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t has emerged that Kelly Pavlik was diagnosed with bronchitis just days before his defeat by Bernard Hopkins.
The middleweight king lost his unbeaten record when comprehensively outpointed by the 43-year-old Hopkins on Saturday night in Atlantic City.
However, since the defeat, reports in The Vindicator newspaper in Pavlik's native Ohio suggest that bronchitis, as well as an elbow injury suffered in training prior to the fight, practically scuppered any chance Pavlik had in the bout.
"We all learned a good lesson," Pavlik's father and co-manager Mike said.
"We know now that if he's not completely healthy, we shouldn't go ahead with the fight.
"He's a tough kid and I think he'll come back with a vengeance. If not, then it's time for him to retire."
Pavlik himself added: "I just couldn't get off. My arms felt like they were 100 pounds each.
"I've never felt like that in the ring. I'd get to my corner and Jack [Loew, trainer] would say, 'You've got to do this,' and I couldn't do it. Even when I was throwing punches and hitting him, there was nothing on it."
The middleweight king lost his unbeaten record when comprehensively outpointed by the 43-year-old Hopkins on Saturday night in Atlantic City.
However, since the defeat, reports in The Vindicator newspaper in Pavlik's native Ohio suggest that bronchitis, as well as an elbow injury suffered in training prior to the fight, practically scuppered any chance Pavlik had in the bout.
"We all learned a good lesson," Pavlik's father and co-manager Mike said.
"We know now that if he's not completely healthy, we shouldn't go ahead with the fight.
"He's a tough kid and I think he'll come back with a vengeance. If not, then it's time for him to retire."
Pavlik himself added: "I just couldn't get off. My arms felt like they were 100 pounds each.
"I've never felt like that in the ring. I'd get to my corner and Jack [Loew, trainer] would say, 'You've got to do this,' and I couldn't do it. Even when I was throwing punches and hitting him, there was nothing on it."
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