Pavlik roundup \ News and notes

So, what’s next? Kelly Pavlik’s next bout will be against Marco Antonio Rubio, who won a WBC middleweight eliminator bout on Saturday’s undercard at Boardwalk Hall. The time and place will be negotiated later. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, whose company represents both fighters, said Cleveland and Atlantic City are both possibilities. “We’ll see what date we get for it, but that will be his next fight,” said Arum. “If he beats Rubio, he can fight [IBF champion] Arthur Abraham. Let’s keep him at middleweight and see where it goes. Then, when he gets another year or so under his belt, he can go up to 168.” Pavlik, who has fought six times since January of 2007, said he is definitely going back down to 160 pounds and has no problem with the Rubio bout. “That’s pretty much out there for my mandatory defense,” said Pavlik, who would risk losing the belt if he didn’t defend it over the next six months. He said his main priority is rest. Five of his last six bouts have been against quality opponents and the training grind has taken its toll. “I’ve put my body through a mean schedule the last year and a half,” he said. “I’ll definitely be back, but I’m just going to relax right now.”

Baby on board: Pavlik’s wife, Samantha, is five months pregnant with their second child, a son. They plan to name him Kelly Robert, just like his father. They also have a 21‚Ñ2 year-old daughter named Sydney Ellyse.

Bad for boxing? After the fight, Arum was asked whether Pavlik’s loss was a worst-case scenario for the sport of boxing. “No, come on, let’s not overdramatize it,” Arum said. “He lost the fight. He didn’t give a Kelly Pavlik-like performance and these things happen.” Pavlik’s trainer, Jack Loew, was asked whether Pavlik will no longer be the face of American boxing. “He still is the face of American boxing,” said Loew. “Come on, one loss isn’t the end of the world. He’s a professional athlete and he got beat tonight. That’s all it was.”

HBO replay: For those with a strong stomach, HBO will replay the Pavlik-Hopkins bout at midnight on Saturday. Other dates are: Oct. 26 (9:30 a.m. on HBO; 6 p.m. on HBO2), Oct. 27 (12:35 a.m. on HBO) and Oct. 28 (11 p.m. on HBO2).

Joe Scalzo