A rotten rumor about Kelly Pavlik has been circulating nationally. The rumor is that Kelly Pavlik is in alcohol-rehabilitation. Seeing a very healthy-looking Pavlik at tonight’s Thunder game, I am disturbed by what some people are writing and publishing on the national level when they do not know or understand any facts, but rather base a story on heresay to boost hits.

Being from Youngstown, and a nationally recognized blog, I am going to do the right thing and try to set the record straight. Pavlik is not and was not in alcohol-rehab. Everything the poor guy does is magnified times twenty because he is now famous. In the months between training for a fight and fighting, Pavlik is all business. What he does in the recreational time he has between the end of a fight and starting to train for the next fight is his business.

I know Kelly throws darts and shoots pool in sanctioned leagues in Youngstown. Unfortunately for him, the dart matches do not take place in a church basement, but rather at a bar. So he goes to a bar two or three times a week to throw darts or shoot pool with his friends. Does that mean he automatically has an alcohol problem? I shoot pool in sanctioned leagues too, the same ones as Pavlik. I go to bars four nights a week, should I check into Betty Ford now?

President Obama was photographed at a Washington Wizards game this past Winter. He was photographed relaxing and drinking a beer. Should we impeach him now? I thought it was one of the coolest photos I ever saw because it showed him being a human being, an American.

First of all, drinking is legal in this country, and if any citizen chooses to drink, it is their legal American right. Secondly, Kelly Pavlik is a self-advertised proud father, to him family comes first. To me, that is respectable, because family comes first here as well. Finally, I have had conversations with Jack Loew, Pavlik’s trainer, am friends with Mike Romeo, a member of team Pavlik, and have several common friends with Pavlik. If this rumor were indeed true, I would know. If I found out it was true, I would not write anything, especially in defense of Pavlik.

Bottom line is that my sources are people on the inside, and they would tell me the truth knowing I would not publish anything on this website to harm the reputation of someone who is pictured in my banner. I can report here and now that Kelly Pavlik is just fine and that RingTalk.com writer Pedro Fernandez needs to re-check his sources because he was sorely misled.

The credibility of this website hangs on the balance of what I type every day. I am willing to risk my own credibility based on who I have talked to and what they know.

With a new deal in place with Top Rank signed about a month ago, Pavlik will continue to defend Youngstown. With my credibility and reputation at stake, I will continue to defend Kelly Pavlik.