Who saw Pavlik knock out Jermain Taylor?

[Styles1]

That was excellent... the jab set up the big right... which set up the upper cut... and another upper cut.. and then finishing left.

New Middleweight champion!! Something Hopkins and Winky couldn't do...

[Kool Beenz]

by David P. Greisman

The formerly industrial city of Youngstown had come in support of Kelly Pavlik, from the estimated 5,000 fans who left the Rust Belt for the glow of Atlantic City to the three famed local products in attendance – Harry Arroyo, Jeff Lampkin and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, past titlists cheering for another to join their ranks.

True to his roots, Pavlik took the championship with fists full of steel.

With less than a minute remaining in the seventh round, Pavlik landed a right cross that sent Taylor staggering into the blue corner – Pavlik’s corner. It was hostile territory, and there would be no escaping. Pavlik closed in, looking to finish. A left uppercut sent Taylor’s head bobbling, his eyes rolling first toward the ceiling of Boardwalk Hall and then to the back of his head. Next came a left hook, a right hook and a right uppercut. Another pair of vicious left hooks and Taylor was limp, supported only by the ropes as referee Steve Smoger moved in to halt the pounding and hold the fallen fighter.

The Youngstown contingent had roared earlier when Pavlik began his approach to the ring. Now, they exploded as he ended Taylor’s reign.

Taylor had once been in Pavlik’s position, the motivated heir apparent seeking to bring a change to the middleweight division. But disputed wins over Bernard Hopkins, a controversial draw with Winky Wright and unimpressive victories against Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks left many questioning whether Taylor’s time at the top would soon reach its end.

Taylor pointed to the skill levels of the more experienced Hopkins and Wright, to the less conventional styles of southpaws Wright, Ouma and Spinks. Pavlik would be orthodox and coming forward, readily available not only to be hit but also, according to Taylor’s Hall of Fame trainer, Emanuel Steward, to be knocked out within six rounds.

It nearly happened.

Taylor landed an overhand right in the second round, several more punches following while Pavlik was flailing. Taylor threw forth an onslaught of hooks, and Pavlik fell forward and hit the mat.

“He caught me with a good one,” Pavlik told HBO commentator Larry Merchant in a post-fight interview. “Obviously it took the legs from me. … I got back up; I was still a little shaky. Being in there with Jermain, the kid can punch like a mule, and he’s a big natural middleweight so I did whatever I possibly [could] to survive the rest of that round.”

Taylor, his energy a combination of confidence and nervousness, tried to make sure Pavlik didn’t make it to the bell. A looping right hand landed high on Pavlik’s head, sending him stumbling across the ring. Taylor kept firing away with more hooks, but he appeared to punch himself out. Pavlik held on, weathered the worst and made it back to his corner with a bloody nose as a souvenir.

“Once I got back up and got the cobwebs, I shook them off, I knew I was going to be in for a good night,” Pavlik told Merchant after the bout.

Pavlik wasn’t winning on the scorecards – the three judges, through six, had Taylor ahead 58-55 (twice) and 59-54 – but his right hands were finding Taylor’s face, and Taylor was tempting fate by occasionally keeping his left arm low.

“I just think it was a total accumulation of punches,” Pavlik said afterward. “He could take a hell of a shot, which he showed during this fight. I hit him with a lot of flush shots that he took, but eventually I think it just caught up in the seventh round.”

Taylor regained his bearings while still crumpled on canvas. He nodded his head, recognizing what had just happened.

“I had him hurt; I thought I had him,” Taylor, who had gone back to his dressing room, said to Merchant in a post-fight interview. “I threw a bunch of unnecessary punches I shouldn’t have thrown. I should have been coming with uppercuts like everybody was screaming. I went wild and tried to hurt him and get him out of there.

“I just can’t believe I lost. I lost the championship, and now it’s all about going back to the gym and regrouping. I would like to fight him my very next fight,” he said.

Ah, the next fight. Moments after Michael Buffer announced the winner with the words “and new,” the focus shifted to including “and now?”

Taylor-Pavlik was contracted with a rematch clause, the terms of that potential second go-around including a maximum weight of 166 pounds and giving mercy to a Taylor whose handlers recognized that making the middleweight limit was becoming far too difficult. Pavlik, similarly tall and lean, accepted.

There are other possibilities. It’s likely that HBO would want to see either Pavlik or the winner of the rematch face whomever comes out atop November’s Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler super middleweight unification bout. And there are still numerous names at and around 160 that Pavlik’s promoter, Bob Arum, could bring in as opponents for an action-friendly, fan-friendly, all-in-all marketable middleweight who attracts thousands of screaming supporters wherever he fights.

“We’ll see what happens,” Pavlik said in his post-fight interview with Merchant. “I love to fight, and I never back down from a fight.”

[SGV]

Taylor screwed up in the 2nd when he put Pavlik down. He didn't capitalize and thats why he ended up losing.

[Man On The Moon]

Taylor screwed up in the 2nd when he put Pavlik down. He didn't capitalize and thats why he ended up losing.

Yup, dude had a chance to finish him, looked like he punched himself out by the end of the round. I wanted Taylor to win.

[SGV]

Word. His selection of punches wasn't the best. He was hitting Pavlik but theyre weren't extremely clean or effective enough to stop him. I wanted Taylor to win, but he just wasn't ready for Pavlik. I'm waiting for Pac/Barrera now. I know Pac Man is gonna get that W. Also, Cotto/Mosely is gonna be good. I'm taking Cotto in that.

[Man On The Moon]

Yeah, Pac Man should win the fight. It'd be sweet for Barrera to pull out an upset though.

[SGV]

Its gonna be hard to beat Pac Man. Dude is just tough.

[Styles1]

The undercard was pretty good too... Berto was a monster in that fight.

[swangin and bangin]

thats a nice combo
but i didnt see the fight 

[Hatesrats™]

Defo Fight of the Year sofar..
Now let's see what MAB & Pacman can do this Saturday.

Congrats go to "The Ghost"

[CoreG37]

When Taylor started putting it on him in the second I thought it was gonna be over in the third.  Taylor got his ass whupped

[d-nice]

Defo Fight of the Year sofar..
Now let's see what MAB & Pacman can do this Saturday.

Congrats go to "The Ghost"

Did you see Marquez/Vazquez fight? That one was a WAR! But this one was good also.

[Hatesrats™]

Did you see Marquez/Vazquez fight? That one was a WAR! But this one was good also.

No Doubt!!
Marquez/Vazquez was The fight of the year until this...
I say that because the Impact of Pavlik's victory outshines the Vazquez win. (Upset)
Not because Pavlik has more skillz or what not, but because the level was so high
and expected during the Marquez/Vazquez. (2 Elite Fighter's, matchup was a toss up)

The Pavlik/Taylor fight was not expected to be exciting at all
considering Taylor is one of the most Boring Middleweight Champions ever...
And we got the IMO Fighter of the year off this fight.
Pavlick just knocked off the Man in the Middleweight division (Taylor) & The Most feared
puncher in the division (Edison Miranda) within a couple of months.

The rest of the year Boxing has it on lock..
a bunch of could-Be classic's coming up.

[Kool Beenz]

i think that MAB is the only featherweight that can stand a chance againt PAc man....
he is our last hope for a mexican featherweight besides Daniel Ponce De Leon who i think would whoop MAB and could hang with Pac Man

[SGV]

I don't know about Fight of the Year. Good fight, but it didn't really leave me in awe or anything.