Thursday, August 28, 2008
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The Chevy Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. Wednesday, August 27, 2008.
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Training notes: Kelly Pavlik and his trainer, Jack Loew, have been watching tape of Bernard Hopkins, paying particular attention to his two bouts with Jermain Taylor in 2005. Hopkins’ last three bouts have been against southpaws: Joe Calzaghe, Ronald “Winky” Wright and Antonio Tarver. Taylor and Pavlik are right-handed. “He’s a slick boxer and a slick fighter,” said Loew. “We’ve got to be extremely well-conditioned and get him to fight at our pace, at a 26-year-old pace.” The bout is at 170 pounds — 10 more than the middleweight limit and about five fewer than Pavlik’s walking-around weight. Loew said Pavlik’s training won’t change, outside of eating more food. “The right food,” he said.
No big fan: Pavlik said he wasn’t a Hopkins fan growing up, since he didn’t want to be a fan of someone who might eventually be an opponent. “I have a lot of respect for him, though,” he said.
Weathering the trip: Top Rank chairman Bob Arum spent the last week in Nice, which is located in the south of France on the Mediterranean. He flew into Pittsburgh on Tuesday and was greeted Wednesday with cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-60s. When asked to compare the weather, Arum grinned and said, “I don’t want to be disrespectful.”
Too soon to crown: Although Hopkins respects Pavlik, he wasn’t ready to call him a great fighter. “Pavlik is not great yet,” said Hopkins. “He’s a good fighter with the potential to be great. He’s a candidate.” Hopkins, who enjoys touting his legacy at length, said there’s no comparison between the two fighters’ careers. “You’re dealing with a Harvard graduate and, on his record, a community college graduate,” said Hopkins.
Tickets: There are fewer than 4,000 tickets remaining for the Oct. 18 bout between Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The arena seats 12,000. Only 7,168 fans came to Boardwalk Hall for the June bout between Gary Lockett and Pavlik. Last September’s title fight between Pavlik and Jermain Taylor drew 10,127. Neither Taylor nor Lockett has a strong fan following, but Hopkins’ profile and his nearby Philadelphia roots make him a decent draw. “This is a really terrific matchup,” said Caesars Atlantic City representative Ken Condon. “Both fighters have a lot of support and you’re going to see excitement that you’ve never seen before.” The $500 and $350 tickets are sold out, but the $700, $200, $100 and $75 tickets remain. They can be purchased at the Chevy Centre box office today and Friday, at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or going online at www.Ticketmaster.com. Also, Loew is selling his ring-side seats for $700. Call (330) 501-5713.
T-shirts:You can buy Pavlik T-shirts at BW-3 in Boardman and Austintown, O’Donald’s in Austintown, Clemens Wine Cellar, Knoll Run Golf Course, Bedford Trails Golf Course, Jimmy’s Italian Food Specialties on Belmont Avenue, Cornersburg Italian Specialties, Patrone’s Landscaping in Girard and East Side Civics. They are also available online at www.teampavlik.com.
SEE ALSO:Pavlik rally draws lively crowd,Calm before the storm and Boxing hurt by lack of viable contenders.