Friday, September 28, 2007
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Anyone with two eyes and a set of ears likely knows that Kelly Pavlik will enter the ring Saturday in a title bout. But what many don’t realize is how many home town folk have made their way to Atlantic City to support “The Ghost.”
Some have come by plane, many in cars and others by the bus load. Some say they have visited the many casinos. Others have spent time along the shore.
Everyone is anticipating the main event — Youngstown’s own going for the middleweight championship against Jermain Taylor
If ever there was doubt on the level of Valley support Pavlik enjoys, any doubt was removed with the showing of Pavlik fans during the Friday pre-fight weigh-in ceremony.
White T-shirts with Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik written across the front peppered the audience before the fighters entered, making the Youngstown contingency easy to spot.
Audience cheers, however, made it clear that the Pavlik support went well beyond just those in the T-shirts. No less than 75 percent of the audience was cheering “Kelly,” “Pavlik” or “Youngstown” whenever the slightest reference to the hometown fighter was mentioned.
For more, see Saturday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com