• “The Ghost”
• Updated 8/6/08
• Age: 26 (4-5-82)
• Residence: Youngstown, Ohio
• Birthplace: Youngstown, Ohio
• Record: 34-0, 30 KOs
• Height: 6’2”v
• Reach: 75”
• Managers: Michael Pavlik (father), Cameron Dunkin
• Trainer: Jack Loew

(34-0, 30 KOs)…

World championship fights: 2-0, 2 KOs...

WBC, WBO middleweight world champion, one successful defense...

The Ring middleweight world champion...

Boxing Writers Association of America “2007 Fight of the Year” – Pavlik TKO7 Taylor...

Former NABF middleweight champion, two successful defenses…

1999 U.S. National Under-19 amateur champion, 147 pounds…

1998 National Jr. Golden Gloves amateur champion, 147 pounds…

1998 National Jr. PAL amateur champion, 147 pounds…

At the age of 26, Kelly is an eight-year pro. The WBC, WBO, and The Ring middleweight champion of the world, he won the titles in September, 2007, with a sensational knockout victory against previously undefeated defending champion Jermain Taylor. The fight was voted “2007 Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

In his last fight in June, 2008, he knocked out WBO mandatory challenger Gary Lockett in the third round.

After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com: “Pavlik did look terrific. He was strong, seemed to make weight without too many problems and displayed a fantastic jab. With Floyd Mayweather announcing his retirement, Oscar De La Hoya a fight or two from retirement and the American heavyweight star non-existent, Pavlik is the centerpiece of American boxing.”

Kelly won the middleweight world titles in September, 2007, with a sensational knockout victory in his first fight against Taylor.

After the fight, Fightwriter.com’s Graham Houston reported [excerpts]: It takes a special kind of fighter to drag himself off the floor and come back from the brink of defeat to batter his way to victory. Kelly Pavlik is such a fighter.

In Pavlik’s middleweight championship fight against Jermain Taylor...it seemed that the defending champion was just one square-on punch away from victory in the dramatic second round. He could not land it and Pavlik, having survived the worst crisis of his career, never looked back before finally pounding Taylor to his knees in the seventh round.

It was a thrilling, memorable, blood-and-guts triumph for the 25-year-old from Youngstown, Ohio, whose will was unbreakable. MC Michael Buffer described this as one of the greatest middleweight championship bouts in boxing history.

It was certainly among the most riveting.

The best of Pavlik, I feel, is yet to come.”

Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: What a great night for boxing and what a great night for Pavlik. He must have felt like he was at home in his beloved Youngstown, Ohio, because it seemed like half the city arrived on the Jersey shore for the fight. He was the overwhelming crowd favorite among the 10,127 who poured into Boardwalk Hall to witness one of the fights of the year.

Besides being a terrific young fighter, he’s going to be the attraction Taylor never became.

Pavlik’s victory is a testament to promoter Top Rank. Bob Arum and his staff, notably president Todd duBoef, matchmakers Bruce Trampler and Brad Goodman and publicist Lee Samuels, are the very best in the sport at taking a raw prospect (Pavlik was 18 when he signed) and building him properly to make sure he is not only ready to fight for a world title, but also ready to win it. Pavlik had much better professional experience under his belt when he fought for the title than Taylor did and perhaps that’s one of the reasons the fight turned out like it did.

Whatever Pavlik decides to do, he has become must-see TV and emerged as one of the sport’s most exciting fighters.

At the press conference after the fight, Kelly said, “It was another fight where I showed my heart. He came to fight. He has speed and a punch. It just turned out all good. We’re not done yet. We’ve got a lot more exciting fights coming up.”

His webpage address is: www.teampavlik.com.

Key Fights – 2008 – 1ST WBC-WBO M WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - in his last fight on 6-7-08 in Atlantic City, NJ, he TKO’d WBO mandatory challenger Gary Lockett (30-1): the fight headlined at Boardwalk Hall, and Kelly dominated; Kelly scored two knockdowns in the 2nd round – both with a series of right hands - when Lockett went to one knee at two different times; Lockett’s nose was also bloodied and he was cut over his left eye in the round; Kelly scored another knockdown when Lockett went to one knee in the 3rd, and Lockett’s corner threw in the towel to stop the fight at 1:40; after the fight, Kelly said, “He had good power. My jab was working and it helped me set up a lot of things - it stopped him in his tracks. I was catching him with good shots. He was smart to take a knee when I hit him. I knew each time he took a knee I had buzzed him.”...

On 2-16-08 in Las Vegas, NV, he won a 12 round unanimous decision in the non-title rematch against former WBC, WBO and The Ring middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (27-1-1): the fight headlined at the MGM Grand and drew a reported attendance of 7,706; it was a fast-paced, exciting fight, and several rounds were close, but Kelly constantly pressed forward behind a stiff jab and consistently outworked Taylor; he bloodied Taylor’s nose in the 5th round, but his own nose was bloodied in the 6th; Taylor fought effectively in bursts, scored with hard punches, and rallied in the middle rounds, but Kelly staggered him with a right hand in the 11th and finished the 12th round strongly, and Taylor’s right eye was swollen nearly shut at the final bell; scored 117-111, 116-112, 115-113; after the fight, Kelly said, “Jermain taking the rematch made the sport better. Taylor was better tonight than in the first fight, but I was better too. I put the pressure on, but he put the pressure back. I thought we both fought a great fight. I’ll fight anybody, whoever they throw at me. We’re trying to do the sport good.”...

2007 – WON WBC, WBO, THE RING M WORLD TITLE - on 9-29-07 in Atlantic City, NJ, he TKO’d previously undefeated defending champion Jermain Taylor (27-0-1): the bout headlined at Boardwalk Hall and drew a crowd of 10,127, an estimated 5,000 of whom made the six-hour drive from Youngstown; it was a very exciting fight - one of the best of the year – as well as a come-from behind victory and a spectacular knockout; after a fast-paced opening round, Taylor staggered Kelly with a right hand midway through the 2nd, then scored a knockdown moments later that dropped Kelly to his hands and knees – clearly dazed, Kelly got up, but Taylor staggered him with a series of punches that sent him stumbling across the ring; Kelly showed tremendous heart and conditoning to survive the round, then rallied and outworked Taylor in the 3rd round; the following rounds were close – Kelly pressed forward, but Taylor moved and boxed effectively and built a lead on the scorecards; both landed hard right hands middway through the 6th, but Kelly closed the show in the 7th round – he staggered Taylor with a right hand that backed him into the ropes, then scored a devastating knockdown with a series of punches that included crushing left and right uppercuts, and the referee jumped in to stop the fight without a count at 2:14 as Taylor slumped to the canvas; after six rounds, Taylor led by scores of 59-54, 58-55, 58-55; after the fight, Kelly said, “Now, I’m up there with all the great Ohio champions. We’re a small city. We’re a town of only 92,000 people, but those types of world champions out there – it’s an honor to be out there with these guys. Being in there with Jermain, the kid can punch like a mule. He caught me with a good one, I was really hurt bad. I felt like the leaning tower, it took me so long to go down. My legs just went out. I heard the count, then when I got up I still had a tingly feeling in my legs. The fans definitely helped me out - I could hear them yelling, ‘Kelly! Kelly!’ When I got back up he hit me with some more hard shots, but I got through. I was really shaky, I just did what I could to survive the round. I knew if I could survive that round, I’d have the fight. He can take a hell of a punch. Eventually I think it just caught up to him. It was a straight right hand. It was finding its mark all night. One thing I do have is the finishing touch. Those were real shots. If he could’ve gotten up, he would have. I tip my hat to him - he came to fight. He’s a hell of a fighter. It was heart, and it was the fans. The fans had a lot to do with it. I’m out of words. It’s huge. Are we going to Disneyland now?”...

WBC M WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR - on 5-19-07 in Memphis, TN, he TKO’d Edison Miranda (28-1): the bout was co-featured with the Jermain Taylor-Cory Spinks main event at the FedEx Forum, and it stole the show; it was a fast-paced, exciting fight from the opening bell, and very close through five rounds; Kelly started fast - he constantly pressed forward, backed up Miranda, and rocked him with several right hands in the 1st round; Miranda gave a very strong effort, as well – he bloodied Kelly’s nose in the 2nd round and swept the round on all three scorecards; Kelly scored with hard body punches, rocked Miranda repeatedly with right hands, and swept the 3rd and 4th rounds on all three scorecards; Miranda was warned for low blows in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds, but rallied in the 5th - he rocked Kelly with a number of right hands late in the round, swept the round on the scorecards, and after five rounds, the judges scored 48-47, 48-47 Pavlik, 48-47 Miranda; but Kelly overpowered him in the 6th – he staggered Miranda midway through the round with two right hands, then scored a knockdown with another right hand moments later that dropped Miranda flat on his side - he was very unsteady when he got up and spit out his mouthpiece to gain a few extra seconds to recover, for which he was penalized one point; Kelly scored another knockdown with two left hooks moments later that put Miranda on the seat of his pants – he got up again, and the bell ended the round seconds later; all three judges scored the round 10-7 Pavlik; Kelly staggered Miranda with a series of hard punches in the 7th – Miranda sagged and was held up by the ropes, and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 1:54; after six rounds, Kelly led by scores of 58-54, 58-54, 57-55; after the fight, Kelly said, “We stuck with the game plan that we had, and like I said before, the media created Miranda into what he was. A great fighter, obviously, he can punch like a mule, but our game plan was to keep him going backwards, ‘cause he can’t fight that well going back. We didn’t want him to set the pace or set the tempo with them big right hands, and I think towards the end of the fight we started wearing him down and he didn’t have much left in him at all. He hit me with a couple of clean punches in the first round, and I think what really surprised him was that I took them so well. A lot of these guys feel my power, it don’t look like much on TV, but once they get in there, it’s like, ‘Whoa, this guy is strong!’ I think he felt it from the first round on, also. I think when he seen he couldn’t hurt me and he felt my power, that he was really worried. He spit the mouthpiece out, of course, I wanted the referee to stop the fight right there, the quicker the better. But he did a good job, he did whwat he was supposed to do when Miranda went down. Everybody wants to fight the world champion. Jermain Taylor is the world champion, he has the belt, he has the name, and of course I want to fight him.”...

2ND NABF M TITLE DEFENSE, WBC M WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR - on 1-27-07 in Anaheim, CA, he TKO’d Jose Luis Zertuche (19-3-2): it was a fast-paced, exciting fight and a spectacular knockout; Zertuche, a 2000 Mexican Olympian, gave a strong effort and scored effectively in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but Kelly rallied after that and steadily wore him down; he rocked Zertuche with two left hooks in the 5th round, then scored a knockdown with a right hand that put Zertuche flat on his back late in the 6th; Kelly scored another knockdown in the 8th round – he landed a right hand that froze Zertuche in his tracks, then landed another one that dropped him face-first to the canvas – and the referee jumped in to stop the fight without a count, falling to the canvas with Zertuche, at 1:40; after the fight, Kelly said, “We wanted to box a little more, but the first round, I felt like I was in a little bit of quicksand. Every time I tried to move and get my rhythm going, I just couldn’t do it and I was getting caught with stupid punches. By the third or fourth round, I started finding my rhythm a little bit, my balance was a little more fluid and I was able to sit there and counter his mistakes and take my time little bit more. I’m a humble fighter, and he hit me with some good punches. Take nothing away from him, the kid’s a hell of a fighter. He came to fight tonight, but I was just a better man at the end. You seen the changes I made and how I adapted. You adapt to the fight, and I think I did a good job of that tonight. Anybody that’s in the way of me getting to the world title, I’ll go and fight. I’m there for it.”...

2006 - on 11-2-06 in Youngstown, OH, he TKO’d Lenord Pierre (18-2): Kelly headlined in his hometown at the Chevrolet Centre, drew an announced crowd of 4,416, and dominated the fight; Kelly scored a knockdown with a right hand late in the 1st round, and rocked Pierre repeatedly in the 2nd and 3rd; Kelly scored another knockdown with a left hook in the 4th round, and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 0:46; after the fight, Kelly said, “I’ve never hit a guy so hard that didn’t go down.”; after the fight, Dan Rafael of ESPN.com wrote, “Pavlik is a tremendous puncher... He is one of the sport’s bright, young potential stars...”; Boxing News reported, “Pavlik seemingly has the skills and power to dethrone the world champ.”...

1ST NABF M TITLE DEFENSE – on 7-27-06 in Uncasville, CT, he TKO’d former WBO jr. middleweight world champion Bronco McKart (48-6): Kelly had the edge in the early rounds, but McKart scored a knockdown when both of Kelly’s gloves touched the canvas in the 4th - replays showed that Kelly fell forward, off-balance, after a glancing blow to his shoulder; Kelly rallied and rocked McKart in the 5th round, then scored a knockdown with a series of punches and cut McKart over his right eye in the 6th; Kelly scored another knockdown with another series of punches later in the round - McKart got up but was unsteady, but the referee stopped the fight at 2:45; after the fight, Kelly said, “I think I ruined his whole game-plan. When he felt my power in the first round, I threw him off his plan. I figured, ‘Eventually you’re going to get tired and not me,’ and that’s what happened. We always train to keep the pace. In the fifth round, my trainers noticed he was keeping his elbow up. I just touched him under the elbow and snuck in another shot. I’ve been doing this for six years, and this was a convincing win. The way I won, it has to open doors, but all I can do is pray to the boxing gods.”...

2005 - WON VACANT NABF M TITLE - on 10-7-05 in Las Vegas, NV, he TKO’d Fulgencio Zuniga (17-1-1): it was a fast-paced, exciting fight; Zuniga scored a knockdown with a left hook in the 1st round, but Kelly recovered, dominated most of the rest of the fight, and steadliy wore him down; Zuniga was cut over his right eye by a clash of heads, and his corner stopped the fight after the 9th round; after nine rounds, Kelly led by scores of 88-83, 87-83, 87-83; after the fight, he said, “I got it under my belt. He’s a pretty strong guy. I know I should have fought from the outside, but you can’t always do it. He had sneaky quickness.”…

On 8-26-05 in Houston, TX, he TKO’d Vincent Harris (12-17-2): at 2:19 of the 2nd round…

On 6-10-05 in Chicago, IL, he TKO’d Daniel Neal (9-8-1): at 1:49 of the 1st round…

On 3-4-05 in Choctaw, MS, he TKO’d Dorian Beaupierre (12-2-2): Kelly dominated the fight - he scored a knockdown with a right hand midway throught the 1st round, and staggered Beaupierre again just before the bell; Kelly scored another knockdown with a right hand in the 2nd round - Beaupierre got up, but Kelly staggered him with a series of punches and the referee stopped the fight at 2:35…

2004 - on 11-27-04 in Las Vegas he won an 8 round unanimous decision against Ross Thompson (26-9-2): the fight was on the undercard of the Erik Morales-Marco Antonio Barrera III main event, and Kelly dominated; he consistently outworked Thompson and landed the harder punches, and won by scores of 80-72, 80-72, 79-73…

On 9-18-04 in Las Vegas he knocked out Carlton Holland (16-9-1): the fight was on the undercard of the Bernard Hopkins-Oscar De La Hoya main event, and Kelly gave a very strong performance; he scored one knockdown in the 1st round and two more in the 2nd, and Holland was counted out at 2:59…

On 7-2-04 in Struthers, OH, he TKO’d Pedro Ortega (30-13-1): Kelly wore down Ortega with body punches, rocked him several times, and Ortega did not continue after the 6th round; after the fight, Kelly said, “This guy was very smart, as he knew to stay away from my power. But because of the body shots, especially to his ribs, I knew it was only a matter of time before he went.”…

On 3-26-04 in Phoenix, AZ, he TKO’d Roberto Baro (11-3): Kelly scored two knockdowns with body punches in the 2nd round, and Baro was counted out at 2:50…

On 1-23-04 in Kansas City, MO, he won an 8 round unanimous decision against Anthony Ivory (28-66-4)…

2003 - on 7-1-03 in Niles, OH, he TKO’d Rico Cason (16-7): Kelly entered the fight with a sore right hand, but scored two knockdowns in the 2nd round - the first with a right hand, and the second with a left hook to the body - and the referee stopped the fight at 2:02; after the fight, Kelly said, “It’s a dream come true to fight on national television in front of a home crowd. I was very happy with the crowd tonight. On the first knockdown, I knew he was hurt on an earlier shot. I stepped back and nailed him with a right cross. My left has become much stronger because lately I have been favoring it because of the injury to my right. Anytime you can have a guy out early it is beneficial, because the longer an opponent lasts, the better the chance he has of beating you.”…

On 3-22-03 in Las Vegas he TKO’d Cesar Avila (8-3-1): at 2:00 of the 6th round…

On 2-8-03 in Las Vegas he TKO’d Eduardo Gutierrez (31-12-2): Kelly scored one knockdown in the 1st round and another in the 2nd, and stopped Gutierrez at 2:59 of the 2nd round…

2002 - on 9-14-02 in Las Vegas he won a 6 round unanimous decision against Edson Madrid (4-3-1): Kelly scored knockdowns in the 1st and 2nd rounds, and won by scores of 60-51, 60-61, 60-52…

On 7-30-02 in Concho, OK, he knocked out Abel Hernandez (5-3-1): Kelly scored three knockdowns in the 1st round, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:54…

On 6-21-02 in Las Vegas he knocked out Eric Olds (4-2): Kelly scored a knockdown in the 1st round, and Olds was counted out at 2:45…

On 2-23-02 in Las Vegas he knocked out Robert Dasoyan (12-6-4): Kelly scored a knockdown in the 2nd round, and Dasoyan was counted out at 2:15…

2001 – on 11-21-01 in Youngstown, OH, he knocked out veteran Rob Bleakley (77-40-1): it was Kelly’s first fight as a pro in his hometown, and an enthusiastic crowd of 2,000 was on hand; Kelly scored one knockdown late in the 1st round and another one in the 2nd - Bleakley beat the count, but the referee stopped the fight at 1:56; after the fight, Kelly said, “When I dropped him in the second, I knew it was just a matter of time. Jack told me to still be careful. After that, I was just trying to time my punches and pick my spots. It’s great. I’d rather fight here than anywhere else. If they ask me would I rather fight here or in Las Vegas, I’d come back here anytime.”...

On 8-4-01 in Las Vegas he TKO’d Mario Lopez (3-1-1): Kelly scored one knockdown in the 1st round and another one in the 2nd, and Lopez’s corner stopped the fight at 1:42…

On 6-8-01 in Baraboo, WI, he TKO’d Grady Brewer (7-1): Kelly scored one knockdown in the 1st round and two more in the 2nd, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:48…

He debuted at the age of 18 on 6-16-00 in Indio, CA, and knocked out Eric Tzand (0-0-1): in the 3rd round…

AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: 1999 U.S. National Under 19 champion, 147 pounds…1998 National Jr. Golden Gloves champion, 147 pounds…1998 National Jr. PAL champion, 147 pounds…

2000 Olympic Trials, Tampa, Florida, 156 pounds, double elimination tournament: in his first fight on 2-9-00 he lost an 11-5 decision against Jermain Taylor of Little Rock, AR; in his second fight on 2-10-00 he won a 9-6 decision against Darnell Wilson of Lafayette, IN; in his third fight on 2-12-00 he lost a 15-7 decision against Tony Hanshaw of Mansfield, OH; regarding the losses against Taylor and Hanshaw, Kelly said, “They were both really close fights. Both of those fights could have gone either way.”…

2000 U.S. National Championships, Colorado Springs, Colo., 156 pounds – BRONZE MEDALIST: in his first fight on 1-12-00 he won a 20-8 decision against Darnell Wilson of Lafayette, Ind.; in the quarterfinals on 1-13-00 he stopped Dorian Beaupierre of South River, N.J., at 0:28 of the 4th round; in the semifinals on 1-14-00 he lost a 22-12 decision against Sechew Powell of Brooklyn, N.Y.; in the bronze medal box-off on 1-15-00 he stopped Francisco Diaz of Kansas City, Mo., at 1:30 of the 2nd round…

1999 U.S. National Under 19 Championships, 147 pounds – GOLD MEDALIST: in his first fight he stopped Alvino Villalobos of Napa, Calif., at 1:34 of the 4th round; in the quarterfinals he won a 33-6 decision against Joel Salas of of Oxnard, Calif.; in the semifinals he stopped Terry Cade of of Gloverton, S.C., at 1:33 of the 3rd round; in the finals he won a 15-6 decision against James Parison of San Diego, Calif....

Kelly said, “I was born and raised in Youngstown. I have two older brothers. They used to box as amateurs, but they don’t box now. My oldest brother is the head tech at the kidney center, and my brother Ricky was in the Navy. He’s been out for a couple of years. My dad sells insurance for AIG. He also works a side job at Mr. Anthony’s. My mom, she works at Vic & Syl’s, it’s a restaurant.

“At the time, I wanted to take up martial arts a lot. I played all the other sports, football, baseball, and I just liked contact. When I was nine, I went down to Southside Boxing Club, where I train now, and Harry Arroyo was in there. [note: former IBF lightweight world champion] I didn’t even know it was him until I left. My mom told me. I just kind of fell in love with the sport after that. He was a great guy, funny as can be. The first time I got to go in and spar and actually hit somebody, where in martial arts, you didn’t do none of that. I got hit and hit people back, it was fun. My amateur record was 89-9.

“I had a lot of hand speed and I was outboxing people then. When I hit 17, the power seemed to really come all of a sudden, and I had more snap to the punches and I was getting more and more stoppages. But I learned those basic boxing skills. I don’t have to go in there and slug and rely solely on power. I can box, too.”…

In addition to Arroyo, Youngstown is also the hometown of former WBA lightweight world champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini; Kelly said, “Their careers are an inspiration to me to win a world title and defend it a couple of times. I talked to Boom Boom a lot earlier in my career, and Harry Arroyo I talk to a lot.”…

Kelly graduated from Youngstown’s Lowellville High School; he studied computer graphics at Mahoning County Joint Vocational School, and graduated in 2000…

Kelly married his longtime girlfriend, Samantha, in a private ceremony in Hawaii in July, 2008; he said, “We have a little baby girl. She was born May 11, 2006, her name is Sydney.”...

Kelly was featured in the February 6, 2008, issue of Sports Ilustrated.

FORGED TO FIGHT by Richard Hoffer [excerpts]:

A proud son of Youngstown, Ohio, and the sport’s most exciting new force, middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik still draws his strength from the grit and soul of the Steel Valley

Pavlik, known as the Ghost, learned to box at the Southside gym in Youngstown and still trains there.

At Civics: This is basically a walk-in scrapbook, with the additional advantage of a liquor license. The walls of the Youngstown, Ohio, establishment are covered in framed newspaper pages, all of them narrating the career of a South Side scrapper, pale and bony (so pale, he’s called the Ghost), who grew up around the corner. PAVLIK BURSTS ONTO SCENE reads a 2001 headline from The Vindicator of Youngstown. KEYSTONER AREA BOXER IS GETTING A W. PA. FOLLOWING is from a month earlier. PAVLIK SET TO FIGHT JULY 1 AT CAFARO FIELD. And on and on they go, wall after wall, a fight here, an appearance there, some bit of news, a ray of hope. No act of aspiration unpublished.v

The confidence of the display, while cheerful in its hometown style of support, is also staggering when you think about it.

The 25-year-old Pavlik may be getting this ink not so much because he’s from Youngstown but because he is Youngstown. Mancini went off to make movies back in 1985, and who can blame him for leaving. But Pavlik is so grounded in Youngstown that it’s difficult to sort the city from the son. He not only returns to his hometown after each win, but he also comes back to Civics, for darts and (when he’s not training) beer. This is partly because the ambience suits him but mostly because it’s four minutes away. That is, four minutes away from everything - gym, home, parents. His fans find the triangulation quite reassuring.

The day Pavlik returned from Atlantic City (somewhat delayed, his father having left a $666,750 check on the hotel nightstand), he was met at the Ohio state line by a strobing fleet of police vehicles, which then led him in triumph back to Youngstown. The clipping from that day hangs at Civics, of course. KELLY! KELLY! Pretty big type, too.

On the couch: The house he grew up in barely accommodates the middleweight’s wingspan, but this is where the 6’2 ½” Pavlik retires after each day’s workout whenever he’s preparing for a bout. Every day, he visits his fiancée, Samantha Kocanjer [note: they are now married], and 20-month-old daughter, Sydney, at the house he owns (four minutes away) but ends up here each night, where his father, Mike, can supervise his diet. Pavlik eats the supper his father has prepared - chicken and broccoli, usually, with cabbage soup for a late-night snack - then crashes on the living room couch.

Mike, who worked at Republic Steel before it closed in the 1980s, admits it’s a little strange. “Took 25 years to get rid of him,” he says. But neither Mike nor Debbie, Kelly’s mother, seems to mind having him back that much. “He’s the sweetest guy in the world,” Mike says, “until you try to get him to go away.” And nobody does that. Pavlik doesn’t leave for a fight until the final week and, to the consternation of his trainer and small traveling party, often books red-eyes home immediately afterward.

STRENGTHS: At six-foot two, is big and strong for a middleweight...has an aggressive style and good skills...has good punching power in both hands...a good body puncher and a good finisher…very tough and determined, has tremendous heart and the ability to overcome adversity...is experienced against top opposition...had a strong amateur background…

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 34 fights…127 total rounds…10 world championship rounds...

AVERAGE LENGTH OF BOUTS: 3.7 rounds…

KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGE: 88 %...

DISTANCE FIGHTS: 12 rounds – 1 (1-0)......10 rounds – 0...9 rounds - 1 (1-0)…