How can Kelly Pavlik beat Bernard Hopkins?

Question

please elaborate his techniques, strength and weaknesses. thanks

Answer 1

Tornado covered it pretty well.

Pavlik has one way to fight, defense up, strait forward throwing punches, when he is in range he lets the big ones fly. He is not going to change that up, that's his style and his only style Ive seen from him so far. He is a big hard hitting middleweight so it works.

What Pavlik will have to avoid is rough housing, clinches, pushes, headbutts and wrestling. Hopkins will want to counter Pavlik and clinch and fire some shots while in the clinch.

Pavlik also has to be careful of the spin, he can't let Hopkins spin him off and counter.

Pavlik's strength is his aggression,power and height

His weakness is that you don't have to look for him, once you dial in a punch of Pavlik theres a good chance you can land it all night without even looking. Hes there to be hit, always in front of you with little or no head movement makes him an easy target for a good counter puncher like Hopkins.

10 years ago I would pick Hopkins to decision Pavlik easy. But at 43 or whatever he will be at fight night I cannot see his old legs keeping him from avoiding Pavlik all night.

If Hopkins performance against Calzaghe is any indication on how he has faded then Pavlik is in for any easy night.

But again Its Old Hopkins and the guy has done it before and Pavlik is the perfect guy for him to do it again.

So unless Hopkins unveils another masterpiece I see him getting beat to lopsided decision. Perhaps stopped late in the fight but Hopkins is an old Vet and if it comes down to it he knows how to survive.

Answer 2

Hopkins doesn't like to work 3 minutes a round anymore.  So Kelly will need to use his youth as an advantage.  He shouldn't try to bomb Hopkins out of there because BHop still has a crafty defense and a cast-iron chin.

Pavlik is not going to throw the volumes of punches that Calzaghe did.  But he will be more consistent than Hopkins.  And his workrate will score the points while Hopkins is moving and clinching.

Around mid-October, I will have an indepth preview of this fight analyzing the key factors.  It will be available on www.unlimitedfightnews.com