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Kelly Pavlik vs Bernard Hopkins

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One year ago tomorrow, KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK transformed himself from the No. 1 middleweight contender into world middleweight champion and boxing folk hero. It was on Saturday, September 29, 2007, in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, that Pavlik pulled himself off the canvas after a second round knockdown, served up by undefeated defending champion Jermain Taylor, to come roaring back, knocking out Taylor in the seventh round.

More than just the passing of the torch for one of boxing’s most hallowed titles, Pavlik’s victory single-handedly rejuvenated interest in the sport. Beyond his punching power and gun-slinger style of fighting, media and fans alike have embraced Pavlik for his dedication to civic duty and his self-deprecating sense of humor, which first surfaced hours after his world title victory when he made fun of himself after he discovered on his flight home to Youngstown that he had left his purse check in his Atlantic City hotel room!

Since winning the title, Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs), defeated Taylor in a February rematch, fought at super middleweight, in Las Vegas, and knocked out No. 1 contender middleweight contender Gary Lockett in the third round of his first world title defense, fought in June, at Boardwalk Hall. In less than three weeks, on Saturday, October 18, Pavlik will take on two-division world champion and living legend Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs), broadcast live via HBO Pay-Per-View from Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, where he has become a proven gate attraction. His fight with Hopkins, which will be fought at light heavyweight, will be Pavlik’s third fight in as many different weight classes, all fought within a nine month period.

Below, please find two articles from Pavlik’s hometown newspaper, The Vindicator, commemorating Kelly’s the landmark first year of his world middleweight title reign.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/sep/28/breath-fresh-air-sport/

http://www.vindy.com/weblogs/your-newspaper/2008/sep/26/one-year-of-kelly-pavlik-that’s-all-its-been/

Remaining tickets to Pavlik vs. Hopkins, priced at $700, $500, $350, $200, $100 and $75, can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster (800) 736-1420 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com.

tlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall is four weeks away from “Unstoppable” — the light heavyweight rumble between undefeated world middleweight champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK and legendary two-division world champion BERNARD “The Executioner” HOPKINS. The televised undercard features three compelling match-ups featuring fighters with a combined record of 168-12-2 (111 KOs) and a combined winning percentage exceeding 92%. WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano defends his title against top contender Billy Dib, undefeated bantamweight champion Abner Mares battles Luis Melendez and in a WBC middleweight title elimination bout, Marco Antonio Rubio takes on Enrique Ornelas..

Pavlik Hopkins Undercard

Presented by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City, “Unstoppable” takes place Saturday, October 18 at Boardwalk Hall and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

STEVEN LUEVANO (35-1-1, 15 KOs), from La Puente, California, has reigned as the World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion for 14 months. He captured the vacant world title July 14, 2007, knocking the previously undefeated and current WBO junior lightweight champion Nicky Cook in the 11th round. Since winning the title he has successfully defended it twice, including a 12-round decision victory over mandatory challenger Terdsak Jandaeng and a draw against Top-10 contender Mario Santiago in March and July, respectively. Luevano’s third title defense of 2008 will be against another Top-10 contender in BILLY DIB (21-0, 11 KOs). Dib, an undefeated southpaw from Hurtsville, Australia, has knocked out over half the opponents he has faced in his four-year professional career. The former Australian champion returns to the ring fresh from his biggest victory on July 30, a 12-round unanimous decision for the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) super featherweight title, over Zolani Marali, ending the South African’s four-year winning streak.

North American Boxing Organization (NABO) bantamweight champion ABNER MARES (17-0, 10 KOs), from Montebello, California, by way of Guadalajara, Mexico, will be risking his undefeated record and WBO No. 1 world rating when he defends his title against LUIS MELENDEZ. Mares has successfully defended his title twice since winning it last year when he defeated former world champion Isidro Garcia, who retired on his stool after the seventh round. This year he knocked out former world title challenger Diosdado Gabi in the second round and scored a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Arias. Gabi and Arias had a combined record of 43-3-1 when they faced Mares. Melendez (25-3-1, 20 KOs), returns to the ring on the heels of one of his most exciting fights. The Colombian buzz-saw went toe-to-toe for 12 rounds with WBO junior bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel, coming up short in his first world title fight. Now fighting as a bantamweight, Melendez, who has won 13 of his last 15 bouts, is looking to return to the world championship picture by challenging the No. 1 contender.

The pay-per-view telecast will open with the World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight title elimination bout the winner of which will be declared the WBC’s mandatory middleweight challenger to Pavlik. MARCO ANTONIO RUBIO (42-4-1, 38 KOs), from Georgetown, Texas, by way of Torreon, Mexico, enters this fight riding an eight-bout winning streak with seven of those win coming by way of knockout. Since moving up to middleweight at the end of 2006, Rubio has collected the Mexican, the World Boxing Association’s FEDECENT and the WBC’s FECOMBOX titles en route to becoming the WBC’s No. 1 contender middleweight contender. Rubio will be going mano-a-mano against ENRIQUE ORNELAS (28-4, 18 KOs), from La Habra, California, by way of Guanajuato, Mexico. Ornelas, the WBC’s No. 2-rated middleweight contender, has won eight of his 10 last fights, including NABF middleweight title fights against former world champion Bronco McKart and Norberto Bravo, stopping both in the fifth and seventh rounds, respectively. In his last fight, on July 4, he provided his own fireworks display, knocking out Daryl Salmon in the second round.

The Pavlik vs. Hopkins pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pavlik vs. Hopkins fight week updates, log onto www.hbo.com

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