`GHOST' IS THE TALK OF HIS TOWN.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES BOXING

Kelly ``Ghost'' Pavlik comes from a city in Ohio called Youngstown, with a population of about 83,000. It has produced such terrific fighters as lightweight champions Ray ``Boom Boom'' Mancini and Harry Arroyo, as well as cruiserweight champion Jeff Lampkin.

Now, Pavlik is trying to be the next champion from this Rust Belt city situated on the Mahoning River 65miles southeast of Cleveland.

A big step in that direction could come tonight when Pavlik will square off with Mexico's Jose Luis Zertuche in a 12-round World Boxing Council middleweight title elimination fight at Honda Center in Anaheim.

It will be the co-feature to the super flyweight bout between Jorge Arce of Mexico and Julio David Roque Ler of Argentina. HBO will televise.

Pavlik, 24, is 29-0 with 26 knockouts. He is ranked No. 2 by the WBC, No. 3 by the World Boxing Association, No. 5 by the World Boxing Organization and No. 8 by the International Boxing Federation.

According to his promoter, Bob Arum, Pavlik has it all.

``He is confident in the ring, he can box and he is the hardest puncher in the middleweight division,'' Arum said Wednesday prior to a news conference at Honda Center. ``He has gotten hit by some good guys without ill effects and so we think his chin has been tested and that we are now ready to take the shot.''

Pavlik boxed in the 2000 Olympic Trials at the tender age of 17.

It was only his third open division (ages 17-34) tournament, yet he was good enough to give Jermain Taylor a difficult time before dropping a decision. Taylor, the current WBO and WBC middleweight champion, was 21 at the time and went on to represent the U.S. in the Sydney Games, winning a bronze medal in the light middleweight division.

Pavlik turned pro in June 2000, and he has gone through the opposition like a man on a mission. Now that he has boxed himself into this position, Pavlik knows that he is ready to accomplish that mission.

``Most of the guys that are coming up, your top champions right now, you look at who they fought and they actually struggled coming up, you know, with a lot of decisions, a lot of boring fights,'' Pavlik said. ``And I went through my guys convincingly.

``There were a lot of guys put in front of me who had never been stopped or who I was supposed to go to a decision with and I took them out quickly. when you go through opponents like that, you know you are ready for the next level.''

If Pavlik wins tonight, he would become the mandatory challenger to Taylor's WBC belt.

``It was a real close fight, but I had just come out of the J.O.'s (Junior Olympic division),'' Pavlik said about his Trials loss to Taylor. ``I didn't get robbed or anything. I think he won fair and square. But I think now with me being 24 years old and with the experience that I've got, that it would definitely be a different story.''

Arum said that Taylor these days is afraid to fight Pavlik because Pavlik ``is so dangerous and has such a big punch.'' Another intriguing fight for Pavlik would be against Edison Miranda, another hot commodity.

Miranda, of Colombia, is 27-1 with 24 knockouts. Like Pavlik, he is a top-10 fighter. Also like Pavlik, Miranda is highly thought of around the boxing world. The heavy punching that could take place in that fight is awesome just to consider.

``I think that would be one of the bigger middleweight fights because of the power and our records and everything,'' Pavlik said.

``That would probably be bigger than a title fight. But I have to get past Zertuche first; you're only as good as your last fight. Zertuche can fight really good, too. We are prepared for him.

``Then afterward I think it would be great to fight Miranda. There is a guy right there who is known in the middleweight division.''

Then again, it is important to Pavlik that he does indeed become one of Youngstown's fighting champions.

``For as small as our city is, we put a lot of great fighters out there,'' said Pavlik, who is 6-foot-2 1/2 and ambidextrous. ``Yeah, it is a dream. It's finally coming. It's so close, so it is getting pretty exciting. We're anxious and every fight is a big fight.''

De La Hoya in strange position

During the early years of his professional career, it was not uncommon to see Oscar De La Hoya walk into the Forum with a beautiful woman on his arm to take in the fights.

That's where De La Hoya saw first-hand the talents of Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, both of whom made their bones at the arena the Lakers used to call home.

Interestingly, De La Hoya is now the promoter for both Mexican stars. The president of Golden Boy Promotions on Thursday formally announced the fight between Barrera and Marquez scheduled for March 17 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

At stake will be Barrera's World Boxing Council super featherweight belt. It will be available on HBO pay-per-view.

As both friend and promoter to Barrera and Marquez, De La Hoya admitted he is in a strange position.

He said he has been asked frequently who he will be rooting for.

He would not commit to an answer, other than to say, ``May the best man win ... I admire both fighters. ``This is a very, very difficult situation. It's like a parent watching his two kids fight.''

And what a fight it could be, but only if Barrera really fights Marquez.

If Barrera takes the careful route like he did in his rematch against Rocky Juarez last September, won by Barrera via boring decision, this could be a snoozer.

``I don't want this to be a boxing clinic,'' said Barrera, 32. ``I'm going to come with everything. I'm leaving and I want the people to remember me as a real warrior.''

Barrera, who has won world titles in three weight classes, said he will retire after two more fights -- this one against Marquez and perhaps a rematch with Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao stopped Barrera in the 11th round in November 2003.

As for Marquez, as good as he has been, he has not been able to attain the notoriety Barrera has. Marquez, 33, is the former World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation featherweight champion and the current World Boxing Organization interim featherweight champion.

This will be just Marquez's second fight at super featherweight.

If he wins, he will seal his place in the hearts of boxing fans, especially those from Mexico City where both he and Barrera were born.

``He is the champion and I am the challenger,'' Marquez said. ``I'm going to go after the belt. I'm going to do whatever I need to do. I'm going to be aggressive. I'm going to go after him.''

Barrera is 63-4 with 42 knockouts. Marquez is 46-3-1 with 35 knockouts.

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Marco Antonio Barrera, left, and Juan Manuel Marquez fight March 17 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

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