HOPKINS Sees something in PAVLIK that We Dont

[El Dominicano]

Expect to see Hopkins throw a lot of left hooks.

Pavlik brings his glove back to his head very slowly after he throws the right hand.

No Calzaghe has way better hand speed. Thats very easy to see. Its becuz of Calzaghe's hand speed...that Hopkins was on the defensive. Hopkins will be 2x more offensive in this fight you'll see.

[RichCCFC]

Hopkins is trying to make Pavlik insecure.

[Shem]

Maybe Hopkins doesnt like Calzaghe so much, that he is ready to lose to Pavlik, and pass his torch to Pavlik.

Not that he is going to lose on purpose, but if he should lose, he wants Pavlik to look very good, and perhaps revenge his loss to Calzaghe later in the future. This is the way Hopkins can make Calzaghe look worse.

You know, I think some boxers do use that tactic. Take Oscar saying he was willing to fight Cotto (I never thought that fight would come off, Oscar was switching to Pac even before Cotto lost). I reckon he came out with that to highlight that he was willing to take on all comers unlike a certain other boxer...

[welshgeneral]

I'm convinced that HOPKINS sees something in Pavlik that would allow Hopkins to win impressively, and thats why he is being so nice.

And he is saying a lot of good things about Pavlik, and hyping him up. Probably in the hopes that he get more credit if he gets the impressive victory.

i see dead people

calzaghe could punch faster then lightning

[mgkirkpatrick]

Expect to see Hopkins throw a lot of left hooks.

Pavlik brings his glove back to his head very slowly after he throws the right hand.

Expect Hopkins to throw alot of left hooks?

Hopkins has thrown about 12 punches total in his last 3 fights.

He'll look to spoil as usual.

[Silencers]

I'm sure he sees something, Pavlik is flawed, I just don't think Hopkins has enough left to capitalize on those flaws.

[Method]

I had Taylor by a point in the Pavlik rematch....at worst a draw. Pavlik is currently one of my favorite fighters, so I was happy he got the "W" after Taylor was handed two victories against Hopkins that I don't think he deserved.

Taylor was pretty much able to box Kelly effectively in their rematch, and I say that to say this - If Jermain Taylor can "outbox" Pavlik, then Bernard Hopkins sure as hell will be able to.

I don't give a **** about Hopkins age. I think Team Pavlik is seriously overlooking the task they have at hand, and Jack Loew seems eerily Trinidad Sr-esque in his outlook leading up to this fight.

Hopkins has been up against big punchers before (a prime Antwun Echols, a prime TitoTrinidad, a prime Joe Lipsey, Charles Brewer, etc.). Pavlik's style is so ****ing basic, that I really don't see him as much of a threat.

Keep in mind that al of Bernard's recent outings were against Southpaws (Wright, Tarver, Calzaghe etc.). He's a different fighter against righties.

I am not here denying that he is not the same guy as he was in his mid-late thirties, but his competition over the past few years has been against all top P4P guys, and he's beat them all, and taken VERY FEW shots in doing so. Nobody can claim dishing out as much while taking very little.

Yeah, the punches thrown may be anemic compared to some guys, but look at the punch connects. The connect percentage. He out landed Taylor in BOTH fights...Wright and Tarver too. He landed ALL the meaningful blows against Calzaghe...and most of the punches the aforementioned three opponents were credited with were nothing clean, and in the case of Calzaghe, damn near phantom-ish.

Joe Calzaghe was awarded some RIDICULOUS number of connects (something like 234 punches). Let me tell you something - DLH hit Forbes over 200 times, and Forbes face was a mess. Margarito landed on Cotto over 200 times, and Cotto was broken. Joe Calzaghe did NOT land 200 punches on Bernard Hopkins. I'd go as far to say he probably landed less than Hopkins, although I was not counting....but there was no need to anyway. I know what I saw. There is no way you get hit over 230 times and come out without a scratch. Sorry. Just no way.

That said, Joe Calzaghe is very well conditioned, and has busy hands (albeit an amateurish style, which was the way the last fight seemed to be scored). I mention this because Kelly Pavlik, while busy, is not as busy as Joe Cal. He's not throwing those loosey goosey slaps non stop. Kelly Pavlik has a very basic 1-2 style. He's heavy footed. Jack Loew (and Kelly, for that matter), act as if this is going to be an easy task, and all this talk of KO? How the **** can they even think KO? They need to be thinking connect, first. I just don't see it. Hopkins defense is way too complex for these guys.

Jack Loew is throwing around comparison's of this proposed bout to that of Margarito/Cotto, with Kelly being Margarito and Hopkins being Cotto. Couldn't DISAGREE more here. First of all, Hopkins and Pavlik are roughly the same size. There's no 5-6 inch height/reach advantage, and both guys can carry 160-175 easily. Secondly, Bernard Hopkins is a more complete fighter than Cotto. His defense is SURE a HELLUVA LOT BETTER than that of Miguel Cotto's, and Hopkins counters much more effectively when he makes you miss. His footwork is much more efficient too. As for comparing Kelly to Margarito, I would say Kelly probably is a bit heavier handed, but Margarito applies way more pressure, takes a better shot, and throws a helluva lot more.

Gentlemen, Hopkins vs. Pavlik is NOT Cotto vs. Margarito.

Boxing is a pure styles game. Hopkins has the style to beat Kelly Pavlik with relative ease, and in the process take little to no punishment. Whether he is penalized yet again for this proficient style is another story. I really just don't see Pavlik out boxing Hopkins OR stopping him.

I can see this being another Hopkins/Eastman type of outing, where Hopkins lands at will, and doesn't get hit. It could wind up like Hopkins/Trinidad depending if Kelly can withstand the punishment. Kelly has been in some fights (Taylor 2x's, Miranda). The saving grace for Pavlik in those fights where he was taking a helluva lot of fire is that he was also landing a helluva lot on his opponents, and they eventually succumbed to that. With Hopkins, Pavlik is going to be n the receiving end of a lot of clean punching, and landing very little.

I think Bernard takes him rather easily on points.

That's just my opinion.

We shall see.

[MANGLER]

He might be onto sumthin. Bernard don't seem like the type to say **** he don't really mean.

[Pugilistic™]

Pavlik has many flaws that a younger Hopkins would've taken advantage of but at this stage of his career will he physically be able to..... we do not know.

we will just have to wait tilll fight night.

[mellow_mood]

lets go whiteboy!!!