By Dan Ambrose: Former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (40-2, 34 KO’s) says he has no interest whatsoever in taking on unbeaten #3 WBC, #4 IBF, #8 WBA super middleweight contender Edwin Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KO’s) despite him looking good in blowing out Jason Escaldera (13-1-1, 12 KO’s) in 8 rounds last Saturday night in an HBO televised fight.

Speaking with 8countnews.com, Pavlik said “There’s bigger fights out there than Edwin Rodriguez. I’m a former world champion. I make big fights. I don’t need to fight him.”

Pavlik seemed to take offense that the 27-year-old Rodriguez is using him as a stepping stone to get to a title shot rather than just calling out one of the champions. Pavlik obviously doesn’t see himself as an over-the-hill type fighter or someone to be used as a stepping stone for younger super middleweights to use in order to get a title shot. However, Pavlik only has himself to blame for this. Pavlik has been out of circulation for two years in terms of fighting for world titles that it can’t help but to give the impression to younger fighters like Rodriguez that Pavlik is done. Pavlik isn’t even trying to fight for a world title now, and has been fighting endless tune-ups since losing his WBC and WBO middleweight titles to Sergio Martinez two years ago. No doubt Pavlik has had problems outside of the ring with alcohol. However, he should have already stepped back up to the plate and at least fought a contender at this point instead of wasting his career fighting 3rd tier fighters like Aaron Jaco, Scott Sigmon and 2nd tier guy Will Rosinsky.

I don’t know what Pavlik is thinking but I don’t see a big fight falling into his lap at super middleweight. He could step up and fight WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Andre Ward, and I’m sure Ward would take that fight. But I don’t think Pavlik will do that. Pavlik will have to wait to get a shot against IBF champ Carl Froch, because he’s been for the next year fighting Yusaf Mack, Lucian Bute, Mikkel Kessler and then his mandatory challenger. #3 WBO, Pavlik could get a shot against WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham at some point but I seriously doubt that will happen in 2013. Pavlik might have to wait until 2014 to get that shot, because I can’t see Abraham’s handlers letting Abraham fight Pavlik until Pavlik is Abrahams mandatory challenger.

I don’t blame Pavlik for not wanting to fight Edwin Rodriguez, because he’s all wrong for Pavlik. He moves a lot, throws a lot of punches and is tall. He’s not a stationary fighter like the guys that Pavlik does well against. Besides that, there’s probably not going to be a lot of money in a Rodriguez-Pavlik fight unless HBO is willing to pay big money to air this fight, and I doubt that. Rodriguez isn’t a big enough name to have a well paying fight between him and Pavlik. Rodriguez is basically too dangerous for Pavlik. Kelly needs to try angle himself to fight the WBA World regular super middleweight champion Karoly Balzsay, who is little more than a paper champion in the eyes of many boxing fans.