Title defense is next Pavlik’s next bout will be in the Big Apple

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

LAS VEGAS — Saturday’s fight had been over for an hour and Kelly Pavlik was finishing up his interviews in the MGM Grand media center when Jermain Taylor’s mother walked up to him with tears in her eyes.

“I just want to congratulate you,” she said, giving him a hug. “You’ve been so respectful to my son and treated him with class.”

Pavlik hugged her back and said, “No, thank you. You and your whole team have been so classy.

“He [Taylor] has a great future at 168.”

Saturday’s bout, which Pavlik won by unanimous decision, was fought at the 166-pound “catch weight,” but it was a temporary middle ground for two fighters heading in different weight directions.

Pavlik will move back down to defend his middleweight titles at 160, either against Puerto Rico’s Felix Trinidad or Ireland’s John Duddy on June 7 at Madison Square Garden. Taylor, meanwhile, will move up to the super middleweight level (168).

“I think I have a couple more fights in me at 160,” Pavlik said. “It took a long time to get them belts. I don’t want to hand those belts over yet. I’m not going to toss them away because of weight problems.

“When it becomes dangerous to keep making 160, we’ll go to 168.”

Added Top Rank Boxing chairman Bob Arum: “The middleweight championship is a sacred trust. Some of the greatest fighters in history were middleweight champions. It’s something you don’t discard unless you think you can’t make the weight anymore.

“Kelly believes he can.”

The super middleweight level, which features big names like Joe Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler, Roy Jones Jr. and, yes, Edison Miranda (who lost to Pavlik in May) is the more intriguing of the two divisions at the moment.

Many observers believe Duddy is a good, but not great, fighter who would be no match for the powerful Pavlik.

As for Trinidad, he’ll have fought once in three years — losing by unanimous decision to Roy Jones Jr. last month — and there are questions of whether he would even be sanctioned for a title fight.

“That has to be asked,” Arum said. “If he’s not sanctioned, he can’t fight for the middleweight title and therefore cannot be a candidate.

“The more intriguing question for me is can he [Trinidad] anymore get down to 160. If he can’t, no matter how attractive that fight is, it can’t be done.”

What makes the bout so attractive, aside from Trinidad’s reputation, is the fact that New York’s Puerto Rican parade would be the next day, which would help draw a big crowd to the Garden.

Pavlik is heading toward the biggest payday of his career — he made $2.5 million Saturday — but a Trinidad bout would air on pay-per-view and bring in bigger bucks than Duddy. A Duddy fight would either be on regular HBO or another network, Arum said.

After Saturday’s bout, Pavlik’s co-manager, Cameron Dunkin, was wandering around with paychecks, trying to make sure everyone got paid before they left. He spotted Mike Pavlik, Kelly’s father and co-manager, handed him his check and then gave him Kelly’s check, which was for just more than $1.6 million after taxes.

“I’m going to put it in my wallet,” said Mike, smiling. “I’m taking no chances this time.”

In September, Pavlik left his winning check in his hotel safe. He eventually got it, but not before it made national news.

“You’ve got $2 million right there,” Dunkin said. “Did you ever think? The next time, it’ll be $18 million if he fights [Felix] Trinidad.

“Bob said $20 million minimum.”

That’s serious cash. Pavlik is still breaking into boxing’s big time from a money standpoint, and he’s actually made less than Taylor in both fights. Taylor’s cut was $3 million Saturday.

Although Taylor is leaving the middleweight division, Arum would like to see the matchup become a trilogy.

“Jermain, this is not the last you’re going to see of us,” Arum said, looking at Taylor during the post-fight press conference. “Down the road, we’re going to do it again.”

scalzo@vindy.com