Foes lining up for Pavlik

After fighting 12 grueling rounds against Jermain Taylor on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden, Kelly Pavlik is ready to take some time off.

But not too much.

The world middleweight champion, who raised his record to 33-0, is planning to return to the ring in June to defend the WBC, WBO and Ring titles he won in September when he knocked out Taylor in the seventh round in Atlantic City.

The leading candidate to be Pavlik's next opponent is John Duddy (23-0) of Northern Ireland. Top Rank, which promotes Pavlik, has reserved June 7 at New York's Madison Square Garden for the fight.

However, there is talk that Felix Trinidad is interested in fighting Pavlik in New York, a fight that likely would prove more lucrative for all parties than a Pavlik-Duddy match.

And there also is speculation that Armenian light heavyweight Alexander Abraham could be next for Pavlik, but that is the least likely scenario. Abraham, despite a 19-0-1 record, is relatively unknown in the United States, having fought mostly in Germany.

Pavlik said he doesn't care who he fights next, as long as it's at 160 pounds.

"I worked real hard to win those belts," he said Saturday after scoring a 12-round unanimous decision to defeat Taylor for the second time in five months. "I think I'd like to hold onto them for a while."

Pavlik said a June bout would give him sufficient time to recuperate from Saturday and train for another fight. He injured both hands in the seventh round, but declined to have them X-rayed. It had been announced that Pavlik would have his hands examined upon his return home to Youngstown, Ohio, on Sunday.

"I'll be fine in a few days," he said. "They're basically stingers in my hands. I get them every fight. It's really no big deal."

Pavlik praised Taylor's courage and tenacity in taking him the distance. Taylor chose to box rather than brawl and kept the fight mostly in the middle of the ring.

"He had a good game plan and he made me earn it," Pavlik said. "I knew it was real close, but I felt I dominated the last few rounds and did enough to win."

Jack Loew, the only trainer Pavlik has had, said he was proud of the way his fighter handled himself.

"It was very close after the eighth round and when I told him he needed to pick it up, I thought it could go either way," Loew said.

Loew said Duddy would be fine as Pavlik's next opponent. But the idea of a big-money fight with Trinidad, who lost last month to Roy Jones Jr., is intriguing.

"Sure, we'll fight Trinidad," he said. "But it will have to be for a lot of money."

How much money?

"A lot," he said.

For now, Pavlik said he's looking forward to getting out on the golf course. It was 33 degrees with rain and snow Sunday in Youngstown. But given Pavlik's $2.5 million payday the night before, he can afford to fly somewhere sunny and warm to hit the links.

"Yeah, I'll find someplace to play," he said with a smile.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.