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June 2009 
Fights of Your Life, Pavlik !
Posted on May 28th, 2008
by 
Professor
Professor
Fights of your life, Pavlik !
What's it like to shake hands with a great boxer, Kelly Pavlik, the current middleweight champion of the world?
I met Pavlik at an interesting venue for a professional boxer, The Butler Museum of Art, Youngstown, his hometown -- a day before Memorial Day. Kelly Pavlik gave a word of thanks and a brief motivational speech, performing his role in a lively unveiling ceremony for a recent acquisition, a painting, a portrait of Kelly Pavlik.
By luck I happened to be there that day. Walking up the museum steps I noticed something different. Parked right in front of the white marble-faced museum, in a broad row, stood over a dozen gleaming chrome and bright-wild-painted motorcycles, big honkin' hogs. Even though that sunny Sunday streets were quiet (virtually empty for soaring gas prices and Youngstown's depression), the museum's lots were better than half full. Many had come to see Kelly Pavlik and the new painting.
Pavlik's art is heart. Background: he was knocked to the ground, hard, in round two of his first title fight. But he got up, barely, he struggled somehow and he boxed, fought on and won the bout big time. They say it's a spectacular fight. Classic. Underdog rebounds. Yet I found Pavlik a humble guy in person. I felt compelled to go and speak with him.
I said to him, "Thank you, for motivating people to get back on their feet."
He said, "Well, we still have a lot of work to do." I suppose he spoke for greater Youngstown as well as the world at large. He implied he was not alone in this fight, "WE -- still have a lot of work..." he said, "WORK " to help motivate people to get back on their feet, to rebound. He's thinking ahead, way beyond his next title fight, June 7, Atlantic City. Nevertheless, he takes every day seriously and does what he can to make the most of his time in and out of the ring. There's a good deal of gratis work for charities that doesn't get so much publicity as does a good fight. He enjoys family time, his two-year-old growing up and his many friends, friends longstanding before fame and fortune placed him in the center-ring limelight.
Through triumph, triumph he encourages in others. Thankfully, his handshake was not a bone-crusher. It may have been demure but it was certainly not a dead fish. Gloves off, the boxer imparted rarefied sensibilities: a strength of hidden reserves and a confidence in the future. That's what it was like to shake hands with a champion. What's in your handshake?
What's it like to shake hands with a great boxer, Kelly Pavlik, the current middleweight champion of the world?
I met Pavlik at an interesting venue for a professional boxer, The Butler Museum of Art, Youngstown, his hometown -- a day before Memorial Day. Kelly Pavlik gave a word of thanks and a brief motivational speech, performing his role in a lively unveiling ceremony for a recent acquisition, a painting, a portrait of Kelly Pavlik.
By luck I happened to be there that day. Walking up the museum steps I noticed something different. Parked right in front of the white marble-faced museum, in a broad row, stood over a dozen gleaming chrome and bright-wild-painted motorcycles, big honkin' hogs. Even though that sunny Sunday streets were quiet (virtually empty for soaring gas prices and Youngstown's depression), the museum's lots were better than half full. Many had come to see Kelly Pavlik and the new painting.
Pavlik's art is heart. Background: he was knocked to the ground, hard, in round two of his first title fight. But he got up, barely, he struggled somehow and he boxed, fought on and won the bout big time. They say it's a spectacular fight. Classic. Underdog rebounds. Yet I found Pavlik a humble guy in person. I felt compelled to go and speak with him.
I said to him, "Thank you, for motivating people to get back on their feet."
He said, "Well, we still have a lot of work to do." I suppose he spoke for greater Youngstown as well as the world at large. He implied he was not alone in this fight, "WE -- still have a lot of work..." he said, "WORK " to help motivate people to get back on their feet, to rebound. He's thinking ahead, way beyond his next title fight, June 7, Atlantic City. Nevertheless, he takes every day seriously and does what he can to make the most of his time in and out of the ring. There's a good deal of gratis work for charities that doesn't get so much publicity as does a good fight. He enjoys family time, his two-year-old growing up and his many friends, friends longstanding before fame and fortune placed him in the center-ring limelight.
Through triumph, triumph he encourages in others. Thankfully, his handshake was not a bone-crusher. It may have been demure but it was certainly not a dead fish. Gloves off, the boxer imparted rarefied sensibilities: a strength of hidden reserves and a confidence in the future. That's what it was like to shake hands with a champion. What's in your handshake?
Access: PublicTagged with: triumph, Kelly Pavlik, perseverance, motivation, encouragement, training, boxing, art, fighter, spiritual, heart, champion
