You cant say the Executioner didnt tell you the outcome beforehand. Months before last Saturdays master-class over middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, Bernard Hopkins proclaimed that I aint afraid of no Ghost. Pavlik found that out in spades via a thorough boxing education, as Hopkins outfought, outfoxed, and shockingly outpunched his younger foe over 12 dominating rounds. Hopkins, breaking out the black robe and executioners mask for the ring walk, stormed out for round one countering and feinting the robotic Pavlik. A master of distance, Hopkins easily peppered the reigning middleweight champ with jabs while making a concerted effort to work the body with hooks. As with many past Hopkins opponents, Pavlik struggled to find a rhythm early, but was able to land a decent right to the body. Also, the Youngstown, Ohio native found some reprieve after Hopkins received an early warning for holding the head. Round two saw Hopkins compound Pavliks confusion with surprising combinations. After landing a thudding left hook, the Executioner followed up with a hook to the body and a straight right to the head. Wary of exchanges against his larger foe, Pavlik sought to establish the jab but found that weapon compromised by Hopkins own stiff lead punch. Pavlik continued his woeful offense into round three, as Hopkins continued opening up early with combinations rarely seen in his past fights. Secure that Pavlik was too slow and open defensively to counter, Hopkins blasted him with a lead right hand followed by a jab. Pavlik continued to plod forward, and Hopkins assaulted him with a double left hook combo. To finish up another dominating round, the Executioner clocked Pavlik with a hard left hook before landing another straight right lead. By the fifth, Kelly had yet to post a round, and the pro-Pavlik crowd began to turn against him, marveling at the underdogs performance. Without pressure debilitating his stamina like the Calzaghe fight, Hopkins continued his free reign to set the fights pace. Taking a solid right, Pavlik fired his own right hand only to eat a right-left combination in return. The inside offered no relief, as Hopkins deftly controlled Pavlik there and prevented him from landing any significant shots. In the eighth, a frustrated Pavlik lost a point for hitting behind the head. No stranger to fouls, Hopkins received his own deduction in round nine for excessive holding, likely to catch a much needed breather. Still, Hopkins clean punching won him the rounds, particularly his landing of a half dozen hard right hands, and a wince-inducing left to the solar-plexus. A desperate, swollen right and bleeding left eye Pavlik finally got on board in the tenth, establishing a decent offensive round behind a huge right hand upstairs and consistent work to the body. However, Hopkins let his discouraged foe know his advantage was only temporary, snapping Pavliks head back with a short right followed by flurries on the inside to conclude the round. Both men went into the trenches in round eleven, content to ignore the referee and maul each other. The old master was at home here, and spent most of the round gathering his energy and lulling Pavlik into a trap. Over the rounds closing half, Hopkins landed his umpteenth right hand, and subsequently tied up Pavlik to prevent any possible follow-up. Seeking to duplicate his late KO of Felix Trinidad seven years ago, Hopkins began the twelfth winging homerun right hand shots. Two connected and badly stunned Pavlik, driving him back. Showing heart, Kelly responded with a hard right of his own, which only enraged Hopkins who responded with taunts and combinations. After the bell, both camps spilled into the ring to separate the two, who continued jawing and throwing shots. Hopkins, once again proving his critics wrong, stood at first defiant to the crowd. The stance then became proud as the audience showered approval and respect at one of the best performances the sport has ever seen from a 43 year old fighter.Scores for the lopsided Hopkins decision were 119-106, 117-109, and 118-108. Once the emotions calmed, both men were gracious to each other in the post-fight interviews. This fight will make you or break you. Go back to the gym and learn that slickness and youll be a bad man, Hopkins stated to Pavlik, continuing the boxing lesson that had begun in the ring. Dont let this fight destroy you
You need to bend your knees more like your coach was telling you. Middleweight is your destiny. I just could not get off tonight. I dont know why, a still stunned and disappointed Pavlik stated. He didnt fight like he was old. He fought good and gave me a lesson
I felt like a sub-novice fighter tonight. Were all, myself included, going to learn to never underestimate Bernard Hopkins. As for the Executioner, hell remain a viable option for the winner of Jones-Calzaghe next month. And since Hopkins knows styles make fights, hell likely pass on facing Chad Dawson, whom he wouldnt hold a speed advantage over and is much more dynamic offensively than the current middleweight champ. Still, Hopkins many take his chances and relish the opportunity to take another highly touted, undefeated young gun to school. For Kelly Pavlik, he can return to the middleweight division and seek to repair his image by facing mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (who scored a split decision win over Enrique Ornelas on the undercard), or test fate by immediately going after hard-punching Arthur Abraham. Either way Pavlik has exciting options, and now realizes at this time he has no business fighting above 160 pounds. Hopefully as Hopkins advised, Kelly will use this fight to focus on developing better defense and lateral movement. The win lifts Bernard Hopkins record to 49-5-1, 32 KOs, while Kelly Pavlik falls to 34-1, 30 KOs. Zab Judah To Fight on Jones-Calzaghe Undercard, Preps Return to 140 Former welterweight champion Zab Judah has confirmed that hell be a part of the Jones-Calzaghe undercard in a catchweight bout (144 pounds). […]
