Posts Tagged ‘Kelly Pavlik’

Durrell Richardson had been out of boxing for 25 months.  He was working at the Olive Garden when something got him thinking about a return to the sport of boxing.  Although it took over two years, he notched a win to go to 13-3.  The win did not come easy against Michael Walker, a cagy veteran who fought Kelly Pavlik in amateur tournaments years ago.

It took Richardson about half of the first round to lose the ring rust.  He stunned Walker in both the second and third rounds en rout to a four round unanimous decision.  The judges scored the fight 40-36, 39-37, and 39-37.

“The hardest thing for me was keeping my weight down”, said Richardson.  “Even with the weight loss, I felt good tonight.  My jab was working for me and he never really hurt me.  Give him [Walker] credit, he came to fight, and I am glad it was like that.”

Under the watchful eye of Sam Calderone, Richardson says he will stay active and is looking for more.

Alejandro “Popo” Salinas is someone that Jack Loew has been hyping for two years.  Salinas lived up to the hype a little when he captured the prestigious PAL Championship.  The tournament win has a nice reward in the sense that when 2012 rolls around, Popo is automatically the top-rated amateur for the Open Division in the country at his weight class.  He wants to compete for the United States in the Olympics, and the 16-year old has some big footsteps to follow in Kelly Pavlik and Dannie Williams, both PAL Champions, both Loew students of the game.

“The last time I had a fighter win this tournament”, reflected Loew, “he went on to become the middleweight champion of the world.  That ought to tell you how prestigious the tournament is.”

To win the tournament, young Salinas defeated fighters from Florida, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania.  Salinas will now headline the November 23rd Bob Roth Boxing Show at St. Lucy’s in Campbell.  Loew will promote the amateur card which is named after the great Bob Roth who Loew says ‘loved boxing like nobody I have ever met’.

Salinas is still a little timid around a camera or a microphone because the exposure to the public is relatively new.  However, in the ring, he looks like a polished veteran.  Loew even called him ‘a thirty year-old man’ because of the snap on his punches and the ring presence he exhibits at such a young age.

“It is to my advantage to spar against older fighters”, said Salinas.  “You learn a lot while you are in there with a fighter who is experienced.  Winning the tournament was great because all of the fighters I faced were really well-trained and ready.  Now, I have to get more serious with my training and win a few fights to get to the Olympics.”

“I want to graduate from school”, commented Salinas.  “I don’t want to be one of those guys in the background who never graduated.  I will not go to college until after I try my hand at the pro level.”

Salinas also talked about things he does when he has time.  Much to my surprise, video games and television did not crack the top 10.  He said he would much rather play baseball or do something outside.  As I expanded on his baseball knowledge, he won me over some more by telling me that his favorite player of all-times is Roberto Clemente.

“I do some crazy workouts with my spare time.  I respect a lot of students and most of them do not even know I am a boxer, I like to stay quiet.  I never start trouble with anyone because they might go out of their way to make my life harder if they learn I am a boxer.  I want to stay straight, compete in the Olympics, go pro, and then let God do what he has to do.”

Wait until you see this kid.  He is special, and that isn’t hype, that’s fact.

Tickets and details for the Bob Roth Show can be obtained by contacting Jack Loew at 330-501-5713. There are a couple of reserved tables left and St. Lucy’s is a nice venue with no bad seating.  Being the night before Thanksgiving, Loew will expect a good crowd with nobody allowed to use the, ‘I have to work tomorrow’ excuse.  It’s annually a great show, Salinas is the icing on the cake this year.

As I sat at a Perkins Restaurant with Jake Giuriceo and his manager, Joe Corvino, the different phases and a progression of expectations were pretty well outlined to me by both men.  As your career as a boxer grows, the rounds you fight increases.  As you train and master skills, you work hard to develop new tactics to remain unpredictable.  Giuriceo has a unique mindset, very much against the typical athletic stereotype.  He is pretty quiet, but talks when you get him going a little.  He has very strong beliefs and holds sacred his religious values – a rare mix.

Paneech: I said earlier that the mix of boxing and religion could seem barbaric to some, which you quoted a passage in the Bible to counter with.  Do your Christian acquaintances come to the fights?

Giuriceo: Oh yeah.  They are very supportive and a lot of them do come to the fights.  My pastor comes to the fights.  We group up in the locker room and pray before the fight.  I can’t say that everybody from my church comes because I am not that close with everyone that goes, but there are quite a few people from that avenue who support me when I fight.  As far as praying with people that I work out with goes, there are a few guys at the gym – Dunner, Big Shawn – we talk a lot.

Paneech: Do you feel like you could be an ambassador to spread the message you believe so strongly in?

Giuriceo:  I believe that God called me to boxing. I also believe that I shine the light of Jesus on everything that I do and by winning these fights, I believe that I am doing exactly that, being somewhat of an ambassador.  I would rather see somebody go to heaven than me winning a fight, it’s definitely more important.  That doesn’t mean that I am not going to work as hard, or go lose a fight so somebody might get to heaven, it just means that you never want to see anyone die and go to hell.  You don’t want to see that.  At the end of Matthew, you have the great commission, we are told to spread the word of Christ.  So many things have been changed.  I’m not a guy that could stand in front of a crowd and give a sermon, that’s not me.  This is the way I do it.

Paneech: Have you ever thought about adding a religious side note to your name.  Something like “Sugar” Ray Robinson… like Jake “The Apostle” Giuriceo?

Giuriceo: (laughs)  No, I haven’t thought of doing anything like that.  One thing I am doing though is on my next t-shirt, on the back I want them to say ‘Blood, Sweat, and Prayers’, because I believe that is everything that I put into this.

Paneech: You have a unique situation in your training.  You will go to California and work with Frank Duarte (above) for about five weeks, and then when you come home, you work with Keith Burnside.  How do you sort through what two different trainers tell you and decide what is best for Jake?

Giuriceo: That is actually a pretty easy question.  Whoever is my lead trainer at the time is who I listen to.  For the first nine fights, I worked very good with Keith and listened to everything that he told me to do.  When I went to California and started working with Frankie, for the last four fights, I listen to Frank.  I am out there for five weeks with him.  If Keith and Frank have a disagreement on something, we get them together and try to work it out.  Ultimately though, I am working more with Frank now, so I have to listen to what he is telling me to do.  I listen to the head trainer who is training me for my next fight, and the last four, it has been Frankie.

Paneech: How has Keith reacted to having to take a backseat to Frank with the current arrangement?

Giuriceo: The great thing about our team, is that we are actually a team.  We want to do everything together.  I don’t really hear any complaining from Keith or Frank.  They keep it between themselves and Joe [Corvino] and keep it away from me.  We work together, and if it is a situation that they need my input, they will pull me in and ask me what I think.  Realistically, Keith is one of the guys that pushed me to go to California.  He was honest and up front with me and told me there was only so far he was going to be able to take me.  Keith is a great guy, like a father-son type relationship, and they all really want the best for me.  Anything he can do to be there for me he does.  People say things to get into his head.  Sometimes it gets hard because Keith and Frankie miscommunicate.  Sometimes Frankie doesn’t answer the phone, sometimes Keith never calls.  It goes both ways, maybe a little power trip on both ends.

Paneech: Joe Corvino is someone who is very involved in your career.  You have told me that he is a good guy and that he has done great things for you.  Expand on his role in your betterment.

Giuriceo: Joe is my boxing manager/promoter/father/public relations guy (laughs) – he really does everything.  There isn’t anything that Joe does not do.  We have built a solid relationship because of boxing.  He runs his business like a family, which is why he is in the lead role of my team.  When I go to California, he foots the bill or I wouldn’t eat over there.  He takes care of me, I work part time for him.  It is hard to find a job where you can leave for months at a time and just come back, he took care of that for me.  He helps me in all aspects and I love him.

Paneech: How supportive are your family, friends, future wife, future in-laws, and everyone else?  It’s nice when you are winning, but those people will be there for you in the end.  How supportive are they as you ascend?

Giuriceo: My family is pretty small.  There is really only my mom, two brothers, and an uncle.  I have a few aunts that are here and there, but they all love me and are very supportive, and it is nice to know they will always be there, no matter what happens.  The family that I am marrying into is absolutely awesome.  My fiance is very family-oriented.  We go to those birthday parties and there are twenty or thirty people there.  They have embraced me and love me as long as I treat Jackie right.  My closest friends are just people I share my Faith with.  The close friends I had growing up, I only associate with about three or four of them.  The whole big group is very supportive though.

Paneech: Joe said maybe doing some stuff out of town to increase exposure, maybe grab some television time.  What is on the recent agenda?

Giuriceo: My next fight is on November 19 and will be for a UBO Lightweight Title.  It is a vacant title that we will be fighting for over at St. Lucy’s in Campbell.  The card is called November Fury and is being put on by Mike Cefalde and Lights Out Promotions.  It is to be the biggest fight of my career,so far.

That career can extend quite a ways if Team Giuriceo can start to grab that bigger spotlight.  Win or lose, Giuriceo has the heart and spirit of any athlete I have ever interviewed.  He is someone that large circle of friends and relatives can be proud of for his beliefs, his Faith, and his never say stop work ethic.

There will be a complete preview for the November 19 card here next week.

Nobody knows for sure what is going in the world of Kelly Pavlik these days. ESPN.com reported last week that Pavlik was going to make a geographical transition with a new support staff, a new trainer, and a new place to call home.  Pavlik’s trainer since he took up the sport, Jack Loew, scratches his head and can understand he might be facing life after Pavlik, but does not understand why the former champion, and someone he considers a son, would not sit and talk with him about his future plans.

“The last time I talked with Kelly, I was his trainer”, said Loew on Friday.  “If I am, I am, and if not, we have had a great run at it.  The only thing that upsets me is that I have done all I can do for the kid.  I can’t control what he does when he leaves the gym.  In 2007 and 2008, I was better than chocolate pudding and everybody loved me.  Because he went on a drinking binge and screwed up his own career should not reflect on me, and a lot of people are looking at it that way.”

Loew has some up-and-comers in the stable, including Dannie Williams, who has recently signed a deal with Dibella Productions and will be fighting on ESPN in January. I have said it before, and I will say it again, Jack Loew is not a one trick pony.  Yes, Kelly Pavlik was his in, his mealticket, and his primary focus for a long stretch. However, there is a Willie Nelson, a Popo Salinas, a Dannie Williams, and a full gym of talented kids who Loew can work with.

“If Kelly decides to go with Robert Garcia or Freddie Roach, God Bless him, I wish him nothing but the very best”, said Loew.  “He is a great kid and has been loyal to me.  I made a ton of money with Kelly and I was smart with my money.  I knew there would be an end to the Pavlik Era sometime, unfortunately it ended a little too early.  If we are splitting up, I wish him the best, I really do.  Jack Loew is gonna be fine.”

“The thing that bothers me the most was I told him that if that is what is going to happen, I am fine with it if it comes from you.  If I have to read about it on the internet, that will piss me off a little bit.  He said he would call me Sunday when he got home, and obviously, he has not called me yet.  I just hope it doesn’t end on a bad note because we have had such a great relationship.  Alcohol has done some bad things to Kelly and I hope that it hasn’t hurt his respect for me that he can’t call me to let me know what is going on.”

Don’t misunderstand this article, if Pavlik leaves he may succeed again with someone else in his corner.  I think he would still have great support from Youngstown and will still represent himself as a Youngstown native.  In my opinion, Top Rank is playing their hand and telling Kelly he has to get out of Youngstown, albeit with Loew, or a new trainer, to resume his fighting schedule.  Pavlik himself has said that everything he does publicly is magnified because he is a public figure who is known nationally.  If he was drinking after the Edison Miranda fight, people were buying his drinks.  If he went to a bar after the Sergio Martinez fight, he had a problem.  Public perception and the strong arm of Bob Arum work hand-in-hand to export our champion?

I have made several efforts to contact Pavlik with no response.  Scour this website, it has been up for three years, and look for a negative viewpoint on Pavlik.  Good luck reading every article, fight preview, and summary, there are none.  Whatever you do champ, good luck and we will all be rooting for you.

Anthony Pientrantonio went to New York’s biggest venue to box, an accomplishment that few can put on their resume.  Madison Square Garden is the big leagues, and Pientrantonio saw his fight against Sean Monoghan as a big opportunity. Unfortunately, the Sharon, PA native could not pull off the upset and was defeated by TKO in the fifth round.

Monoghan (10-0) is a lot like John Duddy.  He is from Ireland, and is a good draw when fighting in New York.  Duddy was exposed by Billy Lyell before he got too big. Duddy has since retired at the age of 32 and owns a bar in New York now.

Pientrantonio (7-8) knew he was an underdog going in, but felt like he might be able to pull the unthinkable off, but no such luck.  Pietrantonio trains at the Southside Boxing Club under the watchful eye of Jack Loew and can take some punches, which makes a statement about Monoghan being a little better than Duddy when it all shakes out.

Lots of upcoming boxing stories including Jake Giuriceo‘s November 19th bout, Kelly Pavlik‘s rumored split from Jack Loew, a feature piece on Popo Salinas, and Jack Loew‘s night before Thanksgiving Show.

Last Summer, on a whim, I asked Lisa Neeld ten questions about baseball at a baseball game.  The next time I would see the Playboy Model was at a boxing match.  Because the readers enjoyed the baseball questions and answers so much, here are ten questions about boxing with ten answers from Lisa.  I will be doing a full-blown interview with Neeld in the near future.  Until then, enjoy!

Q: Ray Mancini’s nickname is ‘Boom-Boom’.  How did he get the nickname?

Lisa: He  got that nickname from hitting so hard.  Not once, but twice!  (laughs)

Q: Many boxers have the word ‘sugar’ in their title.  Fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Shane Mosley.  Why do you call a boxer sugar?

Lisa: Um, because when the sweat pours out of them it is like sugar?  (laughs)  That’s what happens to me when I sweat, it is like sugar.

Q: Who is the greatest boxer of all times?

Lisa: * with help: Um, Joe Louis?

Q: What does TKO stand for?

Lisa: Total,  um wait… Total  (laughs) Technical Knock Out!

Q: How high does a ref count before the fight is ended by knockout?

Lisa: Ten?

Q: What is a standing eight count?

Lisa: Uhhhhh…  When one of the boxers is dazed and confused for eight seconds?

Q: Who is the current World Heavyweight Champion right now?

Lisa: (long pause)  Uhhhmmmm…  That guy with the mean right hook?  Wait!  Wait, Kelly Pavlik?  Are you gonna help me?  Wait, I am retracting that (laughs), because he is not a heavyweight!

Q: How much do boxing gloves weigh?

Lisa: I box with twelve ouncers, but mine are pink though.

Q: What three things should every boxer do while training?

Lisa: Run?  Lift. Abs? (laughs in between each)

Q: What is shadow boxing?

Lisa: When you are looking in the mirror and you are moving around, and like you are hitting, swinging at yourself?

Q: What is a speed bag?

Lisa: It’s where you hit really, really fast.  I have a bag, you know.  It’s not a little bag though, it is one of those big ones.  (laughs)

Thanks once again Lisa, not only for being a good sport, but for also sharing your wealth of knowledge in the area of boxing!

** Both photos courtesy of Ron Stevens.

The first-ever Southside Boxing Club golf outing was held August 14th at Bedford Trails.  Jack Loew (above) was pleased with the outing and said that next year it will be even bigger and better than it was this time.

“It was a great day”, commented Loew.  “All of the golfers had a really good time, the food was outstanding, and I think when the word gets out about what a great time everyone had that spots will be much harder to get next year.”

There were continuous refreshment carts cruising around the fairways, yes I said carts, plural.  Usually at a bigger outing there is one cart and you dehydrate before you hit the turn.  Not this one.  The food table looked like an Italian wedding.

Kelly ‘The Ghost’ Pavlik was on one of the four-man teams and was having a good time.  Approaching Pavlik on the tenth hole, I was offered a chance to hit a ball with the champ’s driver.  He playfully joked with me because I passed on the opportunity and then proceeded to hit the first tree on the left with his drive.  Ultimately, I got blamed for being a jinx.  It was a fun moment.  I declined because if I break his $350 driver, I wished not to learn how hard he can really punch.

Many fun moments were had by all and if you missed it, you missed out.  Congratulations Jack for an outing that was really a first-class venture and a memorable day!

* Pavlik Photo courtesy of Trent Wazcop.

When Kelly Pavlik decided to back out of a fight with Darryl Cunningham, he left many people scratching their heads.  Pavlik was supposedly upset with being offered a 60-40 split to fight Lucian Bute that didn’t equal 60-40. Bute was set to make $6 million to Pavlik’s $1.3 million.  Do the math and you will find that if Bute were to make his end, Pavlik would have to make $4 million to call it a 60-40 split.  Pavlik said he would not “fight for peanuts” against a southpaw like Bute feeling he was being shortchanged by Top Rank.

Top Rank put up a statement saying they were upset with his decision.  One voice that had not been heard yet was that of Jack Loew, Pavlik’s longtime trainer.  Loew is no one trick pony, he has Dannie Williams fighting on ESPN Friday Night Fights on Friday, August 12.  I was able to talk with Loew about the table of events and wasn’t surprised with his answers.

When asked how he found out, Loew said, “Kelly called me and said he was not fighting Cunningham.  I tried to talk him out of it, but he  has his mind set on fighting in high-dollar fights, feeling he has paid his dues. “

Asked if this was it and Pavlik was done fighting, Loew commented, “I don’t think he is done.  I think he will have a bigger problem trying to get a big money fight because he backed out of this one. The longer he sits and waits for a big fight, the worse his chances will be of landing one.  He has never expressed a desire to quit or take time off, I’m not sure where we go from here.“

“I’m sure there is no remorse”, commented Loew about Pavlik’s frame of mind.

I am sure a part of Pavlik should feel slighted.  Top Rank offered the Bute fight to Mikkel Kessler for much more money.  Was it reason to back out of a Cunningham fight that was supposed to be proof that the timing was back and the pop was in his punches?  Absolutely not.  This move could spell career suicide for one of Youngstown’s most famous athletes.

Without much notice, Kelly Pavlik pulled the plug on his August 6 fight against Darryl Cunningham. Nobody is sure exactly why Pavlik backed out.  Pavlik had a smaller hurdle to clear in Cunningham en route to a million dollar payday against Lucian Bute that was scheduled to take place in November if Pavlik won the fight.

“Top Rank is very disappointed at Kelly’s sudden decision to discontinue the rebuilding of his boxing career,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, Pavlik’s promoter. “Kelly’s team specifically outlined a strategy for Kelly to return to the ring in an effective fashion. Kelly’s team gave us their objectives and we set them on a course, which began last May with Kelly’s fight against Alfonso Lopez and was to continue on Saturday against Darryl Cunningham. It seems Kelly has derailed this plan.”

Pavlik countered by saying he would not “fight for peanuts”, suggesting maybe his take of the purse was insufficient.

This jeopardizes the chances of a fight against Bute.  Ticket pre-sales were reportedly very subpar at best for the event that was to take place in Pavlik’s hometown of Youngstown, Ohio.  Those associated with the card were alarmed by stagnant ticket sales up to two weeks ago.  The one positive in the whole deal for Pavlik is that his critics claimed he was only fighting for money and lost his desire to win.  That notion has been dispelled as Pavlik has put a seven-digit payday in danger with the potential Bute match.

Pavlik seemed to be having a stellar training camp, was happy with his sparring and timing and claims to have regained his mojo when I spoke with him less than a week ago.  He sprouted up at the Motley Crue concert Friday night and was not drinking.

Jack Loew could not be reached for comment, however WFMJ-21’s Dana Balash quoted Loew saying that Pavlik was unhappy with the proposed $1.3 Million offer to fight Bute.

As details become more available, I will pass them along.

On a balmy day in late July, I entered Jack Loew‘s Southside Boxing Club to speak with Loew and Kelly Pavlik about the future and how serious a contender Pavlik can be going forward.  Having been pretty on-the-spot with Loew lately, I can sense a twinkle in his eyes when he talks about his most reputable fighter that has not been there for about three years.  When I talk to Kelly Pavlik, I sense a hunger that has not been there for three years.  This is vintage Kelly Pavlik, the hungry kid, not the tabloid poster child of Youngstown.

Pavlik returns to the ring to face Darryl  Cunningham on August 6, in Youngstown, at the Covelli Centre.  If Pavlik wins the fight against the savvy veteran, a trip to Montreal to face Lucian Bute looks like a reality.  Pavlik knows that winning a decision in Canada will not be easy, not in Bute’s backyard.

Here are some of the quotes Pavlik gave me during our exclusive conversation:

“Top Rank chose Cunningham because he is a lefty.  I think going forward we want to get a good look with a southpaw.  I have fared well against southpaws dating back to my amateur days.  Sergio Martinez was a different story and even if he fought right-handed he would have been hard to beat.”

“I feel like I am approaching my peak level again, like where I was for the Jermaine Taylor fights.  My timing is definitely back and my snap is back on my punches.  Everything is coming along pretty good for this fight and I am very excited to make a strong comeback.”

“I will find out if all the rust is gone on fight night.  I hate to call this a tuneup fight because you really can’t look past anyone.  Our game plan right now is to take care of business on August 6 and then we will have 12 weeks to worry about Bute.”

” I have been sparring with Darnell Boone.  He has been going southpaw against me and he is very fast.  I am not going to see that kind of speed come fight night.  Not taking anything away from Darryl Cunningham, but he is not as fast as Darnell Boone.  The sparring has been very good for what we need.”

”  I am training different.  The last fight I was more worried about bending and flexibility.  I have gone back to what got me here.  Take nothing away from the stretch bands, I still stretch out and do some work with them, but I am mixing in some of the natural stuff now too.”

Pavlik wants to make a statement when he fights Cunningham on August 6.  So go ahead and get your tablet out.  Write Pavlik off again – that worked well against Taylor (twice).  This 29-year old is rededicated and focused again and that’s bad news for the 168 field.  The Ghost is on the rise, again, and this time he knows what he has to do to be successful.