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KELLY PAVLIK, THE OTHER FIGHTER OF THE YEAR By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Tue, 01 Jan 2008  Kelly Pavlik was named The Boxing Times Fighter of the Year 2007. He was also chosen by sweetscience.com, ezinearticles.com, The Star-Ledger, eastsideboxing.com, zimbio.com, and 15rounds.com, among others, as their Fighter of the Year. In these websites, Pavlik reigned supreme as the best boxer of 2007. They disagreed in the choice of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. by the Ring Magazine as the Fighter of the Year. Pavlik, at 25, is the reigning world WBC and WBO middleweight champion. His record currently stands at 32-0-0, with 29 victories coming by way of knockout. Known as "The Ghost", Pavlik was born in Youngstown, Ohio in a Slovak-American family. He was trained by Jack Loew of Youngstown's South Side Boxing Gym in his entire career. Pavlik's 2007 superb performance in the ring was recognized by several boxing specialists. He was the underdog in two of three bouts, including his win over former undefeated middleweight champion Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor, who was also considered one of the best boxers pound for pound in the world. Pavlik began his year with a brutal knockout of Mexico?s Jose Luis Zertuche. He entered the ring last January 27 in Anaheim, California against Zertuche, knowing it would be a true test of his punching power. Wiry Pavlik knocked out the boxer nobody had been able to stop, and he did it in a fearsome style as Zertuche laid on the ropes unconscious. Next, Pavlik bested fan favorite Edison Miranda of Colombia in a middleweight title eliminator. Miranda was preferred to stop Pavlik's unbeaten streak. Instead, Miranda was battered last May 19 in Memphis, Tennessee. Then came Taylor, whom oddsmakers tagged as the favorite, too. But on September 29, Pavlik blasted Taylor into oblivion. Pavlik unleashed a seven-shot cascade, followed by two more left hooks to the head and Taylor's legs wobbled as he fell to the floor. Referee Steve Smoger didn't even bother to count as he stepped into the fighters to stop the carnage. "When I first saw this kid I knew he was something special," manager Cameron Dunkin said. "I thought he was going to be a superstar." Top Rank's Bob Arum agreed. "He has the potential to be as great as Oscar De La Hoya," Arum said. When Pavlik knocked out Taylor, he won the WBC and WBO world middleweight titles but more importantly he grabbed the direct legitimate lineage of all the four belts. He is the universally recognized world middleweight champion. Pavlik is the The Ring Magazine middleweight champion of the world. Pavlik meets Taylor in a non-title rematch on February 16, 2008 in Las Vegas. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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