UPDATE: YSG, BW3's has the PPV; Downtown 36, Barley's do not

BOARDMAN — Vindicator Business Editor Don Shilling is reporting that the Youngstown Sports Grille is receiving the pay-per-view which will feature tonight’s Kelly Pavlik vs. Miguel Espino bout live from Youngstown State University’s Beeghly Center.

However, reports from downtown maintain that Downtown 36 and Barley’s do not have the PPV signal.

Mike Benner of New Castle was among the “good crowd” on hand at YSG some two hours before the Pavlik main event and he said he was delighted the sports bar was showing the fight.

“I think everybody should see this fight,” Benner said. “I think everyone in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania should stand behind their champion.”

Also showing a preliminary bout on the PPV feed were Buffalo Wild Wings at locations in Boardman and Youngstown. Frank Cavelli, general manager of the Boardman location, said the company’s regional manager was told by the closed-circuit operator that locations that had paid for the event before Saturday would be allowed to show it.

Then he knocked on a piece of wood and said he hoped the feed would not be pulled when the Pavlik fight started.

YSG and Buffalo Wild Wings both were charging a $5 cover fee for the event.

The news that the YSG and BW3’s were showing the fight while others cannot caps more than 24 hours of confusion after Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said that because the fight is not a sellout, that bars would be unable to show the broadcast PPV. Earlier this evening, Top Rank brass and officials from G&G Closed Circuit Events LLC. in California repeated the announcement that the fight would be blacked out in local bars.

The Vindicator is continuing to monitor area bars to see who is showing the fight.