Pavlik and Lopez Winning by Early Knockouts

Pavlik over Lockett: Everything Comes Together

By Ted Sares: Kelly Pavlik (photo by Sumio Yamada) successfully defended his WBC and WBO middleweight title belts tonight with a beat down of game Welshman Gary “ The Rocket Man” Lockett in Atlantic City. Pavlik moves to 34-0 while The Rocket crashes to 30-2.

Despite Enzo Calzaghe’s exhortations between rounds, there was nothing anyone could do to stop the taller and sharper “Ghost” from coming forward, savaging his outclassed opponent, decking him thrice and rendering his face a bloody mess. Indeed, if there was an angle to discuss about tonight’s fight, it was that everything seemed to come together for Pavlik and such a confluence of skills would have spelled doom for anyone at his weight on the Planet Earth this particularly steamy evening in Atlantic City, NJ.

Pavlik’s defense and movement was sharp, his jab punishing (as usual), his punch volume non-stop, his focus like a laser beam, and the power coming off the end of his long and straight incoming stuff awesome. In short, he was the perfect killing machine and his performance surely will send shock waves across the globe.

Whose is next depends on many factors, but names like Abraham, Miranda and Calzaghe must be a part of any discussion.

Unlike what happened to Vernon Forrest and Ponce de Leon, there was nothing close to an upset tonight. Pavlik, the Blue Collar Hero from the Rust Belt, is something special and an exemplar for hard work and desire.

Kelly Pavlik Shows His Class Against Limited Lockett

By Andrew Walker, photo by Naoki Fukuda - WBO-WBC middleweight world champion Kelly Pavlik 34-0-(30) outclassed reigning WBU middleweight champion Gary Lockett 31-2-(21) inside three rounds tonight at the Boardwalk Convention Hall, Atlantic City, USA. Pavlik showed his intentions from the opening bell throwing more punches then the shorter challenger Lockett and looking totally relaxed whilst doing so. To his credit Lockett did not look overawed by the occasion and came to fight and make the most of his opportunity but it quickly became obvious that he was way out of his depth against the champion.

Round two would show the challenger’s limitations at this level more acutely with Lockett taking a knee and a count twice as he succumbed to the greater volume and power of Pavlik but still the gutsy Welshman remained calm and took the full count both times to try and gain some composure before continuing. Lockett survived the second round and on returning to his corner trainer Enzo Calzaghe implored his charge to throw more punches but the usual “bollocking” that Enzo dishes out to his fighters was not forthcoming and you could already see the concern on his face for Lockett.

Round three and Lockett started well but this was short lived as Pavlik got back down to business and once again an accumulation of punches forced the challenger to take a knee and another count. Although Lockett once more rose to his feet, Trainer Enzo Calzaghe had seen enough and threw in the towel just before the referee waved a halt to the fight. Lockett had been brave but ultimately limited at this level but Pavlik was true to his word and had not taken the challenger lightly as some had feared he would do. Pavlik looked devastating against this level of opposition and you have to think that, that was the whole idea of this mandatory defence. And why not? Pavlik deserved this fight after his recent wars and a meeting with Abraham could be up next before a possible super fight with the King of the super middleweight and Ring magazine light heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe early next year.

Joe Calzaghe would be a different proposition altogether for Kelly Pavlik if the fight did come to fruition but it would not be out of the young Americans reaches to take a victory. Joe is only getting slower and older whilst Pavlik seems to only be getting better. Either way it is a fight that the boxing fans would love to see if it can be made within the next twelve months.

But for tonight Kelly Pavlik deserves the applause for a stunning victory against a brave Gary Lockett who will go back to Wales defeated but contented with his biggest payday to date. I’m sure Enzo will be smarting and plotting revenge over the Pavlik camp but next time he will bring the heavy artillery in the shape of son Joe perhaps?

Here’s hoping.

Pavlik lights up Lockett, now the real work begins

By Mike Cassell, photo by Naoki Fukuda - As the Floyd Mayweather Jr. era comes to a close, it seems fitting that a fighter like Kelly Pavlik 34-0 (30 KO) has emerged. Although he has fought very far above his competition and has done so in an absolutely spectacular fashion, someone often needs to remind this humble young man that he is the recognized undisputed middleweight champion of the world, the 300lb. gorilla of American middleweight boxing.

On Saturday night he went in as a 25 – 1 favorite , returning to the Jersey Shore to face a challenger that most knew didn’t have a chance. It only took Pavlik three rounds to walk through Lockett, forcing trainer Enzo Calzaghe to throw in the towel after Lockett took a knee for a third time against the brutal onslaught of Pavlik. After fighting Jermaine Taylor twice, he earned this fight, but fans know he has only just begun. He still talks like a contender, and maybe that’s what makes him who he is, and it is quite frankly refreshing.

He doesn’t clutter his words, or talk about himself in the third person. There is nothing more annoying for a reporter, than to listen to an athlete talks about himself as if he, himself is not in the room. Pavlik doesn’t need to do that. He stills lives in an 1100 square foot house, and still trains in the same fashion as he always has. This attitude always leaves boxing enthusiast to believe there will be a drop off, like Pavlik knows something that we all don’t. The cold reality is, he does and every time he gets in the ring, he says it loud and clear, without uttering a syllable.

He slipped into the middleweight division quietly, as older champions faded away, but the onus is on Pavlik to clean up a division that has given belts to virtually unknown German fighters, Felix Sturm and Arthur Abraham. Boxing unlike any other sport is completely driven by capitalistic principles. There is no revenue sharing or owners meeting, only PPV numbers and the strength of the gate. For Sturm and Abraham, who are unknown is this country, there is only one way to get known, and that is to fight Pavlik. For Pavlik, taking these belts and defending them, will not make him rich, but will put him in a unique position to wait for the bigger names, or the “money” so to speak, to step up and make a real challenge. The Life that Pavlik leads is so simple and inexpensive, you get the feeling that he has what he needs, and knows what he wants, so expect him to clean up before he “cleans up”.

My uncle had hotel around the corner form Boardwalk Hall, so it is like a second home to me. I can honestly say that after watching hundreds of rounds in that building, and seeing some real “Arturo Gatti” like excitement, Pavlik breathes a new life there that is rare and has never been seen to date. An excitement that leaves every fan with a fulfilled feeling after making the drive and spending the money for decent seats. After he fought Jermaine Taylor the first time, the fans shuffled out of the arena onto the boardwalk, chanting and talking about each shot. They stayed there for hours, fans of Taylor and Pavlik, together, having a great time. I remember thinking, its 2am, the boardwalk is packed, and no one is going home. I had never seen anything like it. The old Boardwalk Hall needed it, our struggling economy needed it, but the fans really needed it. It was something very special.

Saturday night is wasn’t as loud, and it wasn’t as crowded, but after the fight, like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while, people stood on the boardwalk, chanting “Kelly” and talking once again about boxing. While other reporters were inside at the after press conference vying for a few words with Pavlik, I was out on the boardwalk engrossed in real conversations with the real people who will decide Pavliks next opponent, the fan.

So, Are We Going To See Kelly Pavlik-Joe Calzaghe Now?

- by James Slater, photo by Naoki Fukuda - Now that the fight many experts correctly said was a mismatch all along is over with, in Kelly Pavlik-Gary Lockett, are we fight fans going to see a genuine super fight involving "The Ghost" and a Welsh fighter? You know who I'm talking about, Joe Calzaghe. And while Calzaghe's team mate Lockett had absolutely no chance in Atlantic City last night, "The Pride of Wales" himself would surely have more than a good chance of becoming the first man to beat the big-punching and extremely popular Pavlik.

But will the fight happen? And if so when? Well, the two men who can make the fight happen, promoters Bob Arum and Frank Warren, spoke immediately after last night's easy three round win for middleweight world champion Pavlik and discussed the possibility of the match-up..

Arum said he's in talks with Warren for an October 18th date for the super fight. No weight was mentioned for the bout, but Arum said that if the October date could not be made then Pavlik would fight twice more this year in defending his middleweight title - in September and then again in December. There is no doubt Arum wants the fight, but his British counterpart in Warren says it is all up to Joe Calzaghe.

Speaking to Setanta Sports moments after his fighter Gary Lockett had been dismantled, Warren had the following to say about the proposed fight seemingly all of boxing wants to see.

"It's Joe's decision, first of all," Warren said about a Pavlik fight. "There are a couple of good opponents out there for Joe. But, at the end of the day, Joe is the man, not [Roy] Jones or [Kelly] Pavlik. A fight with Pavlik would have to be made at super-middleweight, firstly. But it remains to be seen how good Pavlik can be. He does fight in straight lines, he's good at coming forward, but I want to see what happens when someone puts pressure on him."

When he was reminded by the guy interviewing him that Jermain Taylor put pressure on Pavlik and almost beat him, Warren agreed and made no bones about the fact that he feels Calzaghe is a much better fighter than Taylor was/is.

So, will the super-middleweight dream fight get made? Like Warren says, it all pretty much depends on Joe. Kelly Pavlik has made it clear he rates Calzaghe and would like to fight him. Calzaghe, on the other hand, may well feel as though he has nothing more to prove and retire after a fight with someone like Jones.

Let's hope not, because a Calzaghe-Pavlik fight could well be something truly special indeed!