ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 14, 2010) – World Middleweight Champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK returns to his old haunt, Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, on Saturday, April 17, to defend his titles against World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight champion SERGIO “Maravilla” MARTINEZ. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment and Caesars Atlantic City, Pavlik vs. Martinez will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10 p.m. ET /

7 p.m. PT.

Combined, these two sluggers boast an incredible record of 80-3-2 (56 KOs), a winning percentage of 94% and a victory by knockout ratio of 70%!

Remaining Tickets, priced at $350, $200, $100 and $50, can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster (800) 736-1420 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com.

“It’s great to be back training and it’s great to be defending my titles in Atlantic City where my world title reign began,” said Pavlik, who had been sidelined for much of last year by various problems stemming from a nagging staph infection in his right hand. “I feel terrific and training camp has been great. I am taking nothing for granted. I saw Martinez’s fight against Paul Williams and I thought he won it. His world title may be at super welterweight but he is a legitimate world-class middleweight and I am 110% focused on Sergio Martinez.”

“I give Kelly Pavlik a lot of credit for accepting my challenge which is the sign of a valiant champion,” said Martinez. “But my gratitude will end once the bell rings. I am going to prove on April 17 that I am the best middleweight in the world.”

“Kelly Pavlik’s world title reign has lifted the spirits of Youngstown while raising the popularity of boxing,” said Pavlik’s Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Kelly is the people’s champion. He’s boxing’s John Henry, the stuff that legends are made of and this fight will make for a legendary night.”

“Sergio Martinez is one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “On April 17th he will have a chance to prove it when he faces the true middleweight champion of the world, Kelly Pavlik. It is going to be fireworks in Atlantic City.”

“Caesars is very excited to welcome world champion Kelly Pavlik and his huge contingent of Youngstown, Ohio fans back to Atlantic City,” said Harrah’s Entertainment Sports & Entertainment Consultant Ken Condon. “We are looking forward to what is sure to be another fabulous night of championship boxing at Boardwalk Hall with these two exciting world champions.”

Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs), who over two years ago, in a near sold-out Boardwalk Hall which included thousands making the trek from his hometown of Youngstown, OH, became World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Council (WBC) world champion by knocking out the previously undefeated and undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in a bout selected as the “Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Pavlik defeated Taylor handily in their rematch in February 2008 to solidify his claim as one of boxing’s top pound for pound fighters and has since had three successful defenses, all by knockout, two of the wins coming against No. 1 contenders and mandatory challengers.

Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs), a native of Argentina who fights out of Madrid, Spain, first made his presence known to the boxing world in 2007 by knocking out Saul Roman (27-2) in the fourth round of their WBC super welterweight title elimination bout. One year later, Martinez captured the WBC interim super welterweight title with an eighth-round stoppage of Alex Bunema. He was elevated to WBC world super welterweight champion in the latter half of 2009. In his last fight, he lost a highly-disputed 12-round majority decision to former world champions Paul Williams, in a non-title middleweight bout, ending Martinez’s 10-year, 29-bout unbeaten streak.

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