Cory Spinks. Taylor won the fight in a split decision by the judges.

When interviewed after his victory, Taylor was asked if he’d fight Pavlik. Williams said the champion evaded a direct answer, indicating that Taylor may see Pavlik as fists to be reckoned with in the ring.

State Rep. Robert Hagan, D-60th, of Youngstown, watched the fight Saturday night with his wife and again Sunday morning with his son.

“It just gives the city of Youngstown and the people of Youngstown something positive to be proud of instead of something negative,” Hagan said.

The state representative is impressed with Pavlik’s loyalty to the area as well, pointing to how many times the boxer mentioned Youngstown after Saturday’s win.

Online discussion

The Vindy.com discussion board shows popularity of Pavlik’s fight stretches almost as far as his punches.

Scott Bondar, a 1998 Austintown Fitch High School graduate, is on active duty with the military, living in Virginia.

“I’ve been watching Pavlik fight for some time,” Bondar wrote on Vindy.com. “I’ve been telling everyone on base about Pavlik and for last night’s fight, I had about 40 of my friends who hadn’t previously heard of him watching the fight. Everyone was impressed and I can’t wait to host a big party for his next fight.”

Others hope Pavlik’s next fight is a little closer to home.

Anthony C. said on Vindy.com that he watched the fight with about 10 friends.

“We were loving everything about the fight and how Kelly Pavlik dominated Pantera! We are proud of Kelly and we hope to see him take down Jermaine Taylor this summer at the Chevy Centre.”