i quite like him myself even though he is far from the finished article but when he lost to hopkins there was a lot of boxing fans delighted then the was the paul williams saga which never really done himself any favours but apart from that why the contempt towards himatsch
I think people are extremely frustrated with his MW title reign. His title defenses have all been against sub par comp. The Aberaham fight never came off, the Williams fight still hasn't come off. He also talked all that trash about Calzahge, and made Hopkins out to be a stepping stone for him. Then after Hopkins beat him around the ring for 12 rounds, he spent months making excuses; never giving Hopkins any credit.
The same reason as some people hate Floyd, Pacquiao, Vitali Klitschko and co - fans. It's hard for people to like a fighter who's fans appear to be ******ed-yokels.
I don't think its apathy. PPl really hate him here, maybe because he isn't some muscle-bound black dude which so many children here think is the only way a fighter should be. They can't except the fact that he KO's over 90% of the opposition & is so "one dimensional" in the process. (((((((((((((((((GO PAVLIK))))))))))))))))
It stems a lot from all of the crazed PW fans. Kelly is a come forward banger who puts on exciting performances, he's not some slick counter punching world beater. I see him for what he is so I'm not disappointed in him at all, the performance against Espino shows you exactly what he is, he will always excitingly pound these contenders but isn't going to be an ATG.
Williams/Mayweather fanboys are responsible for a lot of the myth-spreading. I exempt Walk With Me from this, who is at least fairly honest (even if he does love Paul too much).
This forum is loaded with Calzombies who never forgave Pavlik for forcing Slappy Joe to run the other way, digruntled Jermain Taylor fans, posters who never forgave Pavlik for handing Miranda his ass, and a whole bunch of inexperienced fans who only started following the sport within the past decade. That's where 90% of all ESB non-sense comes from.
Kelly's a good kid, likeable character and an exciting fighter. However, the team around him is full of crap. There's the trainer who trash talked a whole rap album leading up the the Hopkins fight but only produced a one-liner when it most mattered: "throw the double jab". There's the promoter, who's one-liner is "yesterday I way lying, today I'm telling the truth" and makes all kind of promises only to take very calculated risks instead (ol'Popins was supposed to be stretched given the late fight performance vs. Calzaghe). And there are those around him who's paycheck depends on Kelly's health and still don't look after the kid, who ends up hurting himself (horrible window cut, hand infection, missing doctor appointments, not reading medicine instuctions and almost dying due to allergic reaction). But what pissed me off the most how they handled the Williams situation. Not only postponements and ultimately a cancellation leaving Williams and HBO in the cold without paying their losses, but they dared to come up with this Espino fight only DAYS after the stories of how Kelly was near dead. Everything would've been fine if they told Team Williams and HBO in time that they are going to take a tune-up, something I'm 100% they knew months ago. How they handled the situation instead is what disgraceful. Obviously, most boxing fans think the fighter and the team is the same thing, and if BS comes up, they always blame the fighter. It's two different things. I have huge respect for Kelly and glad he's back. Just keep a f*cking eye on him 100% and come up with a fight worthy of a division #1. Boxing is much better with Kelly being around.
:yikes With all due respect Boo.... forcing "Slappy Joe" into running the other way?????????????? WTF?????????? Joe would've dismantled Pav like a 7 yr old would an old LEGO robot....
Joe Calzaghe ducked Kelly Pavlik. That is one of the most clearly documented facts in boxing history. Slappy spent six months calling Pavlik out. As soon as KP was free of his obligatory rematch with Taylor, and his first mandatory, Joe shut his mouth and hid beyond shot to **** Roy Jones. The same Roy jones that Joe referred to as shot.