FULL OF POSSIBILITIES

By Joe Scalzo

A middleweight title defense in Cleveland on June 20? Moving up a weight class? Unifying the title? Kelly Pavlik’s future is …

When it comes to Kelly Pavlik’s immediate future, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum is more interested in making the right fight than the best fight.

Following Pavlik’s TKO of Marco Antonio Rubio on Saturday at the Chevy Center in Youngstown, Arum said he will pursue a title defense in Cleveland, possibly on June 20, against contenders Sergio Mora, Vernon Forrest or John Duddy.

A win could then set up a showdown with WBA middleweight champ Felix Sturm of Germany in the fall.

“Kelly has a lot of good opponents in the middleweight division,” said Arum, Pavlik’s promoter. “But Kelly should be able to dominate any middleweight he faces.”

The “best” fight would probably be against IBF champion Arthur Abraham. But Abraham would either want to fight in Germany, or would ask for a lot of money to fight in America.

“The problem is, the public doesn’t know who he [Abraham] is,” said Arum. “He sounds like he’s Bernie Madoff’s accountant.”

Pavlik has said repeatedly he’d like to unify the middleweight titles before moving up in weight class and Sturm — who will fight Koji Sato on April 25 — has made more reasonable demands, Arum said.

“That fight is doable by the end of the year on good financial terms,” said Arum.

It bugs Pavlik that some (although not many) boxing observers have Abraham ranked above him in the middleweight division, but Pavlik is reluctant to fight overseas, worried that he won’t get a fair shake.

“It’s pointless for me to fight in Germany in his hometown for peanuts when the only way I’ll get a win is if they take him out on a stretcher,” Pavlik said. “Even if I win all 12 rounds, they’ll give him the win. It happens all the time overseas.

“I want the fight if his people can come to terms and it’s the right fight. As of right now, I’d almost be committing suicide by taking a dangerous fight for nothing.”

So, in the interim, Pavlik’s handlers will pursue a bout with an up-and-coming contender.

A Cleveland fight, most likely at Quicken Loans Arena, would allow Pavlik and his fans to stay close and fight in a bigger arena with cheaper tickets. Arum would have to work around the Cavs’ playoff schedule, but they could stage a fight during the NBA Finals, which doesn’t have Saturday games.

Arum ruled out an outdoor bout in Youngstown.

“I’m against outdoor venues,” he said. “I’ve been through so many scary moments with rain. I have horror stories to tell.”

One other option is a Pavlik-Duddy fight in Madison Square Garden. The Irishman has a big following in New York.

“There’s a lot of names out there,” said Pavlik. “We’ll see what happens and what opens up.”

One name Arum eliminated was Paul Williams, who nearly fought Pavlik last fall. Arum said Williams “jerked us around for a month,” prompting Top Rank to make the fight with Bernard Hopkins instead.

“I don’t think Kelly should step in the same ring as Paul Williams and give him the opportunity to make a pay day,” Arum said.

Although Pavlik hasn’t looked quite as sharp during his forays above middleweight, he didn’t rule out an eventual move to super middleweight.

“I can’t stay skinny forever,” he said. “I’m getting older and I’m not growing this way [taller] anymore.”

scalzo@vindy.com