Reigning And Defending: Bernard Hopkins » Could it be six years ago already? Six years since Bernard Hopkins turned in what many saw as half a performance against Jermain Taylor in their first bout to lose to the young Arkansan upstart and end his reign as the longest defending middleweight champion in the history of the sport?… Jeff Pryor, www.queensberry-rules.com

Froch To Ward: Cut No Excuse, I’m Always Injured » Carl Froch has told Andre Ward not to use his cut eye as an excuse if he suffers defeat in the Super Six final, which has been rescheduled for December 17… Source: www.espn.co.uk

Sergio Martinez: Will The Real Middleweight Champion Let Down? » Coming into this weekend’s lineal middleweight title fight between Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, 47-2-2 (26) KOs and “Darren “Dazzling” Barker, 23-0 (14), the question is not whether the champ with no belt will win, but how hard will he make it on himself? Barker is another in a string of unknown-to-US-fight-fans Euros that HBO has decided to use as an opponent in lieu of perhaps a Midwestern easy out… Gabriel Montoya, www.doghouseboxing.com

Photos by: Ward © Fight Camp 360/Showtime; Martinez/Barker © PA Photos; Hopkins © Howard Schatz

Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum, says the under card of Showtime’s main event featuring eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao against three-division, five-time champion, Shane Mosley, could be haunted by the comeback of a “Ghost”.

Former WBC and WBO middleweight (160 pounds) champion, Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 knockouts) may return to the ring on May 7, according to Arum.

“We’re holding a spot on that card,” said Arum to Boxing Fanhouse. “Kelly wants to do it, we want to do it. So there is a big possibility that he could be on the card.”

28-year old Pavlik had been released from Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif. on Jan. 4, after having been admitted for alcohol issues on Nov. 4.

Although the comeback of the Youngstown, Ohio-native will inevitably spark potential match-up speculations, Pavlik’s manager, Cameron Dunkin, wants to make it clear that his personal matters come first.

“Kelly told me that he doesn’t want to disappoint anybody any more. He wants to get his life in order,” Dunkin said previous to his release. “So we’re just bringing him home and letting him see his family, and then we’ll let him rest and talk about his career or whatever else in a week or two.”

Pavlik’s alcohol problems stemmed back to 2007, during which he dethroned Jermain Taylor in an impressive seventh-round knockout in Atlantic City.

After another decision victory over Taylor, and third-round stoppage over Gary Lockett, Pavlik suffered his first loss at the hands of Bernard Hopkins (in a bout at 170 pounds) by decision in October of 2008.

Pavlik recovered with two straight knockout victories, before being dethroned in April by unanimous decision, to now Pound-for-Pound ranked, Sergio Martinez.

Most recently, Pavlik had been scheduled to fight on the Nov. 13 under card of Pacquiao versus Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title at Dallas Stadium; however, cited a rib injury as his reason for pulling out of the bout with Bryan Lee Vera.

Personal problems and speculations aside, it will be interesting to see if the “Ghost” will have the capability to instill fear in the middleweight division again.

— Alex Neely

The Rebuilding Of Kelly Pavlik – A Fan’s Perspective » On his way up the rankings Kelly ‘The Ghost” Pavlik was a promoters dream; a rangy white middleweight with a concrete chin, an inexhaustible work rate and genuine pop in both hands. He seemed to handle both bangers and boxers alike, and the truck size holes in his defense only added an entertainment X factor that took him all the way to a 160 pound title victory over Jermain Taylor… Chris Kelly, www.eastsideboxing.com

‘Friday Night Fights’ Comes Out Swinging » “Friday Night Fights,” ESPN2′s live weekly boxing series, returns for a 13th season this week with the first of 31 cards, including the network’s first-ever 3-D boxing telecast on Feb. 18… Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

Adamek Has His Eye On IBO Heavyweight Title » Tomasz Adamek has a nearly perfect boxing record, having lost only one professional bout in 44 career fights. • The Jersey City resident has been the World Boxing Council’s light heavyweight champion, the International Boxing Federation and the International Boxing Organization’s cruiserweight champion and he hopes to do the same soon in the heavyweight division. According to him, it doesn’t matter what the challenge is, he will win because he is strong physically and mentally… Garrett Rasko-Martinis/The Jersey Journal, www.nj.com

Gym photo: AP Photo/Mary Altaffer