(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

The much awaited Middleweight showdown between Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik and Paul "The Punisher" Williams has been postponed...again.

Unfortunately Pavlik has been forced to succumb to the same lingering hand injury which caused the fight to be initially rescheduled from October to the December 9 date.

Pavlik has been advised by his team not to put his WBC and WBO Middleweight titles on the line in six weeks time.

According to Pavlik's trainer Jack Loew his left hand hasn't healed sufficiently enough after he had multiple surgeries to remove a staph infection.

Pavlik has attempted to persevere despite the infirmity, however he cannot close his hand completely and as a result is unable to train properly.

"He's trying," said Loew. "He's running, he's trying to shadow box with one hand, hit the speed bag with one hand...I've been keeping it secret but I'm not going to fool anyone any longer."

His team are hoping that there will be significant improvement in the next few weeks and that Pavlik can close his hand completely. If so then there remains a faint hope that the bout could be rescheduled for December 19.

Pavlik's promoter Todd duBoef refused to elaborate and said: "Once Kelly is cleared we will pursue all avenues for a future bout."

However, in all likelihood the next available date would be January 23, a date HBO has reserved for a doubleheader featuring Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Unfortunately Dan Goosen promoter for Paul Williams seems unwilling to wait and has told Boxingscene.com he will be in action on December 5 whomever his opponent may be.

''Paul is the star and the guy fans love to see, we plan on bringing him back December 5. No ifs, ands or buts. We ain't waiting on him no more. I don't know who but we are fighting somebody December 5.''

George Peterson, Wiiliam's trainer was very sceptical of Pavlik's injury. Even going as far as to question Pavlik's integrity:

''If he had the staph infection this long, he would have been poisoned to death. It's not his hand it's his heart that needs to be corrected."

Of course at this early stage both a venue and possible opponent have yet to be determined. Although there are whispers of a bout against WBC light middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.

Still as good a clash as that may be it doesn't have the lustre or the glamour of the showdown between Pavlik and Williams.

Here's hoping that Pavlik's infection miraculously clears up in time for a December bout to go ahead.

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