Joe Calzaghe/Kelly Pavlik?

Question

Bob Arum is going to meet with Frank Warren In June to discuss a matchup at super middleweight in November. The fight would be for all 3 titles; Calzaghe's Super Middle and Light Heavy titles and Pavlik's Middleweight title ( I think that's bunk if you're fighting at 168 the Super Mid title should be the only one up for grabs). Anyhow how would this pontential matchup unfold and who wins it?

Answer 1

Pavlik should have enough to take Callzaghe.  If an old Hopkins can drop Joe, Pavlik can put him away for good.

Answer 2

Great matchup Brent!  This is a fight that really needs to happen along with maybe Mayweather Jr vs Cotto as it matches two undefeated fighters.  I agree with you that the Super Middle title should be the only one up for grabs too.  Calzaghe has the speed advantage but Pavlik definetly has the reach and power advantage.  Calzaghe is smart and would try not to get into too many exchanges with the harder punching Pavlik who would force the fight and look to cut off the ring from Calzaghe.  I believe that it would be close but the harder punches from Pavlik would slow Calzaghe down.  I believe that Pavlik will score a knockdown but Calzaghe would survive and last the distance.  My pick here is Pavlik by close but unanimous decision in perhaps the fight of the year.

Answer 3

i see kelly pavlik knocking calzaghe out in the 6-7 round. pavlik is alot younger and hits alot harder.calzaghe is a bum who hasn't fought anyone good.he has made a career  of running from people and fighting bums to defend his WBO TITLE.in all his years as champ he never challenged roy jones jr,antonio tarver,,james toney,or a young bernard hopkins.he almost got ko'd by hopkins and hes 43.he only moved up to light heavyweight when all the good fighters were old.so what he beat  jeff lacy big wow.lacy has a glass chin.

Answer 4

WHO WINS?

Joe does because he has showed that he has lasting power and can beat champs.  Really, I never even heard of Pavlik until he beat Taylor.  I don't consider Taylor a great fighter.

So until Pavlik beats a bunch of contenders consistently, I will go with the safe bet, Joe

Answer 5

Pavlik tko in 10.  Calz is going to get wore down in a similar manner to how Hagler wore down Mugabi.  If Calz has to make 160, i find that unlikely, it won't go 5 rounds.

Answer 6

I read about this yesterday, and I really hope that this match gets made instead of the proposed Calzaghe-Jones fight.  I also don't see how the fight could be for all 3 titles if it is fought at 168 because that would be above the middleweight limit and below the light heavyweight minimum.  If this fight gets done, I would have to go with Kelly Pavlik by either late-round stoppage or unanimous decision.  If Calzaghe was that great, then he should have been able to beat a 43 year old Hopkins much easier, and some people believe that he actually lost that fight (I don't).  In any case, the fact remains that he almost lost to a fighter who was only focused on throwing right hand counters and he did get dropped by one of those right hand counters.  In Kelly Pavlik, you have a fighter who will NOT just be focused on throwing the right hand, but other strong punches as well, and when he does throw the right, it will be coming with much more power and unexpected frequency than Hopkins'.  Calzaghe started to time Hopkins' right because that was ALL he was throwing; Pavlik's right will not be able to get timed so easily because he has many other weapons in his arsenal that he will undoubtedly use.  And if and when Pavlik has Calzaghe in trouble, I guarantee you that he won't let him off the hook like Hopkins did in the first round of their fight because 1) Pavlik is one of the best finishers in the sport, and 2) he won't need to conserve himself for the long haul like Hopkins said he was doing because Pavlik is young and in his prime, unlike B-Hop.  And if it does go to a decision, I still think that Pavlik would beat him because Kelly also throws a lot of combinations in each round and his workrate is very high.  Calzaghe's workrate may be a bit higher, but Pavlik's punches let you know that he's there every time he throws one- his jab is like a shotgun.  Calzaghe on the other hand has been criticized numerous times as "slapping" with his punches, and the only reason why he has so many stoppages on his record is because 1) he has faced bums for the majority of his career, and 2) he overwhelms his opponents with volume punching, not power punching.  This would be a great matchup, and it would be the fight to prove that Calzaghe's 45-0 record is as good as it looks and that his recent accomplishments really do prove that he is a great fighter if he wins.  If Pavlik wins on the other hand, then he will finish what Hopkins started in exposing Calzaghe.  This match would be great for boxing and it would be MUCH more intriguing than Calzaghe-Jones; I hope it gets done.

Answer 7

Is one of the match ups that everyone wants to see without doubt and will be a real cracker if the fight ever gets made, Although I cant see how they could sanction awarding the Middleweight belt if it is fought at 168 seems a bit strange to me. Pavlik seems like the new superstar of American boxing and after the way he dealt with Taylor you can see why, i do however still have my reservations about him, he looks like he can bang with the best of them and has some great skills boxing wise but to me he looks like a fighter who is still learning to me, he has at times looked limited or straight forward i should say and for the answerer who said he had a great chin i would maybe disagree, Taylor should of finished him when he had him down, i would say Pavlik showed great heart in that fight but not a great chin. I doubt that his chin will come into it in this fight though as Joe will be trying to outbox Kelly not to out punch him. I see Calzaghe winning a unanimous decision in this one, i believe Kessler hit just as hard as Pavlik does and Joe dealt with him quite esaily and i wouldnt see this one being any different, Joe will find a way to outbox him. Pavliks best chance will be to try and drag Joe into a war as Calzaghe has let other fighters do this to him and although he has got away with this against other fighters i would doubt he will get away with it against Pavlik. I also think i would like to see the Calzaghe Vs Jones Jr and Pavlik Vs Abraham fights come off first and hopefully they would both come through and make it a superfight.

I would like to say now at this point can everyone put there excuses up before the fight rather than after this time, im pretty sick of every opponent that a British fighter goes against suddenly after being beat develops some kind of ailment that makes them a lot worse boxer than before the fight, either they are over the hill or they were overated anyway etc etc. Im guessing if Pavlik gets beat by Joe that the overated excuse will be the one being used.

Answer 8

Pavlik will not take Joe's slapping technique, but he should still not underestimate him. The person who moves in weight will likely be affected most. I like Calzaghe in this one, but by a hair.

Answer 9

The difference in this fight may be Pavlik's ability to take a big shot or punishment in general-(We all know Pavlik has a great chin!).....................................

Pavlik does not have to worry about taking any big shots from Calzaghe, because Joe can't punch, so Kelly will be able to withstand anything Joe throws at him.........................

Pavlik may have problems with Joe's movement and those many useless punches Joe throws.....................................

But that won't be enough to stop Pavlik from coming straight ahead and throwing that devastating 1-2 combo, the jab followed by the straight right or left hand...................................

Kelly is very good at throwing straight punches, a straight punch is much faster and in most cases more accurate than a hook, uppercut or looping punch......................................

I see Kelly knocking Joe out in the 9th!

Answer 10

This is one that most boxing fans would willingly pay through the eyes and nose to see,I cant see this ever coming off because Calzaghe and Warren know it's good night Calzaghe,he'd not get away with getting wacked by Kelly Pavlic as he did Hopkins and I reckon he's ko'd round 7!

Answer 11

Pavlik will win no doubt. This will be Joe Calzaghe first fight versus a great fighter WHOSE ACTUALLY IN THE PRIME OF THEIR CAREERS. He will lose by KO. Pavlik's relentless style and enormous power will beat Joe's patty cake weak style of fighting.