Kelly Pavlik Betrays Bob Arum, Turns Down Fight Scheduled for Saturday
Much to the dismay of Manny Pacquiao's (53-3-2, 38 KOs)ย promoter Top Rank, former middleweight (160 lbs) world championย Kellyย Pavlik (37-2, 32 KOs) has pulled out of a tune-up match this Saturday with Daryl Cunningham.
According to Ring Magazine,ย the fight was scheduled to air live on Showtime cable network, but Pavlik became upset at the purse offer of $1.35 million to face undefeated super middleweight (168 lbs) world champion and Canadian starย Lucian Bute (29-0, 24 KOs).
Saturday's bout against Cunningham was part of a package deal for the Bute fight.
Pavlik learned of an offer of over $3 million that was presentedย to Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KOs)ย to face Bute. Kessler turned down the offer and Pavlik is not happy that he hasn't received a similar one.
CEO of Top Rank, Bob Arum, had this to say:
""Whether or not the relationship continues is not the issue. I'm very, very concerned about this young man. I consider the actions that he has taken at this point to be very, very bizarre.ย How can anybody book him in a fight when he acts in this manner? As far as the rest of it, I'm not going to concern myself with it."
"
An anonymous source had this to say about the Pavlik's unhappiness with the package:
""Kelly had heard that Kessler was being offered something like $3.5 million, and that he turned that down. So Kelly wasn't really happy with the $1.1 million that Top Rank was offering him. So I would say that right now, I don't think that (Cunningham) fight's going to happen. Unless, of course, Top Rank comes back with something (better).""
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