Former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik withdrew Monday from his bout on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's meeting with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13, citing a rib injury.
Top Rank president Todd DuBoef confirmed Pavlik's latest withdrawal from a high-profile showcase. The promoters plan to move lightweight contender Brandon Rios onto the card at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs) was scheduled to meet Brian Vera in the top undercard bout of the HBO pay-per-view show featuring Pacquiao's attempt to win a title in his eighth weight class against Margarito, the former welterweight champion.
The cancellation is another setback for Pavlik, who lost his WBC and WBO 160-pound titles to Argentina's Sergio Martinez in April. The unanimous decision was his second defeat in four fights, following a one-sided loss to Bernard Hopkins in 2008 and two wins over fringe contenders.
The Youngstown, Ohio, native postponed two title defenses against Paul Williams last year with a staph infection in his hand. Beyond his health problems, Pavlik also has angrily denied widespread rumors he has been waylaid by family squabbles and excessive drinking.
Rios (25-0-1, 18 KOs) was slated to fight on the undercard of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s next fight in Anaheim, Calif., on Dec. 4. The Texas-born fighter beat undefeated contender Anthony Peterson by disqualification for repeated low blows in his last fight in September.
Rios trains with Robert Garcia, who also trains Margarito, in Oxnard, Calif.
Top Rank hasn't yet selected an opponent for Rios.
