By James Slater – The story of just who former middleweight ruler Kelly Pavlik will face in Texas on November 13th continues. Only a matter of hours ago, we heard word that Giovanni Lorenzo of The Dominican Republic had been offered the fight, and was thinking seriously about taking it, replacing Daniel Edouard in the process, but now the latest is that former “Contender” Bryan Vera will now be in the opposite corner to “The Ghost” on the under-card to the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight..
Dan Rafael of ESPN.com has written, on his Twitter page, that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told his it will be Vera against Pavlik, and Fightnews.com has picked up the story. Lorenzo, most fans seemed to agree, would have been a very good test for the returning Pavlik; but what will these fans make of the idea of a Pavlik-Vera clash?
28-year-old Vera, as tough and game as they come, currently sports a 17-5(11) pro record, and he has been in with some big names in his time – at both middleweight and super-middleweight. Halted inside a couple of rounds by his fellow “Contender” Jaidon Codrington in 2007, Vera was also halted, in the 8th-round, by the red hot James Kirkland in late 2008. Vera, from Texas, has also lost a couple of points decisions he and a good many other people feel he should have won -to Craig McEwan and Isaac Rodrigues, in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
However, on his night, such as when he faced the then 31-2 Canadian, Sebastien Demers in June of this year, Vera can upset the odds. Since stopping Demers via an impressive 3rd-round TKO, Vera has travelled to Ukraine to face unbeaten hope Maksym Bursak. Vera, who gave his all as he always does, came home with a 12-round UD loss. That fight was on September 4th, and the bout contested the WBO intercontinental middleweight strap. Can Vera now come in in top shape, just over two months later and give Pavlik a hard night?
Not that hard to hit, Vera, who loves to rumble, might just suit Pavlik down to the ground. We all know how hard the Youngstown man can bang, and if Vera fights his usual fight it could be a rough night for him. Then again, with Pavlik’s inactivity and his possibly affected confidence (just two wins since the loss to Hopkins, remember, and Kelly coming off that April loss to Martinez), Vera could wind up being the guy in the right place at the right time.
One thing is sure (if this latest match-up is the one that goes ahead in November!), Pavlik-Vera will be lively. The action, for however long as it lasts, could well be thrilling stuff. Having the look of a fight that has next to no chance of even reaching the later rounds, much less go the distance, this talked-of fight will be no dull affair.