EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: JACK LOEW

Trainer addresses Kelly Pavlik's situation

GL: Why is Kelly Pavlik out again?

Jack Loew: If you can't make a fist, and you're not 100%, I'm not going to put him in there. He didn't heal as quick as the doctors thought it was going to be. The bottom line is, I'm not a doctor. I don't know the medical reason why it's not closing. When we get medically cleared, we can fight. That's all I can really say about it.

GL: Do you ever expect Pavlik and Paul Williams to share a ring, and did you like the fight going in?

JL: Absolutely, Kelly's had extremely good luck against left handed fighters. We've fought everyone that they put in front of us. Why would we back away from Paul Williams? Listen, we've had a bad 2009. Hopefully 2010 is much better for us.

GL: There have been rumors throughout the boxing industry that Pavlik is in Youngstown, Ohio doing things that are not very becoming of a world champion. He's getting into trouble, he's drinking too much, he's doing this and that, and that all this has something to do with the slow nature of his recovery.

JL: Absolutely not. We've had medical documents from one of the most respected hand specialists in the world at the Cleveland Clinic. There are no records of Kelly Pavlik getting into trouble, no police reports of him getting into trouble. If Kelly Pavlik picks his nose at a red light, everyone is looking at Kelly Pavlik picking his nose. Before it was look at that guy picking his nose. No matter what Kelly does, he's under the microscope. No, he hasn't had any trouble. That altercation that Kelly and I got into was blown so far out of proportion. I'm fifty years old, I'm not smacking anyone in the mouth. Trust me. I see where he's coming from. Being out in the public one night, something happening, and getting blown so far out of proportion, when I was there. I can see what he goes through all the time. To answer your question more bluntly, no, he has not been in trouble this whole time. Kelly's been in a sling and a brace for six months.

GL: Where did the hand injury come from?

JL: Right after the [Marco Antonio] Rubio fight, Kelly got an injection of cortisone in his hand, which he gets periodically during training camp. He got an injection, and it got worse and worse. It went from staph to what we have now. He hasn't been out of the gym. I'm on my way to run him right now, he's been going to the Ironman Gym, as he usually does. He just can't do anything with his left hand. That's what we're watiting for.

GL: Is there any ETA on when his hand is going to be 100% again?

JL: I have no idea, I'm not a doctor.

GL: Do you have any thoughts on the Super Middleweight Tournament that you'd care to share with us?

JL: I thought the first round of the tournament was very interesting. I didn't think the Arthur Abraham fight went as I thought it would. I really thought Jermain [Taylor] would have boxed him a lot better. I don't know what's wrong in that camp, or what's wrong with him. Maybe he should just walk away. He's made plenty of money, he's a great fighter. I don't know. I thought he was going to hold up way better against Abraham than he did. As far as the other fight goes, I thought it was horrible. I thought Andre Dirrell could have easily won the fight. I thought he ran too much at the beginning, but then again, Carl Froch is always there. He just doesn't go away. It's interesting. I'm really interested to see the Andre Ward fight. I think it's going to be very interesting, I think Mikkel Kessler has a chance of winning the whole tournament.

GL: Are there any other issues Kelly Pavlik is dealing with other than his hand?

JL: Absolutely not, that's all bullshit.

GL: It's good that you're clarifying that. There is no Jack Loew interview out there clarifying it.

JL: You're the first person that's called me. People were calling to ask why we weren't going to fight again. At the time, we had to let HBO know everything before we got the word out. After Top Rank made their statement, the calls stopped coming in. Then all of the accusations and assumptions started. Listen, this kid is no different than any other fighter out there. We've had a bad 2009. Klitschko's been out of boxing because of his knees, other fighters are taking time off because of injuries. De La Hoya has had his hands operated on, it's just something that these guys to through. Unfortunately, the rumors follow, but he's still training, still working out as hard as he possibly can, even without his hand. They are all rumors, Kelly is 100% besides his hand.

GL: Closing thoughts.

JL: I just hope we have a better 2010, than we did in 2009. I think people will see it was definitely Kelly's physical condition, that it was because of his hand, and not anything else. I think he's going to have a strong 2010.