Former middleweight boxing champion Kelly Pavlik has been in the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., since Nov. 4 for treatment of a problem with alcohol, the fighter’s father, Mike Pavlik, told Yahoo! Sports.
The 28-year-old slugger’s boxing career is in doubt, said co-manager Cameron Dunkin, who said, “I don’t know if he’ll ever fight again.”
After an intense eight-hour conversation early this month with his parents and wife, Samantha, Kelly Pavlik opted to admit himself to the clinic and seek treatment to cure a problem that Mike Pavlik said began shortly after his son won the middleweight title by knocking out Jermain Taylor in Atlantic City, N.J., on Sept. 29, 2007.
Mike Pavlik said Kelly’s problem is with beer, not drugs.
It is the second time this year that Pavlik has entered rehab; he only stayed two weeks the first time. Dunkin said Pavlik defended the middleweight title against Sergio Martinez on April 17 in Atlantic City, about 10 days after being released from the world-renowned clinic the first time.
Dunkin said Friday that Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs) wasn’t determined to be chemically dependent upon alcohol in the spring, but he has been declared dependent during this stint. Dunkin said Pavlik plans to remain in treatment for as long as necessary in order to permanently resolve his problem.
Source Yahoo Sports
Hope he gets the help he needs would like to see him in the ring again. Hope he overcomes this problem.
good luck kelly
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