‘Rocket Man’ next for ‘Ghost’

Kelly Pavlik won’t be fighting Elton John but Gary Lockett of Wales in June.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

Youngstown’s Kelly Pavlik will make his first middleweight title defense against the WBO’s No. 1 challenger, Gary “The Rocket Man” Lockett of Wales, on June 7 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, according to a source close to the Pavlik camp.

The fight, which will be broadcast by HBO, had not been officially announced because no contracts had been signed.

The fight is expected to be finalized sometime this week.

The 31-year-old Lockett (30-1, 21 KOs) holds a middleweight title from the World Boxing Union, a lightly regarded sanctioning body. He has never fought in the United States and has only fought once outside the United Kingdom, winning on points against Victor Kpadenue in Italy in 2005.

Pavlik (33-0, 29 KOs) holds the WBC and WBO titles. He has never fought in New York.

Lockett is relatively unknown to American boxing fans and has not beaten any big-name fighters. His lone defeat came at 154 pounds, losing a 12-round split decision to Yuri Tsarenko in 2002. He’s since won 14 straight bouts, including a second round TKO of journeyman Kai Kauramaki in December.

Lockett’s trainer is Enzo Calzaghe, the father of super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe.

At 6-foot-21⁄2, Pavlik will hold a sizeable height advantage over the 5-10 Lockett.

Money appears to have played a role in Lockett’s selection. Pavlik’s handlers had been considering five fighters, including the WBC’s No. 1 challenger, Giovanni Lorenzo. But Pavlik’s manager and promoter were determined to keep the asking price down.

Although no figures were released, it appears Lockett met that price.

Pavlik was originally expected to fight Irishman John Duddy, but those talks broke down after Duddy sustained cuts during a victory over Walid Smichet two weeks ago. A Pavlik fight with Duddy later in the year, in either November or December, is still possible.

Pavlik won both middleweight titles with a seventh-round knockout of Jermain Taylor last September in Atlantic City. He earned a 12-round unanimous decision against Taylor last month in Las Vegas, however the fight was at the 166-pound “catch weight,” meaning the titles were not on the line.

scalzo@vindy.com