"I told him, `Understand that this is borrowed time. Same people that are calling you champ on the way in are calling you bum on the way out. So enjoy it. One day the headline, next day the bread line. Enjoy it. Whether it's a day, a month, a year, 10 years, whatever, it's borrowed time,"' Mancini said. "Two, I told him, `You have to understand that you have to respect the contract you signed,"' Mancini said. "And I said, `The contract you signed is with the people of Youngstown. And that contract stated that you if you can come root for me, cheer for me, help cheer me on, I'll go in the ring and fight for you as hard as I can and represent you the best possible way."' http://www2.presstelegram.com/ci_8245405 Pavlik fighting for more than respect Champion's hometown fueling him to keep on impressive streak. By Robert Morales, Staff writer 02/13/2008 This content is protected Middleweight boxer Kelly Pavlik poses in front of a locomotive train in Youngstown, Ohio. Pavlik will face Jermain Taylor in a rematch, set in Las Vegas. Pavlik won their first bout. (Al Bello / Getty Images) Kelly Pavlik is nothing like most superstars, who embrace the attention their celebrity brings. But he is a superstar, make no mistake about it. Especially in the hearts of the faithful in his native Youngstown, Ohio, a city in the northeastern part of the state that still has not recovered from the decline of its steel industry in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. It's also taken some recent hits, what with the financial problems of General Motors and auto parts maker Delphi in nearby Lordstown and Warren. But Youngstown received an emotional shot in the arm when Pavlik got up from a second-round knockdown to viciously knock out Jermain Taylor in the seventh to win the middleweight championship last September in Atlantic City. Pavlik was one punch from being knocked out, then did the knocking out. "I haven't hit the stature of an Oscar De La Hoya or Britney Spears yet," Pavlik said, laughing. He will take on Taylor in a rematch Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. A mild-mannered fellow, this 6-foot-2, 25-year-old. A regular guy. "I like to do things around the house, spend time with my daughter," he said. "I don't like the limelight, like the (Floyd) Mayweathers. There's no one following me around with a camera." If Pavlik continues on this course, there will be. But only if he does things the right way. He must be able to handle the pressure that comes with being the darling of a city in dire need of something to shout about. When Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini of Youngstown won a world lightweight championship in May 1982, one steel mill had largely cut its operation, another had withdrawn completely and yet another was on its way to bankruptcy. "It's reminiscent of when I won the title in a sense," Mancini said. "At that time the mills shut down. It was only a couple of years removed from that. And the town was on its (behind). So they lived vicariously through me and I fed off of them. "And I think now with the problems General Motors is having and Delphi, again the town's on its heels. And they live vicariously through Kelly. And again, he's feeding off of them. It's wonderful to see that. Northeast Ohio in general, people live vicariously through their athletes. When the Cleveland Browns left (in 1996 to return in 1999), it was like a funeral for years." Mancini said he got a chance to talk to Pavlik at a function a couple of months ago. He said he explained to Pavlik how important it is to give everything he has when he fights because that's what he signed up for when he became a champion from Youngstown. "I told him, `Understand that this is borrowed time. Same people that are calling you champ on the way in are calling you bum on the way out. So enjoy it. One day the headline, next day the bread line. Enjoy it. Whether it's a day, a month, a year, 10 years, whatever, it's borrowed time,"' Mancini said. "Two, I told him, `You have to understand that you have to respect the contract you signed,"' Mancini said. "And I said, `The contract you signed is with the people of Youngstown. And that contract stated that you if you can come root for me, cheer for me, help cheer me on, I'll go in the ring and fight for you as hard as I can and represent you the best possible way."' When Pavlik (32-0 29 KOs) arrived in Youngstown after his destruction of Taylor, the front of the Pavlik home was a sight to behold. "The day we came back from Atlantic City there was literally - and I am not kidding about this - a line of people at our front door," said Mike Pavlik, Kelly's father and co-manager. "They had arm-loads of pictures, posters and hats. Everyone wanted Kelly's autograph." It reminds Pavlik's promoter, Bob Arum, of Marvin Hagler's odyssey. Hagler, one of the all-time middleweight greats, hailed from Brockton, Mass. He fought from 1973-87 and became champion when he traveled to London and stopped Alan Minter in the third round in September 1980. "When Marvin went over to England and beat Minter, when he came back he was the toast of New England," Arum said. "A tremendous following came. And whenever Marvin subsequently fought in Las Vegas, you could count on five-, six-thousand New England people coming to Vegas." Pavlik was courted by everyone upon his return. He tossed the coin at a Browns game, was invited to an Ohio State football game and to chew the fat with the Indians during their participation in the World Series. Could it all be so overwhelming that Pavlik's head is in the clouds? Don't think so, he said. "Being in that ring is no joke," he said. I know that and so my focus is 100 percent. Fan support is great and it does help. But at the same time, I mean, I'm the one in that ring fighting. So I don't let it get to me at all." Not even chatting with his precious Indians can blur his vision. "It's neat and it's awesome to see that type of stuff," he said. "But at the same time, when training starts and it's time to start focusing on the fight, that's what we gotta focus on. Overwhelming? No. But it's just awesome to go meet your favorite teams, your favorite sports franchise. "That's all awesome, but come fight time it's time to focus." The middleweight division has always been Arum's favorite. He has promoted many of the best, including Hagler. Arum said Pavlik has the tools to be the best middleweight he's seen in his 40-plus years a promoter. Pavlik's goal is to indeed become one of the all-time greats. Arum said he's convinced that Pavlik's head is in the right place to reach that plateau. He said that's why he has not lectured Pavlik about the trials and tribulations of staying champion once one gets there. "Somebody asked me, about a week ago, what advice I gave Kelly once he won the title," Arum said. "And I said, `Look, you don't have to give advice to Kelly because he's so grounded and he's such a humble, nice kid that he knows instinctively to do the right thing.' "It's just like you don't have to give advice to Eli Manning after he won the Super Bowl because Eli knows to act decently and he's a terrific kid. Well, so is Kelly." That doesn't mean Pavlik won't be feeling the heat. In the ring Saturday he will be dealing with Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs), a fighter who desperately wants to avenge his only defeat. Outside the ring, whether in the stands or at home on television, the people of Youngstown will be on the edge of their respective seats. They will cringe at every punch Pavlik takes, and cheer with ever one he lands. "It is a big support and I'm glad to see that and I'm glad to see the people of Youngstown back on their feet again," Pavlik said. "And what we gotta do is sit there and just keep giving them something to cheer about. Yeah, there is definitely pressure. "Right now there ain't much else going on in Youngstown. We're definitely trying to keep the positivity up."
Pavlik is a great story. His connection with Youngstown is something to see. It reminds me of fighters in the 30's and 40's who fought for pride and honor, something you don't see a ton of anymore. Mancini was blue collar but he also had the pizazz and matinee looks to go with the blood and guts. Pavlik is no glam and all iron. I hope he beats Taylor again and takes another step towards the mainstream. A guy like Pavlik can only help boxing.
Thanks for the article, C Basilio. No time to read now, so I'll dig into it later. :good (((((((KP by KO))))))