Kelly Pavlik

[Guest]

Arum turns down a huge fight at a 50/50 split, go figure:

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=21100

[swerb]

Pavlik is the middleweight champ. Paul Williams, talent aside, has no hardware. He doesn't deserve 50%. And he's the more dangerous fight. Taking this fight at 50/50 before beating Sturms ass would be just as stupid as chasing $$$ and fighting Hopkins.

Smart move. Would make absolutely no sense for Kelly to take this fight now. Another bad loss to Paul Williams would diminish Pavlik in the eyes of fight fans, also diminish his earning power ... right in the prime of his earning years.

Pretty easy to figure if you ask me.

[Guest]

It's a smart move because Williams will beat his ass.
Pavlik keeps talking about making as much money as he possibly can, I don't think he'll make that 3 mill he's looking for against Sturm, who just fought and struggled.
If Kelly really wants 2 to 3 mill with really nobody out there for him to make that against, we might not see him until 2010.
That's not a smart move.
He needs to quit talking(and being misquoted???) and fight already.

[swerb]

Like I said, smart move.

He'll make slightly less fighting Sturm or Winky, and win, raising the the amount he will make in the next fight. Maybe something more appealing than Sturm/Winky will emerge in the winter for his next fight. If not, he fights the next best rated middle and goes from there. He needs to stay at 160 and worry about emerging into the best middle out there, defending the title.

Fighting Paul Williams for a 50/50 split right now would be moronic. Pavlik and Arum both learned from the Hopkins mistake and aren't about to make it again barely a year later.

[Rusty]

What Kelly needs to do is fight Sergio Mora in October. It's a fight that nobody wanted, but he signed the contract and he needs to honor it. Use that fight as a tuneup, then go after Paul Williams next and credibility will be restored. Sure, the BHop fiasco was a big mistake looking back, but only the part where he moved up to 170 to fight him. If you are not willing to take on the best in your weight class, then you are not a true champion. See Felix Sturm, who would never step into the ring with Pavlik, Abraham, etc... nobody gives a shit about him anymore.

[Guest]

I actually have no problem with the Mora fight.
He's a name guy, decent fighter, and it will get him a much needed W.

[Rusty]

I never really had any problem with the Mora fight either. Maybe it's just Pavlik's fighting style, but he seems to get a lot of heavy criticism for his choice of opponents. Boxing fans want to see him fight in wars every single time he steps into the ring and it's a little unfair.

Look, I give Arthur Abraham all of the credit in the world for entering the Showtime SMW tournament (even though his first opponent is a guy that has lost 3 out of his last 4, twice by brutal KO), but who exactly has he fought over the last 2-3 years? Same goes for that pussy Sturm, who actually appears to have some real boxing ability, just no motivation or balls.

HBO really over did it with the Pavlik hype job way too soon. I remember Max Kellerman calling Kelly the "centerpiece of American boxing" right after he knocked out Gary freaking Lockett. It just reeked of serious overkill at the time.

Then they accused him of becoming greedy for fighting an old man after he got schooled by BHop, when they basically forced him to take that fight at 170. No other middle wanted anything to do with him back then, not Abraham, Sturm, or Williams (who he will knock out), NOBODY. I can understand why Kelly is getting a little frustrated these days.