“Fighting Words” – Pavlik-Taylor 2: Boom

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

by David P. Greisman - The instants replay, constantly and alternately taunting and haunting Jermain Taylor.

It is late Saturday night in late September in Atlantic City. The second round is underway in Taylor’s defense of the middleweight championship against a hard-punching challenger named Kelly Pavlik. Taylor, once loftily publicized, is now often criticized for the mediocre manner in which he has ruled his division.

Boom.

Taylor lands an overhand right, following with several more punches that leave Pavlik flailing. An onslaught of hooks sends Pavlik falling forward onto the canvas.

Pavlik rises. The round is long, the odds against him longer.

A looping right hand high on Pavlik’s head sends him stumbling across the ring. Taylor fires away with more hooks, but he appears to punch himself out. Pavlik holds on. The bell rings. Pavlik’s head doesn’t.

“I think about it all the time,” Taylor said last week on a media conference call. “What comes into my head is how I could have trained harder or finish him off in the second round. And all the should-haves, could-haves in the world is not going to change anything.

“If I get him in that position again, I’m going to finish him,” he said. “That’s what I’m training for. I just felt like I wasted a lot of energy. I threw a lot of ****** punches and I should have put them together, gone to the body, uppercuts. I could have done a lot of things I didn’t do.” [details]

[ExecutiveOutlaw]

i like both guys, but on a personal level im rooting for taylor. he has a lot more to lose compared to pavlik, career wise and on a personal level too with his new child and everything

if pavlik loses it'll just be his O thats gone. he'll still be the champ, and he wont lose face since he already KOd him

[Crazylegs77]

After watching the HBO Pav/Taylor 2 last night I dont want either guy to lose.

Im thinking Taylor will try to hard to KO Pavlik this time and get hit with another KO shot himself though.

[Mr. Philadel]

i like both guys, but on a personal level im rooting for taylor. he has a lot more to lose compared to pavlik, career wise and on a personal level too with his new child and everything

if pavlik loses it'll just be his O thats gone. he'll still be the champ, and he wont lose face since he already KOd him

So True! I heard Pavliks sparring partner jokingly say its back to ESPN for JT after this fight!

[DrewWoodside]

After watching the HBO Pav/Taylor 2 last night I dont want either guy to lose.

Im thinking Taylor will try to hard to KO Pavlik this time and get hit with another KO shot himself though.

I think Pavlik's sparring partner has a real nice attitude about the whole thing. I hope he's an up and comer. I don't want either guy to lose.. Although i'm still rooting for Pavlik.. Hopefully when this is over both guys will go on to rule their respective divisions.

[bluemax]

Based on their first fight this will be Pavliks fight to lose. Now Sugar Ray Leonard became a much better fighter after losing to Duran. We'll see if the same holds true for Taylor or will he end up making the mistake allot of other fighters have made and that is taking a rematch to soon. I favor Pavlik because the K.O. in the first fight was not a fluke but Taylors 2nd round knock down of Pavlik was. Other than the second round Pavlik won just about every round!! Can you imagine what would have happened to Taylor if he hadn't put Pavik on ***** street. I believe the only reason Taylor lasted as long as he did was Pavlik wasn't fully recovered until the start of the forth round.

[knightoftears]

Taylor was strong in the 1st fight, but all this "revenge"he is talking about is clouding his concentration and he can't let it do that. I know he hated to lose, but the result will be him looking up at hte canvas if he goes crazy. I like both of them, as they both are excellent fighters, but I think Pavlik will keep his cool and triumph once again. Taylor is too anxious.

[Brassangel]

I think that the obvious point people miss is that Pavlik doesn't seem to run out of gas. If the fight goes long, and Taylor hopes to wear Kelly down, I don't see it happening. Every fight I've seen of The Ghost indicates that he can put up a phenomenal punching work-rate late into the fight.

Taylor won't throw ****** punches, and Pavlik won't stick his tongue out again. It will be fireworks from both ends. I just think that Kelly's got more heart, and a better jaw.

[Easy-E]

This fight is a toss up, Taylor has the skills, but Pavlik has a great chin and explosive power I could see it going either way but Pavlik is the favorite.

[bigdaddysback]

This one aint going past the 4th either way! I can't wait.