By Michael Katz

Photo © Emily Harney/Fightwireimages.com

Okay, Kelly Pavlik is good for boxing, MAYBE, if Bob Arum lets him; rematches like Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera II are not, especially when falsely entitled "Will to Win," and Samuel Peter is barely the savior of Samuel Peter, certainly not of the heavyweight division.

At least the game has more fronts than a Ken Burns documentary. Just when I'm thinking the Chicken is no hen, friends are telling me not to be so sure that those pictures weren't real, that the reason Oscar de la Hoya bought Ring magazine was he feared he would become a centerfold or that his big fight next year will be against Laila Ali. These are the things we talk about while awaiting the main event, but one of the great things about boxing is that hotter rumors are always closer than your next paycheck.

Sometimes, the rumors are true.

For example, as those gathered at Mandalay Bay patiently awaited the end of the interminable semifinal to Pacquiao-Barrera II - well, Bert Sugar was not so patient, asking "where is Dr. Kavorkian when you need him" - the word went around that, in New York, Jameel McCline had dropped Samuel Peter three times in the first two rounds.

"Did Peter win?" I asked. "Did McCline pass the steroids test?"

The fight was still going on, but at least instead of having to watch Steven Luevano make a Herculean task of Antonio Davis, we could close our eyes and imagine the look on Dino Duva's face (later, when I got home to watch the Showtime telecast, I was pleased to see that he kept his cool, at least on the outside). Or, we could imagine the look on Oleg Maskaev's face. Or Dennis Rappaport's.

By the ninth round of the travails of Steven Luevano, we were hearing that Al Bernstein, the great decider, had the Madison Square Garden fight about even after seven or eight rounds. When I was able to watch it from the comfort of my new recliner, I gave McCline the two rounds in which he knocked down Peter (but only by 10-9 in the first instance because the Nigerian Nightmare had dominated until virtually the last punch of the second round, which was preceded by a very nice block by McCline's left shoulder that sent Peter off-balance). The rest I would give to Peter.

What was so disappointing was not that Peter was badly hurt in the third round, bringing up questions of his chin - Duva would say any other heavyweight would have been knocked out by the McCline uppercut, and maybe any other heavyweight named Klitschko, but certainly not one named Oliver McCall. I am used to bad whiskers. But McCline, having punched himself out in the third time and gasping desperately for air in subsequent rounds, could not be put away by Peter. The so-called No. 2 heavyweight's value has obviously declined, and by inference, I suppose so has Wladimir Klitschko's after he was knocked down three times by Peter. It seems that in a Peter contest, the winner gets dropped three times by the loser.

More disappointing, in a way, was Pacquiao-Barrera and its immediate aftermath, as it looks from the perspective of Bob Arum. Barrera seldom fought with the passion or intent that we have come to expect from the great little boxer. He engaged in an exciting and spirited fifth round, but was warned by his corner that it was "too soon" to mess with Pacquiao and told to back off. Too soon? He had only seven rounds left in his brilliant career and it seemed more that the erstwhile Baby Faced Assassin had merely a Will to Survive standing up.

Pacquiao didn't help much, turning the $50 pay-per-view show into a workout where he could demonstrate some of the nuances he's picked up from trainer Freddie Roach - actually employing feints before throwing a jab, moving his head on defense and, though it was not apparent from my ringside seat, using improved footwork.

However, Pacquiao's newfound respect for the Sweet Science neither underwrote his promoter's claim that he, not Floyd Mayweather Jr., deserved to be hailed as the game's No. 1 pound for pound, nor did it sustain his reputation as the most exciting fighter in the world. There were times I felt as if the Filipino icon was carrying Barrera out of respect for what his opponent used to be. Last Saturday night, Barrera was just that, an opponent.

I gave him one round - for beating Naseem Hamed. Maybe I could have given him another point or two for the trilogy with Erik Morales, or the seminal victory over Kennedy McKinney that made HBO's Boxing After Dark a viable series. Maybe he deserved a point for his class. When he won his first world title, against Daniel Jimenez in March 1995, he spoke little English but promised he would learn. He was able to proudly say good-bye in two languages, repeating that "this is my last fight inside this beautiful sport."

He went from Assassin to Boxer, capital B, winning titles at 122, 126 and 130 pounds, but in these days of devalued championships, Barrera should not be measured by belts. He was, simply, a great fighter.

It is always bittersweet to see a once-proud warrior go through the motions, not that he owed any of us another pound of flesh. On the sweet side, he was closing a career that Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, said "epitomized the best in boxing," financially secure and in seemingly good health.

"I have to tip my hat to Marco Antonio Barrera," said de la Hoya, who was not wearing one, but he was not in high heels, either. "He's a tremendous warrior. He fought against Manny Pacquiao who's just a machine."

A money-making machine and Arum apparently doesn't want to throw any monkey wrenches named Juan Manuel Marquez, Edwin Valero or, shiver, Joel Casamayor, at it.

Arum, who built Oscar into Chicken de la Hoya by keeping him from tough fights for as long as he could, apparently is ready to turn the Pac Man into a spinoff more aptly named Ms. Pac Man. Joan Guzman was in the back of the post-fight interview room, calling out the Filipino. All Arum could talk about was David Diaz, the least regarded of the three Diazes holding lightweight titles (Juan and Julio meet this Saturday in Chicago on HBO, after the taped showing of Pacquiao-Barrera).

Pacquiao, who won his first world title at 112 pounds, said it was getting tough to make 130 pounds and Arum used that as an excuse to delay the most appropriate fight for his southpaw, the rematch of his controversial draw with Juan Manuel Marquez.

That was when Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round and many thought the Mexican deserved the victory. I disagreed. I thought Pacquiao clearly won that fight, but it remains unfinished business.

Why can't Manny move up to lightweight, win a title from David Diaz, and then make a 135-pound defense against Marquez, Arum wanted to know. Arum would have made a gelding out of Secretariat if he thought it would have given him easier races - or if there had not been so much money in the breeding sheds.

If he wants to acclaim Pacquiao as the best fighter in the world, then he must allow the Filipino to fight the best fighters in the world, starting with Marquez - at 130 or 135, I'm sure Juan Manuel would not object.

His main promoter, de la Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, was of course pumping the rematch. He was there in suit and tie, though the temptation was to say that his partner, Bernard Hopkins, wears the pants in that company. Even the winner of Juan Diaz-Julio Diaz, a decided stepup from David Diaz, would not be as big a fight. And, besides, if Pacquiao wanted to win the REAL lightweight title, he'd have to face Casamayor - a REALLY dangerous proposition.

Let us hope that de la Hoya, in a sense Arum's partner in Pac Man, can talk some sense into the recalcitrant promoter. At Arum's age, one would hope that he already has enough financial security to allow the fights that the public wants to see. For too many years, on his beat, fans have been denied the best matchups.

SEE MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Arum is already talking about putting Pavlik in with someone liked Sergio Mora or John Duddy, and if you know Arum, he'll probably try to get both setups for the newest, and perhaps brightest, star in the firmament.

It kind of makes me wish for the Jermain Taylor era.

Taylor, in fact, was probably the best he has looked as middleweight champion. His jab was sharp, his combinations hurtful and if Referee Steve Smoger had ruled Pavlik could not go on in the middle of his second-round thrashing, there would have been little argument. And say whatever you want about Taylor - yeah, he was lucky to get two disputed decisions against Bernard Hopkins, lucky to get one against Cory Spinks, lucky to get a draw with Winky Wright and he looked unworthy of wearing the same crown that once adored Marvelous Marvin Hagler against Kassim Ouma - there were no Sergio Moras or John Duddys on his menu.

Taylor, a true warrior, wants to exercise his rematch clause and fight Pavlik right back. His team, led by promoter Lou DiBella, are more than reluctant - and for good reason. This was no ordinary knockout - this could be career-altering. The way he slowly melted to the canvas, already out, demands that caution be immediately taken in choosing his next opponent. Taylor is the one who needs to fight someone like the light-hitting Mora at this time.

He also needs to learn how to escape right hands.

My esteem for him increased with his first loss, and it would be almost criminal to lose a talent like this so soon. Maybe his first pro trainer, Pat Burns, can be talked into coming back.

PENTHOUSE: No question Pavlik has excited the masses, and not only us unwashed masses. He can be the starting point for another golden age (not necessarily 24 karat, mind you), the same way the lighter weights - that is, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran and the great Hagler, and not heavyweights like Larry Holmes or Mike Tyson, dominated the Eighties.

Getting knocked down, and almost out, but then rallying is the stuff of champions, especially when combined with the way his own power changed destiny (unlike, say, the performance of Samuel Peter). He has poise, blue-collar feelings and I applaud Arum's wish to build his natural base in the Midwest, starting with his home state of Ohio.

One such fight would be more than acceptable. Two, even if Duddy could build Pavlik's popularity at Madison Square Garden, is a bit much. The next order of business, if there's going to be a big business, is establishing Pavlik as a truly elite fighter. That means looking for middleweights like Winky Wright, maybe Arthur Abraham and maybe a comebacking Jermain Taylor.

Pavlik needs one big area of improvement - money management. He and his father left about $1 million in checks on the dresser when they left their Atlantic City hotel room. Then, when he cashed news checks written by Arum, he went out and bought a new set of tires for his old car. Such capricious spending will not allow him to challenge Floyd Mayweather Jr. to be No. 1 bling for bling.

OUTHOUSE: No, I'm not going to put Arum in here yet in the hope that he sees the light which I turned on for him and allows Pacquiao to fight Marquez and Casamayor, both fights in which I suspect he'd be favored and rightfully so. However, I will put in Don King again, first and foremost for suggesting Foul Pole Golota as the sub for the injured Oleg Maskaev to face Sam Peter. Yes, he saved the show at the Garden, with the help of the same owners who were just judged to allow sexual predators to haunt their building. And McCline, the steroid monkey (he once suggested the stuff to another heavyweight, saying in effect everyone did it in the division; Chris Byrd refused), stepped up to give the 7,000 or so fans a thrill. But in Sacramento, where King also was forced to scramble because of a last-minute injury, Epifanio Mendoza was hardly an adequate replacement for No. 1 light-heavyweight contender Adrian Diaconu in the main event against 175-pound titlist, Chad Dawson. It was not a fair fight and the mismatch was finally stopped in the fourth round. Don, you can do better - and you have….Let's give Showtime a slap on the wrist for its Dec. 1 lineup - now it seems Antonio Tarver will be going up against George (Honey Boy) Blades atop Vernon Forrest's junior middleweight belt defense against Michele Piccirillo….But of course, a special sewer has to be built in the OUTHOUSE for the WBOogeymen who ruled that Kendall Holt, hit in the face with a beer can and slipping all over a canvas that should have been cleansed, did not deserve a rematch against Ricardo Torres….Tom Schreck, imported from Albany, N.Y., the town that made Ron Scott Stevens chairman of the state athletic commission, had one of the strangest scorecards ever. After ten rounds, he had Pacquiao-Barrera EVEN. He gave the first three rounds to Barrera. He should be returned to New York unopened.

IMMEDIATE FUTURE SCHLOCK: Okay, Juan Diaz vs. Julio Diaz is only a partial unification of the lightweight division, the winner should be matched with Joel Casamayor, but on its own, not as a title fight, it is a nice matchup. Juan Diaz, coming off making Acelino Freitas quit again, is the natural favorite, but too high for my taste at 5-1. Three years ago, he showed how tough he was when he first won his belt by outpointing the rugged Mongolian, Lakva Sim, at the age of 21. Now 24, he rests on the brink of stardom, partly because of his personality - a college student by day, a boxer by night - but more because of his nonstop style. He is one of the most fan-friendly practitioners in the game. If he could seriously punch, he'd be illegal.

He has only 16 knockouts on his 32-0 record. Julio Diaz, from the fighting family of Coachella, CA, has 25 on his 34-3 slate. He is a danger, though the Baby Bull has shown a world-class chin. This is something Julio Diaz has not displayed. He was stopped by Jose Luis Castillo in 2005, no shame in that as the stoppage was more of an accumulation of damage, but also in the third round by hard-punching Juan (Pollo) Valenzuela earlier in his career.

It should be an entertaining fight. Hell, any Juan Diaz fight should be entertaining. And it is on regular HBO, preceded by the replay of Pacquiao-Barrera (after the fifth round of that, you can go to the john if necessary). The other big weekend attraction, and the word should be used advisedly, as if advertising a horror movie, you'll have to reach into the pockets again.

Evander Holyfield, 44, challenges Sultan Ibragimov for one of the four alphabet heavyweight titles. Maybe there'll be some nice views of Moscow, where the event is taking place. Maybe there'll be some nice views of Bora Bora or Paris, where it is not taking place. Philadelphia will do. When it's pay-per-view, I want views, especially when it's a fight like this.

This is also a 5-1 fight. Ibragimov, a squat southpaw of decent hand speed, is of course the favorite. He is undefeated and the "champion." He came by his title the old-fashioned way - he beat a stiff for it. The stiff's name was Shannon Briggs and it was perhaps the poorest performances by a so-called heavyweight champion since John Tate's 15th round against Mike Weaver. Briggs plodded, Ibragimov darted in and out, landing a couple of slaps before retreating again to safety.

Ibragimov might be able to do the same against the ancient warrior, slowed by age and use. This is part of Holyfield's quixotic quest to retire as the undisputed heavyweight champion, which he first became 17 years ago when the out-of-shape Buster Douglas threw that misguided uppercut and the Real Deal clocked him.

That clock hasn't stopped and it would be incorrect to say neither has Holyfield. He has "retired" a couple of times. Three years ago, the grandstanding New York State boxing commissioner, Ron Scott Stevens, pulled his license after Holyfield was miserable in losing a 12-round decision to Larry Donald. Holy said it was a bum shoulder. It's been repaired and he's beaten a who's who of what's that since, capped by Lou Savarese and Vinny Maddalone, hardly the stuff of legends.

It almost makes you believe in kismet that here he is in any kind of title fight. He is a substitute for Ruslan Chagaev, another of the four "champions," who was supposed to have a partial unification fight against Ibragimov until a training camp injury.

Kismet also matches Holyfield light. Ibragimov seems more difficult to spell than to fight. He is undefeated, 21-0-1, but his 21 victories are virtually canceled by the one draw, to Ray Austin. Holyfield is a much more accomplished counterpuncher than Briggs ever was. No, it is not beyond the imagination to think the Real Deal, at the 3-1 buy-back odds, has a real chance here.

The caveat is time. Sometimes, time does not fade memories. Holyfield's memorable upset of Mike Tyson was 11 years ago. His upset of Riddick Bowe in their classic second meeting, the one interrupted by the Fan Man's parachuting into the ring, was 14 years ago. It's been 23 years since he was robbed of an Olympic gold medal.

This is less of a fight than a curio. Don't bet on bric-a-brac.

DIS AND THAT: No, I'm not that high on Andre Berto. Yet. He has lots of work to do on his technique. David Estrada's corner should have stopped the mismatch three rounds before Hap Hazzard signaled the end in the 11th….From TV, I thought Taylor was slightly ahead of Pavlik, but my colleagues who were ringside in Atlantic City all thought the defending champion was well in front….While I couldn't believe Epifanio Mendoza was a challenger for a world title in Sacramento, I found it even more difficult in the semi to look at Luis Perez as a champion….Little bit of jingoism in the Barrera intro when singer Alex Lora kept incanting that Mexico was the best country in the world and its people the best race…. Why is it both HBO and Showtime, before boxing telecasts, warn viewers to in effect lock up the children because of "adult language," but never mention the possibility of violence?....Wait until you read George Kimball's latest, "The Four Kings," about the Ray Leonard-Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns-Roberto Duran era. It's aces. It's about to go to the printers in U.S. and Britain.