Former middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik was scheduled to face Darryl Cunningham on Saturday night in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. Showtime was going to televise the bout. A win would have paved the way for a November title shot against Lucian Bute ... and a payday of at least $1.35 million. Not anymore. Pavlik pulled out of Saturday's bout, apparently in a dispute over the purse for the Bute fight. Both the live event and the broadcast have been canceled ... and Pavlik's boxing future is in serious question.
Pavlik seemed destined for greatness after stopping a then-undefeated Jermain Taylor in 2007 and then outpointing him in their 2008 rematch. Since then, however, Pavlik has lost lopsided decisions to Bernard Hopkins and Sergio Martinez, and spent two months in an alcohol rehab facility.
As a recovering alcoholic, Pavlik - who was to receive $50,000 for fighting Cunningham - was already considered somewhat erratic and unpredictable. Now he will also be labeled as unprofessional. It may be quite a while before a promoter is again willing to take a risk on the 29-year-old former champ.
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