It’s being reported by Joe Simons from TribToday.com in Youngstown, Ohio that a 45-year-old man is accusing local boxing middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and his trainer, Jack Loew, of assaulting him Saturday at the East Side Civics Club in Youngstown. Ronald Cappitte, 45, of Boardman, told police he was at the South Avenue establishment at 11 p.m. Saturday and he approached Pavlik to say hi when he was punched in the groin by Pavlik and was hit repeatedly by Loew for no reason. He said he called Pavlik outside to continue the fight but Pavlik hit him in the forehead instead. Cappitte filed the police report 9 a.m. Monday morning.
Jack Loew released a statement Monday stating there was an altercation Saturday but that’s not how it happened.
“Ron was standing there talking with all of us,” Loew said. ”Him, Kelly, myself and my son were there talking. Cappitte said something about some flicking game they were playing and all the sudden Cappitte lunged and grabbed Kelly’s neck and I then pulled Cappitte back. It was then that another group of people jumped in, not Kelly Pavlik or Jack Loew. I actually pulled the other five guys off him.”
Loew said he believed Cappitte was drunk and he was just trying to help him Ronald Cappitte use to be Pavlik’s neighbor. Jack Loew also said he has several witnesses who will back his recollection of the story.