Pavlik’s parents keep things low key leading up to Saturday’s fight

By Joe Scalzo | February 18, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

Photo

YOUNGSTOWN — On Nov. 2, 2006, Kelly Pavlik’s mother, Debbie, stood inside a chilly Chevrolet Centre bathroom, too nervous to go into the arena to watch her son fight Lenord Pierre.

“Oh my goodness, I could hear the fans clapping and screaming and then it would get all quiet and I thought, ‘Oh God, he got hurt,’” said Debbie, whose son won by fourth-round TKO. “It was just terrible.”

Debbie, who has yet to see her son fight live, has made other plans for Saturday’s fight.

“I’m staying home,” she said. “I’d rather be in my nice warm house.”

Debbie plans to babysit her three grandchildren, watch some movies and keep her mind off that evening’s events. She will order the pay-per-view — the Pavliks pay the same $44.95 fee as everyone else — but only so she can go back and watch it later.

In the meantime, she’ll watch the clock and wait for her husband or one of her sons to call and tell her what happened.

The first 34 times that happened, she got good news. In October, she didn’t as Pavlik lost to Bernard Hopkins in Atlantic City.

“I was heartbroken for Kelly,” said Debbie, who hasn’t watched the Hopkins fight — and doesn’t plan to. “I was glad to hear he didn’t get hurt.

“I figured he would be devastated, but I’ll tell you what, that kid is something special. Things just roll off him. Life went on and he was laughing and telling jokes. Nothing seems to bother him. He’s easy-going, which is a good way to be in that profession.”

Pavlik has fought six times since the Pierre fight, in four different states, but there’s little difference in Pavlik’s routine in the days leading up to this week’s fight, said his father and co-manager, Mike Sr.

“We’ve still got a lot of business to take care of,” Mike Sr. said. “The only difference is, we’re doing it out of our home instead of the hotel room.”

The last few weeks have been “extremely low key,” Mike Sr. said, which is by design. Team Pavlik drastically cut back on media access (at least until the last week) and there are no travel hassles.

The rest of the pre-fight routine is pretty similar.

“We made a lot of decisions after the last fight and we stuck to our guns,” said Mike Sr. “Everybody is focused on the task at hand.

“Of course, nobody has to tell Kelly what’s at stake or what’s in front of him.”

Over the past weeks, Pavlik spent mornings and afternoons either in training or with his wife and daughter. Then, around 7 p.m., he went to his parents’ house.

“I am the jailer,” Mike Sr. quipped.

Debbie said she’s noticed more energy around town leading up to the fight.

“I go grocery shopping — nobody knows who I am — but I hear people talking about my son and the fight and everybody’s getting into the spirit,” she said.

The biggest headaches have been ticket-related. Because the $50 and $100 tickets sold so quickly, the Pavliks have been bombarded with ticket requests. But before tickets went on sale, they told Top Rank they didn’t want a huge block of tickets to resell. In fact, Kelly said he bought tickets online for his in-laws.

“We still get people here and there asking for tickets,” Pavlik said. “The atmosphere is pretty hyped, pretty electric, but we’ve kept things as low-key as we can.”

Pavlik will move into a hotel room today — partly due to tradition and partly to avoid distractions — but he will still see his family.

Pavlik’s wife, Samantha, is pregnant with their first son, Kelly Robert, and she’s due soon after Saturday’s bout. They also have a 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Sydney Ellyse.

“There’s added pressure for this fight because it’s in Youngstown,” said Mike Sr. “But it’s more enjoyable to work out of here.

“At least when I’m here, I have at least half an idea where I’m going or what I’m doing.”