WBC/WBO middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik crushed gutsy but completely overmatched challenger Gary Lockett in three one-sided rounds. Pavlik's power shots to the head and body forced Lockett to take a knee twice in the second round and then again in the third. After Lockett's third trip to the canvas, his corner mercifully threw in the towel. Fight fans would love to see a fight between Pavlik and Joe Calzaghe.
On the undercard, undefeated junior featherweight Juan Manuel Lopez took the WBO title from Daniel Ponce De Leon with a devastating first round TKO. Lopez floored Ponce De Leon twice in the opening stanza. Referee Michael Ortega waved off the fight after the second knockdown. Lopez is a star on the rise and a possible future opponent for either Israel Vazquez or Rafael Marquez.
Comments
PAVLIK IS YOUNGSTOWN’S FINEST!!!!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF HIM–HE IS THE CHAMPION!
Karent We folks from New Jersey are also very proud of him! This man will hold the title for as long as he likes! Congrats Youngstown!
Kelly has proved he’s a great fighter to be his wins over Taylor sealed it for me he show his improvement from their 1st fight he can box he can punch…Enzo aint slick he sent Lockett in there as a measuring stick for Joe but he better not sleep because The Ghost hits hard and has been using his range and power thus why Lockett got KO’d…..a New Yorker with great respect for this fighter and champion …do your thing Kelly
well, noir, if kelly pavlik goes against joe, he better be ready to leave his belts there. there its no match up for calzhage right now. the only one who could do it(no not hopkin) mikkel kessler was wiped out by calzhage, and don,t get me wrong here I really admire the ghost pavlik. but lets be realistic joe speed will neutralize kelly’s power like he did to jeff lacy
Leo..what’s good…i like Cal but i aint sold on him just yet his claim to fame is Jeff Lacy, ok young strong fighter he took apart..bravo for that… but peter manfredo? then mike kessler? ummm typical euro fighter nothin special just sluggin…and beating the OLD man but in the process got neutralized (speed and combo’s)and DROPPED where as he never hurt the ol guy B-HOPS…i need to see him beat a Roy Jones or Antonio Tarver or Glen Johnson these top 3 A+ fighters need to be on his resume’ before i declare him good because prior to the 1st 3 i named, everyone else was b level fighters or old burnt out fighters…that’s just me you have to clean a divison out before i am sold on your hype..look at hatton everyone knew he was the biggest thing in england since earl grey tea…BAM!!!! Floyd Ko’d and ricky up to that point beat old A fighters, B+ fighters or burn outs….
Kelly Pavlik looks likely to become a legendary fighter. He can box he can fight he has a good chin and he is able to muster the necesary defenses when in trouble very impressed. We all look to the next great fighter to be The Savior of Boxing. But I believe it rests with the new wave of promoters managers and trainers i.e. De La Hoya and co. Buddy etc. Give the public meaningfull competitive matchups limit world champs to one per devision. Question the legitimacy of the alphabet boys and their dubious ranking of fighters. Some of these weird organisations do not even rank world champs from rival weird organisations.At World Championships make it mandatory that their Ring Magazine ranking is also announced e.g “Defending World Champion Joey Duckemall ranked 26th by The Ring Mag may bring some perspective to the quality.