Kelly Pavlik appreciation thread

[1g5a22]

Don't forget, undefeated Pavlik was too scary for Joe Calzaghe to fight. Everyone wanted this fight to happen, Pavlik was onboard, HBO onboard, Top Rank onboard even Calzaghe said he would fight him next when the press kept asking him if he would face Kelly. Instead he chose to fight Roy "don't worry son he's not that good anymore" Jones.

I don't think Calzaghe having beaten undefeated Kessler & Hopkins has an argument for ducking MW Pavlik. You can't duck someone who isn't even a contender in your division. How could Calzaghe duck a fighter 1 or 2 weights below him? Pavlik looked clueless higher than MW.. He was torn up by a mini Calzaghe in Martinez! Face it he was a schooloing aiting to happen. Anyone with a decent chin, boxing IQ & angles befuddled him!

[revs1227]

Woah. That is way over the line.

yeah no way sergio schooled him very good close fight he actually had sergio down and that was sergio at his best ever

cut hurt kelly in that one

b hop took him to school kelly was off that night
great fighter one of my favs

[therealpugilist]

Pavlik was one of my favorite fighters! One dimensional as all hell, but very entertaining!

^^^^agreed. He made the most out of what he had. War Pavlik

[SouthPawHitman]

yeah no way sergio schooled him very good close fight he actually had sergio down and that was sergio at his best ever

cut hurt kelly in that one

b hop took him to school kelly was off that night
great fighter one of my favs

Yeah and he was a week out of rehab

[Flabulous]

I did watch that fight live.
I was rooting for Pavlik and I didn't know Martinez, who was like a revelation to me at that time.
(I didn't know that Pavlik was coming right from rehab and I don't care much, tbh -- he knew that boxing was his job.)

I agree - the rehab issue shouldn't matter.

Still, you can hardly call that fight a "schooling."

It was a really good chess-match... Martinez took the first 2-3 rounds with his speed (particularly foot speed - dictating the distance), and angles... Then Pavlik started timing Martinez - martinez with the shorter reach, had to shoot, and then get back out of range - his only defense was his extremely fast, and dexterous feet.. he had no real upper body movement, and had a lousy, weak guard (Heh, picture the polar opposite of an Abraham, or Clottey high-guard)...

Anyway, around the fourth, Pavlik started to time Martinez coming in with stiff left jabs, and 1-2's... When Martinez would jump in and shoot off a straight left, Pavlik would counter it with his jab; when Martinez would shoot in with a lead jab, or a right hook, Pavlik would counter over top of it with his straight right.

He floored Martinez too - a clean knockdown.

Pavlov took over the fight around the fourth, and won every round until around the 8th, or 9th, when Martinez got off a 2-3, and cut him in a terrible location - and that cut was GUSHING... His corner couldn't do **** for it...

So with his vision blinded, he was useless in timing Martinez, and Martinez retook the fight around the 9th, and won the last four rounds...

It was a damn close fight - but I can see how people remember it as a bit more one-sided, as this was essentially a fight that had three parts - the first third which Martinez controlled, the second third which Pavlik controlled, and the last third which Martinez really controlled, and Pavlik was rendered useless.

I have no doubt in my mind that Pavlik would have won that fight, and probably stopped Martinez late if he didn't get cut. I also believe Pavlik would have won a rematch, had they fought immediately after, when Pavlik was still motivated (although not nearly the same Pavlik back in 2007 that destroyed Miranda, and Taylor, and then outboxed, and outsmarted Taylor) enough to make 160.

[Rudyo]

I was just thinking bout Pavlik a little while ago for some reason, well timed thread. Pavlik was a fun fighter for sure. I never thought he had anything for Joe Calzaghe though, even back in 07 or so when he had HUGE momentum.

Really glad he retired when he did too. So he didn't end up an absolute trainwreck like JT has become.

[Flabulous]

I also have zero doubts that Pavlik would have absolutely destroyed Williams.

Williams had the scrawniest, frailest set of chicken legs I've ever seen! Them legs wouldn't have been sturdy enough against a huge MW, who was just as tall as Williams, and much thicker/stronger.

Williams also is the type of boxer that I like to call "programmed," rather than a boxer who is capable of "thinking on the fly," and "reading and reacting." He goes in to throw a million punches, and is coming straight at you the entire time...

Pavlik had an extremely underrated boxing brain, and he would have started to pick Williams apart, and land HUGE 1-2's right down the pipe around the third round...

Around the 8th, Pavlik would have landed a BOMB on that sweet spot on Williams' chin, and turned his lights out...

[MDPopescu]

I agree - the rehab issue shouldn't matter.

Still, you can hardly call that fight a "schooling."

It was a really good chess-match... Martinez took the first 2-3 rounds with his speed (particularly foot speed - dictating the distance), and angles... Then Pavlik started timing Martinez - martinez with the shorter reach, had to shoot, and then get back out of range - his only defense was his extremely fast, and dexterous feet.. he had no real upper body movement, and had a lousy, weak guard (Heh, picture the polar opposite of an Abraham, or Clottey high-guard)...

Anyway, around the fourth, Pavlik started to time Martinez coming in with stiff left jabs, and 1-2's... When Martinez would jump in and shoot off a straight left, Pavlik would counter it with his jab; when Martinez would shoot in with a lead jab, or a right hook, Pavlik would counter over top of it with his straight right.

He floored Martinez too - a clean knockdown.

Pavlov took over the fight around the fourth, and won every round until around the 8th, or 9th, when Martinez got off a 2-3, and cut him in a terrible location - and that cut was GUSHING... His corner couldn't do **** for it...

So with his vision blinded, he was useless in timing Martinez, and Martinez retook the fight around the 9th, and won the last four rounds...

It was a damn close fight - but I can see how people remember it as a bit more one-sided, as this was essentially a fight that had three parts - the first third which Martinez controlled, the second third which Pavlik controlled, and the last third which Martinez really controlled, and Pavlik was rendered useless.

I have no doubt in my mind that Pavlik would have won that fight, and probably stopped Martinez late if he didn't get cut. I also believe Pavlik would have won a rematch, had they fought immediately after, when Pavlik was still motivated (although not nearly the same Pavlik back in 2007 that destroyed Miranda, and Taylor, and then outboxed, and outsmarted Taylor) enough to make 160.

Martinez won the first 4 rounds with speed, of course, then he stopped. Pavlik won the 5th. The 6th was equal. Into the 7th, the ref ruled that KD, but actually they crossed legs (as Martinez was a southpaw). After the 8th round, Pavlik already had a badly swollen right eye and a cut to the left eye (due to Martinez' right jab). Into the 9th, Martinez restarted his fast combos and won the rest of the rounds... At the end of the 9th, Pavlik's face was a bloody mess -- how Martinez succeeded that if Pavlik was beating him?
You should have watched the fight without the sound of HBO commentators...

[Flabulous]

Martinez won the first 4 rounds with speed, of course, then he stopped. Pavlik won the 5th. The 6th was equal. Into the 7th, the ref ruled that KD, but actually they crossed legs (as Martinez was a southpaw). After the 8th round, Pavlik already had a badly swollen right eye and a cut to the left eye (due to Martinez' right jab). Into the 9th, Martinez restarted his fast combos and won the rest of the rounds... At the end of the 9th, Pavlik's face was a bloody mess -- how Martinez succeeded that if Pavlik was beating him?
You should have watched the fight without the sound of HBO commentators...

I remember scoring the fight 8 rounds to 4 to Martinez, and with the KD (crossed legs or not, it was a solid punch - a legit KD), 115-112.
Pretty sure most of the judges had it the same.

Winning by 4 rounds may sound like a lot, but in reality, all it is, is a two-round swing differential. 2 rounds the other way, and it's a draw.

I've seen the fight a bunch, and it was a close fight.

"... He won the first four rounds with speed, but then stopped." Lol, yeah he just "stopped" - more like Pavlik started outsmarting, outthinking, and outboxing him... Thus rendering his speed ineffective.

He got a terrible cut in the worst location possible above the eye... And his corner did a terrible job (one of the worst cut-jobs I recall), and actually made it worse with all that friction... His face wasn't a bloody mess from a bunch of different cuts, and wounds. it was one cut that was leaking terribly, partly due to his corner's terrible job.


In no way can you call that a "schooling." It was a close, competitive fight that Martinez clearly won. That is the only way to describe that fight. To call it a schooling is beyond hyperbole.

Now Popkins - yeah - that was a schooling. But it wasn't a beatdown like Pavlik put on Taylor, and an undefeated Miranda.

Also the only guy aside from GGG to stop Rubio.

Glad to correct you That's all, thanks!

[MDPopescu]

I remember scoring the fight 8 rounds to 4 to Martinez, and with the KD (crossed legs or not, it was a solid punch - a legit KD), 115-112.
Pretty sure most of the judges had it the same.

Winning by 4 rounds may sound like a lot, but in reality, all it is, is a two-round swing differential. 2 rounds the other way, and it's a draw.

I've seen the fight a bunch, and it was a close fight.

"... He won the first four rounds with speed, but then stopped." Lol, yeah he just "stopped" - more like Pavlik started outsmarting, outthinking, and outboxing him... Thus rendering his speed ineffective.

He got a terrible cut in the worst location possible above the eye... And his corner did a terrible job (one of the worst cut-jobs I recall), and actually made it worse with all that friction...


In no way can you call that a "schooling."

For me it was a "schooling", having in mind that I rooted for Pavlik...

Scorecards: Craig Metcalfe 115-112, Barbara Perez 115-111, Roberto Ramirez Sr. 116-111