Boxing Insider: Pavlik will sign deal with Arum

Written by: admin on 16th March 2010

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CLEVELAND, Ohio — All is forgiven in boxing. While it appeared Youngstown's Kelly Pavlik and promoter Bob Arum were not on the same page, they apparently will be after Pavlik signs a new contract with Arum's Las Vegas-based Top Rank Inc. Even though Arum scrapped Pavlik's June 27 title defense against Sergio Mora, much to the fighter's chagrin, the…

David Richard/Associated PressKelly Pavlik, seen here after a TKO victory over Marco Antonio Rubio last February in Youngstown, has renewed his ties with boxing promoter Bob Arum.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — All is forgiven in boxing.

While it appeared Youngstown’s Kelly Pavlik and promoter Bob Arum were not on the same page, they apparently will be after Pavlik signs a new contract with Arum’s Las Vegas-based Top Rank Inc. Even though Arum scrapped Pavlik’s June 27 title defense against Sergio Mora, much to the fighter’s chagrin, the two have made up and will ink a new two-year pact.

Pavlik, who signed his first professional contract with Arum in 1999, had his deal ready to expire in May 2010. Reworking the deal for the next two years, through May 2011, means Pavlik expects to get the big paydays that should set him up in good financial shape sooner rather than later.

Arum called off the bout against Mora two weeks ago because he thought Pavlik was still hampered by a staph infection in one of his hands. The fighter said that was not the case, and it appeared the two sides were getting testy, to say the least.

Now that is all behind them.

Arum said he will try to reschedule the Mora bout in September, then line up a match between Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) and undefeated IBF champ Arthur Abraham (29-0, 23 KOs). WBA champ Felix Sturn (31-2-1, 13 KOs) is also out there.

Around the ring: WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KOs) continued his title reign with a solid unanimous decision against game Juan Urango (21-2-1, 16 KOs) on Saturday in Florida. Scores were 117-111, 118-110 and 118-110. . . . On the same HBO card, former champ Kermit Cintron (30-2-1, 27 KOs) bested Alfred Angulo (15-1, 12 KOs) in a slugfest. All three judges sided for Cintron, 116-112. . . . Saturday’s WBA heavyweight title fight between Nikolai Valuev and challenger Ruslan Chagaev was canceled in Helsinki, Finland, because Chagaev tested positive for hepatitis. Both sides are arguing, but you will get no argument that most folks don’t care about it. Former champ John Ruiz is demanding he be given another title shot by the end of the summer. . . . Forced to make a mandatory title defense against no-name and no-money Tavoris Cloud, IBF light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs) decided to give up that title and move on to fights for better money. . . . With everyone wanting to get in on the act, WBA welterweight champ “Sugar” Shane Mosley said he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao and is willing to do it at the catch weight of 144 pounds.

Amateur shows: Akron’s Good Shepherd Athletic Club has a card set for Saturday at its facility, 940 N. Howard St., in Akron at 5:30 p.m. Call coach Gary Arnold at 330-384-0533.

Cleveland’s Old School Boxing Club will put on bouts at its Masonic Temple training site, 2831 Franklin Blvd., in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood June 13 at 7:30 p.m. Contact Donyelle Bell at 216-357-1866.

This date: Carlos Monzon decisioned Emile Griffith to retain his middleweight title in Monte Carlo in 1973. Mansfield’s Prince Charles Williams, who held the IBF light heavyweight title from 1989 to 1993, was born in 1962.

Reading list: Cleveland’s Jim Carney has written “Ultimate Tough Guy” (Achill Publishing, $19.95), a biography of “the life and times of James J. Jeffries.” Carney examines Jeffries’ career and especially his controversial bout against Jack Johnson on July 4, 1910.

It’s available through jimjeffriesboxing.com and Amazon.com.

Records: If you prefer to have your boxing records in hand, the 2009 Fight Fax Record Book’s 26th edition is out. The 434-page book costs $55 and shipping. Call 856-627-1356 or go to spboxing.com.

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