Home Boxing News Kelly Pavlik makes debut as ringside commentator

Kelly Pavlik makes debut as ringside commentator

Kelly Pavlik

Former Middleweight World Champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik will make his debut as a ringside commentator this Thursday night, August 1, as DiBella Entertainment presents a special edition of Broadway Boxing: Night of the Contenders from the Monroeville Convention Center, just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. The event will be live streamed exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASSĀ®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.

Joining Pavlik on the broadcast will be New York Yankees reporter Justin Shackil and noted boxing writer and commentator Corey Erdman.

“Since I started the ‘Punchline’ podcast in 2017, I’ve wanted to work my way into commentating and I’m very grateful for this opportunity on Thursday night. DiBella Entertainment has put together a great fight card and I look forward to working with Corey Erdman and Justin Shackil on the UFC FIGHT PASSĀ® broadcast,” said Pavlik.

“Kelly and I may have been in opposite corners a few times when he was an active fighter, but I have the utmost respect for him, both in and out of the ring, and I look forward to his unique perspective as a former world champion on this tremendous Broadway Boxing card on UFC Fight Pass Thursday night,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment.

In the main event, Ievgen “The Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov (18-2, 15 KOs), of Brooklyn, New York, faces Atlantic City, New Jersey’s Gabriel Pham (11-1, 5 KOs).

Junior middleweight Eric “The Baby Faced Assassin” Walker (18-2, 8 KOs), of Plaquemine, Louisiana, battles Jose Antonio “Bachata” Abreu (14-5, 8 KOs), of La Romana, Dominican Republic, in the co-feature.

Both Walker and Khytrov were participants in last year’s season of The Contender.

Heavyweights will also see action on August 1 and live on UFC FIGHT PASS as undefeated and hard-hitting Mike Balogun (13-0, 10 KOs), a former college football standout from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, clashes with St. Louis veteran Ed Fountain (12-5, 5 KOs) in a scheduled eight-rounder.

Ukrainian welterweight contender Ivan “The Volk” Golub (16-1, 12 KOs), of Brooklyn, New York, squares off against former Brazilian super lightweight champion Joaquim Carneiro (25-10, 23 KOs), of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Newly signed DBE prospect Victor “El Turu” Padilla (4-0, 4 KOs), a native of Vieques, Puerto Rico, takes on Benjamin Borteye, of Silver Spring, MD, in a scheduled four-round bout.

Local fan favorite Bill Hutchinson (17-2-4, 8 KOs), of Pittsburgh, PA, will face Charlie Serrano (16-4-2, 5 KOs), of Tampa, FL, in a scheduled eight-round lightweight attraction.