Pavlik’s next opponent still a mystery

By John Kovach

Trainer Jack Loew would prefer the champ’s next fight to be held in October.

YOUNGSTOWN — Trainer Jack Loew doesn’t know who will be undefeated middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik’s next challenger.

Loew said Thursday that there are six or seven fighters being mentioned as possible Pavlik opponents, and that more names could crop up within the next few weeks.

But Loew does know that if the fight is going to be Sept. 27 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, he has to know by the middle of July, and Pavlik has to begin training by the second week of August.

However, Loew prefers Pavlik wait until October to fight next, even if that later bout may be Oct. 18 at the Thomas Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Responding to a story on ESPN.com that Sergio Mora may be Pavlik’s next opponent, Loew countered that, “There is a list of six or seven guys we are looking at as possible opponents. I don’t know who we are fighting and Top Rank doesn’t know who we are fighting.”

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said in the ESPN.com article that he supports a Pavlik-Mora fight, and listed the September or October date for the fight.

Mora won the junior middleweight title by upending Vernon Forrest June 7, and is the first-season winner of the TV boxing reality show “The Contender.”

Loew said the five main candidates to fight Pavlik are Mora, Marco Antonio Rubio, Bernard Hopkins, Winky Wright and Paul Williams, but John Duddy is not being considered.

“Duddy is not creditable enough. He has to get back on the winning streak,” Loew said.

The ESPN.com article claimed Joe Calzaghe of Wales, the light heavyweight and super middldeweight champion, had been Pavlik’s top preference as his next opponent. But Calzaghe doesn’t want to fight Pavlik, who would have jumped up to the super middleweight class for the bout.

Regardless of Pavlik’s next opponent, Loew would like for the fight to be in October so that Pavlik can have more time to rest.

It has been only about three weeks since Pavlik knocked out Gary Lockett June 7 in Atlantic City in his first title defense.

“I would not want to rush into his next fight. I would rather that he fight in October,” said Loew, also pointing out that the Sept. 27 date “isn’t even fixed. It could be in October. I have a feeling it will be in October.”

However, Loew would like to see the fight in Atlantic City.

“I’d love to fight in Atlantic City. It was great for the Youngstown people,” said Loew of the big area following Pavlik has attracted.

Meanwhile, Mora has gained some measure of fame and notoriety by winning “The Contender” and beating the favored Forrest to win the junior middleweight title.

Mora told the New York Daily News he isn’t interested in defending the WBC 154-pound title.

“I think it’s a horrible division,” Mora said of the junior middleweights. “I’m going back up to middleweight. I can’t make anything happen here [154 pounds]. There aren’t any exciting fights. If we can make exciting happen I’ll do it. But it’s an ugly division.”

kovach@vindy.com