Pavlik Title Defense

By Joe Scalzo

After unpleasant trip, champ makes it to Atlantic City

Kelly Pavlik’s opponent, Gary Lockett, believes he can win away the title from the Youngstown champion.

About 4 p.m. Wednesday, Gary Lockett’s chances of avoiding a knockout from Kelly Pavlik were looking better than they had in months.

The reason? Kelly Pavlik and his trainer, Jack Loew, were stuck in traffic inside a limo on their way down from Manhattan to Atlantic City.

“Right now, we’re real miserable,” said Loew by cell phone. “It was supposed to take two hours and we’ve been stuck in traffic on the New Jersey turnpike somewhere for well over an hour.

“I have no idea where we are. I don’t know where the [heck] the freeway is.”

Team Pavlik eventually arrived at their hotel at Caesar’s around 7, so you can scratch off “Pavlik never makes it to Atlantic City” from the list of possible ways for Lockett to win Saturday evening’s middleweight title fight.

The way most people view it, there aren’t many other possibilities for Lockett to pull the upset.

Just don’t tell him — or his trainer, Enzo Calzaghe — that.

“We didn’t come to Atlantic City for a holiday,” Calzaghe said at Wednesday’s press conference in New York. “We trained 16 weeks and you’re going to find out on Saturday night that dreams come true.”

Added Lockett, “Chills go down my spine every time I think about Saturday night. I still can’t believe I’m fighting for the middleweight championship of the world.

“But a lot of dreams of mine are going to come true on Saturday night.”

Lockett (30-1, 21 KOs) and Calzaghe have traded barbs across the pond with Loew for the last few weeks, but much of the trash talking has been lighthearted. Calzaghe gave Loew a hug prior to the press conference and wished him good luck. Afterward they posed for some pictures.

Pavlik (33-0, 29 KOs) has mostly avoided the barbs and told reporters he’s expecting Lockett to fight the bout of his life.

“I’m prepared for the best Gary Lockett ever,” said Pavlik. “People ask me, how do I get up for a fight like this? It took me seven years to win this title and that long road to the championship is all I need.

“I just think about that every time I get in the ring training.”

Although the fight isn’t expected to be a close one, most observers expect it to be an exciting one. Lockett and Pavlik are both offensive fighters with good power.

That, according to Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, is why people are drawn to Pavlik.

“Kelly Pavlik represents all that is good in boxing and all that is good in America,” the longtime promoter said. “He doesn’t dance. He doesn’t have a big mouth.

“He delivers what he promises — a good fight.”

scalzo@vindy.com