Pavlik Roundup

Paying tribute: Kelly Pavlik will wear navy blue trunks featuring the logos of the Youngstown Police Department and the Youngstown Fire Department for Saturday’s bout. His robe will feature the logo for the Mahoning County Sheriff’s department. One of Pavlik’s cornermen, Mike Cox, is a Youngstown cop. Pavlik’s father, Mike, said they wanted to show their appreciation for the greeting they received following the win over Jermain Taylor in September 2007. “It was the greatest feeling to see all those police cars and fire trucks waiting to escort us to our house,” Mike Pavlik said. “I still get goosebumps when I think about it.”

Odds-on favorite: Pavlik is a big favorite for Saturday’s bout. As of Thursday, you had to bet $500 on Pavlik just to win $100, while a $100 bet on Hopkins would earn $350. The serious money is on a Hopkins knockout of Pavlik — a $100 bet will earn $850. A Pavlik KO of Hopkins makes $200 on a $100 bet, while a Pavlik decision costs $130 to win $100.

More media: Pavlik will be on the Jim Rome Show today at 12:35 p.m. on 850-AM (Cleveland) or 970-AM (Pittsburgh). Pavlik’s piece on “Jim Rome Is Burning” will air today at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN. Also, there was a story on Pavlik in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal entitled “Portrait of a Knockout Artist.”

Browns fever: Kelly Pavlik is an avid Cleveland Browns fan, while his promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, is a huge New York Giants fan. After Pavlik gloated about Monday’s win, Arum laughed and said, “I talked to Brandon [Jacobs], I talked to Eli [Manning] and I told them my guy Kelly was fighting on Saturday, so I don’t want him disturbed. I told them to go easy on the Browns.”

Pay-per-view: Both fighters are guaranteed $3 million purses and will make more if the pay-per-view sales are high. Sales for February’s pay-per-view bout between Pavlik and Jermain Taylor were disappointing, but Arum is expecting good numbers this time. “If you give them a match that captures their imagination, and as long as you price things reasonably, people will spend money,” Arum said. “They still want to be entertained. You see the doom and gloom on the TV and the ticker and you have to get out and do other things. With pay-per-view, $50 is a lot of money in this economy. But if two couples or three couples chip in, it’s cheaper than going to the movies.”

Finally: Pavlik, whose paternal grandmother was Sicilian, will be honored as the Yogi Berra Athlete of the Year at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 1 in Chicago. Pavlik’s grandmother’s last name was LaPresta. Youngstown native Eddie DeBartolo Jr. is one of this year’s inductees. Boxing writer Bert Sugar will introduce Pavlik at the ceremonies.

Joe Scalzo