Former middleweight champ, Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs), will make his return to active duty, May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley undercard against undefeated Texas club fighter Alfonso Lopez (21-0, 16 KOs).
Pavlik, 28, who has suffered through two separate stints in rehab for alcohol dependency, lost his WBC and WBO middleweight titles in a bloody unanimous decision to Sergio Martinez in April of last year. Nursing a staph infection in his left hand and an assortment of personal problems, Pavlik has suffered through two years of inactivity and inconsistent performances.
Team Pavlik now claims that their fighter has won the battle with his personal demons and is back in the gym, looking better than ever.
The 28-year-old Lopez, a native of Cut and Shoot, Texas, has fought all but two of his bouts in Texas against club-level opposition. Lopez’s best win to date is a one-sided unanimous decision against journeyman Rubin Williams in June of last year.
