Report: Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams Rescheduled for Dec. 5, Shane Mosley to Fight Joshua Clottey on Christmas Weekend?

We've heard this one before, so we'll have to take it with at least a tiny grain of salt. But ESPN's Dan Rafael reported in his Notebook column today that Bob Arum expects the on-again-off-again-on-again fight between Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams to take place on December 5 in Atlantic City.

Hopefully it sticks on that date longer than last time, when the scheduled date of October 3 lasted roughly a week before Pavlik's staph infection, a problem that's been lingering pretty much all year, forced it to be pushed back. On a personal level, I'm happy that the fight will likely still be in A.C., as that is within driving distance of BoxingWatchers HQ. You'll have to excuse me if I don't rearrange my schedule at my day job just yet though.

You may recall that HBO was originally thinking Shane Mosley would fight someone in Las Vegas on Dec. 5, assuming he could get someone to fight him. Sugar Shane's name had been mentioned in conjunction with just about every possible opponent around his weight, and he even campaigned publicly - and unsuccessfully - to try to land Manny Pacquiao.

The ever-hustling Rafael has news on that too, getting Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer to state that he's given up that date for Pavlik-Williams and is looking to possibly match Mosley with Joshua Clottey in Los Angeles on December 26. Though Rafael correctly expresses surprise at that date, I think it could be a stroke of genius. People are always looking for things to do after they've finished their family obligations on the holiday weekend, and though there are college football bowl games going on, it's still well before the important ones.

I like Mosley to beat Clottey, especially if it's the same Sugar Shane that showed up in the Antonio Margarito fight, but it won't be an easy night. I'm also an unabashed Mosley fan and will readily admit to having trouble keeping my personal bias out of the mix.

Is fighting Clottey really just Shane settling for whatever he could get? There certainly seems to be at least a little truth to that, but at least one man whose opinion I really respect - Tim Starks at The Queensberry Rules - says Mosley has never been afraid to fight dangerous opponents for less money than he would prefer.

Posted by The Franchise