Pavlik speaks

Logically, negotiations for this tournament probably started 4-5 months ago. The Abraham/Simon fight happened about that time. In the aftermath of that fight Arthur's trainer, Ui Wegner, said that version of Arthur would have no chance against Kelly Pavlik.

After the Simon fight is when the crying about weight drain became very prominent. Rumours about Arthur's weight problems have been around forever, but they really got serious with that story after Abraham's poor performance in the Simon fight. They cried and cried about Arthur losing 10 kilos, 22 pounds, about the same as Pavlik who walks around between 175-180.

When rumours of a Pavlik/Sturm fight emerged, Sauerland/Abraham said they would be fine with a date early next year.

As negotiations for the tourney, and Abraham's place in it continued, Arthur fought Mahir Oral. In the aftermath of the Oral fight Kalle Sauerland told Boxing Scene Arthur was fine with the weight, and he would stay at 160 for a Pavlik fight.

About one week later the news of the tournament broke, and along with it, the news that Arthur's first opponent would be two-time Pavlik victim Jermain Taylor, a man who lost 3 of his last 4 fights.

Sauerland/Abraham played Arum/Pavlik like a cheap fiddle. In so doing they built a huge myth around Arthur. That myth is based on knocking out winos, prosepects, and club fighters, and the illusion that KP ducked AA. Sauerland could not possibley let Pav in the tournament, because his presence would destroy the abra-monster mythology. I'm sure Kelly fully realizes that now, and if it were me, I'd be pissed off too.

We now know that HBO offered $2 million for Pavlik/Sturm. We also know that Sauerland's offer to Sturm was legit, because Sauerland posted a signed fax on the internet to prove himself. There is no such proof that Sauerland ever negotiated with Arum in good faith. If he did, show me the numbers.

 

I like Kelly Pavlik. I predicted he would KTFO Taylor and thought he'd do it easier the second time.

But his new attitude since the Hopkins fight kinda shows his true colors. It seems to me that he wants to stay at 160 where there is no competition for him. He's delusional if he thinks he's going to get paid big for fighting the Gary Locketts and Marco Antonio Rubios of the world. Some world beaters those guys are. :roll:

Mora and Duddy fights won't get him big HBO paydays either. Sturm is a no risk win for him -- his people know it, HBO knows it, and most boxing fans know it. Sturm also has no name in the US, and KP's name is tarnished (unfairly imo) after the Hopkins pasting he took.

He is the true Middleweight champion of the world, but there would have been no shame in him pushing Arum to get him included in the Super 6 tournament. His Middleweight reign would not have been hurt one bit, because he would be coming into the tournament with that status as a marketing tool. And he wouldn't have to keep draining to make 160 anymore either.

KP sounds like he wants to move up when all the threats have eradicated themselves. When 168 thins out to the point where 160 is now, then he'll move up. :roll: Until then, he better start looking at fighting somebody for a little bit less, because at the rate he's going he'll be sitting on his ass for a long while. He needs to stop being bitter and fight somebody.

 

YES!!! that is the long and short of this whole damn thing. what good would aa be to sauerland w/ a loss on his record at 160 to pav in terms of negotiating for aa's entry in the tourney?? (for the record, even aa fans have to admit that pav would at least have a chance of beating aa at 160)

this tourney is soooo much bigger than a pav/aa fight. sauerland knows this...**** everyone knows it. so how could sauerland have been on the level when he said he wanted pav at 160 KNOWING DAMN WELL that if aa were to lose to pav at 160, he would be worthless as it relates to negotiating leverage for a 168lb tourney.

it was brilliant, actually, for sauerland to have pulled this off. very grudgingly, i take my hat off to him...and say to myself...what the **** was arum thinking knowing this tourney was gonna be made, knowing pav wasnt invited, and knowing that the mw that was invited has made his name saying he was ducked by my guy???

 

Why is he crying about how much HBO will pay him? He can just do more PPVs like the latest Rubio PPV. Oh..wait how much did he make for that PPV? :smoke If he was really worth as much as he claims, then his PPV numbers would show it no matter what.

Kelly's starting to sound like a true whiner after the Hopkins fight. And I mean it started in his post fight interview right after that fight. Never thought I'd say that about such a hardworking, blue collar, no nonsense fighter like him.

I just wish he'd get back in the ring and make another KO streak, which will pick up from where he left off with the Rubio TKO. This stuff he's doing now is out of character....I hope.

 

One problem with your theory and thats Kelly Pavlik whining and crying about gaining weight for the Hopkins fight. I seem to remember clearly that argument became the "big excuse" Kelly used for his loss to Hopkins. Even Arum was on tv saying who would never let Kelly fight above his natural weight again.

I willing to bet you money in hand. That Kelly and Arum thought that entering the tournament would make them look like hypocrites. So they ignored the tournament. And made up the "non invited story" to save face.

You can hate on Abraham all you want Booradhley. But at least he's putting his undefeated record on the line against top opponents. Who are heavier and taller than him. Its fitting his first opponent is Taylor. That way the fight that was supposed to happen at middleweight can finally happen. After that the road just gets harder for Abraham.

 

Pavlik's bashing of Showtime was over the top, but let's consider a couple things.

1) Pavlik's new contract with Top Rank includes 3 fights on HBO.

2) And you can write this one down: The winner of this tournament will fight Bute, Pavlik, or both ON HBO; guaranteed.

 

10 kilos isn't 15 pounds, it is 22, and Kelly usually comes in at about 169-171 on fight night.

 

edit

 

Correction noted, and edited.

 

Good question; can Arum deliver what he promised?

 

And who gives a **** if the winner will fight on HBO? The tourney is on Showtime and not on HBO, so boxing fans will watch Showtime in the Middleweight neighbourhood, end of story. In the meantime, expect HBO to turn down many Moras. And if Pavlik will turn down more HBO offers - and they are in the business for a long time to know how much a fighter deserves - he won't even fight on the network he loves so much.

 

HBO also has the right to reject any fight they want. Like the crappy Sergio Mora/Pavlik that Arum was dangling to them. Which HBO responded to with a "how dumb do you think we are?". Right now HBO only wants a tough challenger for Pavlik. Too bad his promoter wants no part of it.

Bute maybe but Pavliks stock has dropped thanks to his inactivity and his attitude. He needs to fight a top ten rank fighter at SMW to at least be in line with anybody in the tournament. I hear Allan Green is available.

 

There was no excuse. All Team Pavlik said after the fight was that Hopkins wasn't that tricky, only they fought poorly on the night. They never made any "excuses". The "excuse" (which wasn't even raised by Team Pavlik, but by writers) was that Pavlik was ill and had sustained an elbow injury in training which prevented him from sparring.