KELLY PAVLIK
PROFILE AND BIO

— As At October 2008 —

At the age of 26, Kelly is an eight-year pro. The WBC, WBO, and The Ring middleweight champion of the world, he won the titles in September, 2007, with a sensational knockout victory against previously undefeated defending champion Jermain Taylor. The fight was voted “2007 Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

In his last fight in October 2008, the middleweight champ moved up to light heavyweight but lost a 12-round unanimous decision against Bernard Hopkins.

In June, 2008, he knocked out WBO mandatory challenger Gary Lockett in the third round.

After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com: “Pavlik did look terrific. He was strong, seemed to make weight without too many problems and displayed a fantastic jab. With Floyd Mayweather announcing his retirement, Oscar De La Hoya a fight or two from retirement and the American heavyweight star non-existent, Pavlik is the centerpiece of American boxing.”

Kelly won the middleweight world titles in September, 2007, with a sensational knockout victory in his first fight against Taylor.
After the fight, Fightwriter.com’s Graham Houston reported [excerpts]: It takes a special kind of fighter to drag himself off the floor and come back from the brink of defeat to batter his way to victory. Kelly Pavlik is such a fighter.

In Pavlik’s middleweight championship fight against Jermain Taylor...it seemed that the defending champion was just one square-on punch away from victory in the dramatic second round. He could not land it and Pavlik, having survived the worst crisis of his career, never looked back before finally pounding Taylor to his knees in the seventh round.

It was a thrilling, memorable, blood-and-guts triumph for the 25-year-old from Youngstown, Ohio, whose will was unbreakable. MC Michael Buffer described this as one of the greatest middleweight championship bouts in boxing history. It was certainly among the most riveting.

The best of Pavlik, I feel, is yet to come.” [End Houston item]
Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com [excerpts]: What a great night for boxing and what a great night for Pavlik. He must have felt like he was at home in his beloved Youngstown, Ohio, because it seemed like half the city arrived on the Jersey shore for the fight. He was the overwhelming crowd favorite among the 10,127 who poured into Boardwalk Hall to witness one of the fights of the year.
Besides being a terrific young fighter, he’s going to be the attraction Taylor never became.

Pavlik’s victory is a testament to promoter Top Rank. Bob Arum and his staff, notably president Todd duBoef, matchmakers Bruce Trampler and Brad Goodman and publicist Lee Samuels, are the very best in the sport at taking a raw prospect (Pavlik was 18 when he signed) and building him properly to make sure he is not only ready to fight for a world title, but also ready to win it. Pavlik had much better professional experience under his belt when he fought for the title than Taylor did and perhaps that’s one of the reasons the fight turned out like it did.

Whatever Pavlik decides to do, he has become must-see TV and emerged as one of the sport’s most exciting fighters. [End Rafael item]

At the press conference after the fight, Kelly said, “It was another fight where I showed my heart. He came to fight. He has speed and a punch. It just turned out all good. We’re not done yet. We’ve got a lot more exciting fights coming up.”

Key Fights

2008

1ST WBC-WBO M WORLD TITLE DEFENSE - in his last fight on 6-7-08 in Atlantic City, NJ, he TKO’d WBO mandatory challenger Gary Lockett (30-1): the fight headlined at Boardwalk Hall, and Kelly dominated; Kelly scored two knockdowns in the 2nd round – both with a series of right hands - when Lockett went to one knee at two different times; Lockett’s nose was also bloodied and he was cut over his left eye in the round; Kelly scored another knockdown when Lockett went to one knee in the 3rd, and Lockett’s corner threw in the towel to stop the fight at 1:40; after the fight, Kelly said, “He had good power. My jab was working and it helped me set up a lot of things - it stopped him in his tracks. I was catching him with good shots. He was smart to take a knee when I hit him. I knew each time he took a knee I had buzzed him.”

On 2-16-08 in Las Vegas, NV, he won a 12 round unanimous decision in the non-title rematch against former WBC, WBO and The Ring middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (27-1-1): the fight headlined at the MGM Grand and drew a reported attendance of 7,706; it was a fast-paced, exciting fight, and several rounds were close, but Kelly constantly pressed forward behind a stiff jab and consistently outworked Taylor; he bloodied Taylor’s nose in the 5th round, but his own nose was bloodied in the 6th; Taylor fought effectively in bursts, scored with hard punches, and rallied in the middle rounds, but Kelly staggered him with a right hand in the 11th and finished the 12th round strongly, and Taylor’s right eye was swollen nearly shut at the final bell; scored 117-111, 116-112, 115-113; after the fight, Kelly said, “Jermain taking the rematch made the sport better. Taylor was better tonight than in the first fight, but I was better too. I put the pressure on, but he put the pressure back. I thought we both fought a great fight. I’ll fight anybody, whoever they throw at me. We’re trying to do the sport good.”

2007

WBC M WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR - On 5-19-07 in Memphis, TN, he TKO'd Edison Miranda (28-1): the bout was co-featured with the Jermain Taylor-Cory Spinks main event at the FedEx Forum - it was a fast-paced, exciting fight from the opening bell, and very close through five rounds; Kelly started fast - he constantly pressed forward, backed up Miranda, and rocked him with several right hands in the 1st round; Miranda gave a strong effort, as well - he bloodied Kelly's nose in the 2nd round and swept the round on all three scorecards; but Kelly steadily wore him down with body punches, repeatedly rocked him with right hands, and swept the 3rd and 4th rounds on all three scorecards; Miranda was warned for low blows in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds, but rallied in the 5th, rocked Kelly with a number of right hands late in the round, and swept the round on the scorecards; after five rounds, the judges scored 48-47, 48-47 Pavlik, 48-47 Miranda; but Kelly simply overpowered him in the 6th - he staggered Miranda midway through the round with two right hands, then scored a knockdown with another right hand moments later that dropped Miranda flat on his side - he was very unsteady when he got up and spit out his mouthpiece to gain a few extra seconds to recover, for which he was penalized one point; Kelly scored another knockdown with two left hooks moments later that put Miranda on the seat of his pants - he got up again, and the bell ended the round seconds later; all three judges scored the round 10-7 Pavlik; Kelly staggered Miranda with a series of hard punches in the 7th - Miranda sagged and was held up by the ropes, and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 1:54; after six rounds, Kelly led by scores of 58-54, 58-54, 57-55.

2ND NABF M TITLE DEFENSE, WBC M WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR - on 1-27-07 in Anaheim, CA, he TKO'd Jose Luis Zertuche (19-3-2): it was a fast-paced, exciting fight and a spectacular knockout; Zertuche, a 2000 Mexican Olympian, gave a strong effort and scored effectively in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but Kelly rallied after that and steadily wore him down; he rocked Zertuche with two left hooks in the 5th round, then scored a knockdown with a right hand that put Zertuche flat on his back late in the 6th; Kelly scored another knockdown in the 8th round - he landed a right hand that froze Zertuche in his tracks, then landed another one that dropped him face-first to the canvas - and the referee jumped in to stop the fight without a count, falling to the canvas with Zertuche, at 1:40; after the fight, Kelly said, "We wanted to box a little more, but the first round, I felt like I was in a little bit of quicksand. Every time I tried to move and get my rhythm going, I just couldn't do it and I was getting caught with stupid punches. By the third or fourth round, I started finding my rhythm a little bit, my balance was a little more fluid and I was able to sit there and counter his mistakes and take my time little bit more. I'm a humble fighter, and he hit me with some good punches. Take nothing away from him, the kid's a hell of a fighter. He came to fight tonight, but I was just a better man at the end. You seen the changes I made and how I adapted. You adapt to the fight, and I think I did a good job of that tonight. Anybody that's in the way of me getting to the world title, I'll go and fight. I'm there for it."...

2006

On 11-2-06 in Youngstown, OH, he TKO'd Lenord Pierre (18-2): Kelly headlined in his hometown at the Chevrolet Centre, drew an announced crowd of 4,416, and dominated the fight; Kelly scored a knockdown with a right hand late in the 1st round, and rocked Pierre repeatedly in the 2nd and 3rd; Kelly scored another knockdown with a left hook in the 4th round, and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 0:46; after the fight, Kelly said, "I've never hit a guy so hard that didn't go down."; after the fight, Dan Rafael of ESPN.com wrote, "Pavlik is a tremendous puncher... He is one of the sport's bright, young potential stars..."; Boxing News reported, "Pavlik seemingly has the skills and power to dethrone the world champ."

1ST NABF M TITLE DEFENSE - on 7-27-06 in Uncasville, CT, he TKO'd former WBO jr. middleweight world champion Bronco McKart (48-6): Kelly had the edge in the early rounds, but McKart scored a knockdown when both of Kelly's gloves touched the canvas in the 4th - replays showed that Kelly fell forward, off-balance, after a glancing blow to his shoulder; but Kelly rallied and rocked McKart in the 5th round, then scored a knockdown with a series of punches and cut McKart over his right eye in the 6th; Kelly scored another knockdown with another series of punches later in the round - McKart got up, but the referee stopped the fight at 2:45; after the fight, Kelly said, "I think I ruined his whole game-plan. When he felt my power in the first round, I threw him off his plan. I figured, 'Eventually you're going to get tired and not me,' and that's what happened. We always train to keep the pace. In the fifth round, my trainers noticed he was keeping his elbow up. I just touched him under the elbow and snuck in another shot. I've been doing this for six years, and this was a convincing win. The way I won, it has to open doors, but all I can do is pray to the boxing gods."

2005

WON VACANT NABF M TITLE - on 10-7-05 in Las Vegas, NV, he TKO'd Fulgencio Zuniga (17-1-1): it was a fast-paced, exciting fight; Zuniga scored a knockdown with a left hook in the 1st round, but Kelly recovered quickly, dominated most of the rest of the fight, and wore him down; Zuniga was cut over his right eye by a clash of heads, and his corner stopped the fight after the 9th round; after nine rounds, Kelly led by scores of 88-83, 87-83, 87-83; after the fight, he said, "I got it under my belt. He's a pretty strong guy. I know I should have fought from the outside, but you can't always do it. He had sneaky quickness."...