Saturday, September 29, 2007
At noon on Saturday, Kelly Pavlik’s trainer, Jack Loew, leaned up against a wooden railing about 100 yards from the beach, puffed on the stogie in his hand and took in the Atlantic City sunshine.
His phone rang, he looked at the caller ID and said, “It’s Harry Arroyo.” The former champion, en route to Atlantic City from Youngstown, was looking for a ticket to tonight’s championship fight against Jermain Taylor. Loew, who didn’t have any tickets, wasn’t biting.
“Take the mothballs out of your wallet, Harry,” said Loew. “There’s tickets available.”
Taylor’s promoter, Lou DiBella, is in charge of tonight’s fight, meaning the perks went to his fighter, not Pavlik — and certainly not Team Pavlik. Taylor is staying in a nicer hotel (Caesars) than Pavlik (Bally’s). Taylor is making more money ($3 million) than Pavlik ($1.2 million). And Taylor is undoubtedly getting more comp tickets. Pavlik got six, Loew none.
“Even Ray Mancini had to buy his ticket,” said Loew, referring to Youngstown’s former light heavyweight champion. “Believe me, Harry can afford it.”
Loew was in good spirits. After two decades of working his way up the ladder, one of his fighters had hit the big time. He was about to get the biggest check of his life.
“I’m going to take a picture of this one,” he said.
His fighter was back in the hotel resting, watching college football and playing video games. The long wait didn’t seem to bother Loew, who remembered what it was like when Pavlik was fighting on the undercard of an Oscar De La Hoya fight. Neither knew when, exactly, they’d be fighting. What they did know was, there wasn’t going to be anyone in the crowd.
Tonight will be different. Pavlik’s fight is the fight. And with more than 5,000 people from Youngstown traveling to Atlantic City this weekend, Boardwalk Hall is guaranteed to be very loud — and very pro-Pavlik.
“Jermain has never been in a situation like this,” said Loew. “This is the exact opposite of the first Bernard Hopkins fight [when Taylor won the title].”
There’s also expected to be several celebrities rinside. Top Rank president Bob Arum, whose company represents Pavlik, told Loew he hadn’t had this many requests for tickets from big-name fans since 2003.
As I headed back to the hotel, Loew shook my hand and said, “Joe, have a good day.”
“You have a better one,” I said.
“I’ll have a better night, that’s for sure,” he said.
Joe Scalzo