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Kelly Pavlik wants to send you a Knockout — sandwich, that is
The fighter and director of the Covelli Centre have opened a restaurant.
STRUTHERS — Instead of a devastating upper cut, Kelly Pavlik will serve sandwiches, hamburgers and chicken wings.
The middleweight boxing champion is branching out with the opening Friday of a restaurant and bar on South Bridge Street in Struthers.
“I’m excited,” Pavlik said. “I think it’s going to be great.”
Pavlik is an equal partner in the business with Eric Ryan, executive director of the Covelli Centre, who has owned the 16,000-square-foot building for the past 10 years.
The restaurant has been open for a few days, but this weekend is the official grand opening.
The Rage, a local cover band, will play downstairs in The Cellar tonight, and patrons can take in tonight’s pay-per-view bout between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez on one of the restaurant’s nine TVs or its 120-inch projector screen.
Pavlik and Ryan first discussed the idea about a year and a half ago, but plans didn’t start to materialize until about a year ago, Pavlik said.
“There were too many things going on with the fight game, and we didn’t want to take away anything from boxing,” Pavlik said. “Finally we put a little game plan together that wasn’t going to distract me from boxing, but still gave me some input.
“The best part is, we were all on the same page. There was no head-butting over ideas.”
“Kelly and I have been talking for quite a while about going into business,” Ryan added. “He loves restaurants so this is a perfect fit.”
The main floor, which used to be a pool hall, is now the 13th Round, a sports bar and grill that will include specialty sandwiches, such as “The Pav” and “The Knockout,” as well as chicken wings, hamburgers and a “lot of different beers,” Ryan said.
“The Pav” is corned beef, turkey or ham, sliced provolone cheese, french fries, lettuce, tomato, and coleslaw on thick-cut Italian bread.
“The Knockout” sandwich has 12 ounces of shaved turkey and ham, provolone, french fries, lettuce, tomato and coleslaw on an entire loaf of Italian bread. Those who buy the sandwich also get a “I got knocked out by the Knockout at Kelly Pavlik’s 13th Round” T-shirt.
The 13th Round features a 55-foot-long bar and the “ring of champions,” a 20-foot-by-20-foot boxing ring surrounded by ring ropes. Patrons can eat at tables inside the ring.
The restaurant and bar also has several large-screen televisions to show various sporting events.
The upper floor, formerly Fat E.’s, is now The Attic, a restaurant featuring everything from alligator to duck to chicken parmesan to Reuben sandwiches, Ryan said.
The menu was developed by Jeff Chrystal, executive chef at the Overture restaurant, owned by his wife, on West Federal Street in downtown Youngstown. Chrystal is The Attic’s chef.
“I’m very excited to make these changes,” Ryan said. “It’s a great thing for the community. Bringing Kelly on board and an owner gives us a fresh new start.”
The building’s bottom floor remains The Cellar, a live music venue and night club. Michael Stanley will perform there Oct. 17 and the Clarks are in concert Oct. 31.
“It’s three different types of places,” Pavlik said, “so there’s something for everyone.”
The location appealed to Pavlik, since it wouldn’t take away from Youngstown’s resurgent nightlife area but wouldn’t get lost among the dozens of restaurants along U.S. Route 224 in Boardman.
Because Pavlik is still hooked up to an IV drip — he’s recovering from surgery to remove staph infection from his hand — it’s unlikely he’ll make it to this weekend’s events, but he plans to attend often.
“I won’t be flipping burgers,” he said, laughing. “But I’ll be around, saying hi to people.”
Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) is hoping to resume light training — running, weights, pickup basketball — in the next week in preparation for his Dec. 5 middleweight title fight against Paul Williams.
Training camp will officially open on Oct. 12, but Pavlik and his trainer, Jack Loew, want to begin sooner.
“Within a week, I should be able to go out and hit the road again,” he said. “Then I’m ready to get back in there and get working.
“I want to put a whupping on this boy.”
skolnick@vindy.com
scalzo@vindy.com