Prime Pavlik is the wrong guy to block punches with your face against. Pavlik by UD or stoppage in the second half.
battle of the calzaghe ducks. a very even fight, but frochs toughness was perhaps enough, not that carl wouldnt look a mess at the end.
I don't think Froch would've lost every round to the same Hopkins that lost to Calzaghe..... Pavlik did.
JT dominated Froch with nothing more than a world class jab. Pavlik's jab was better - and he had a sledge hammer right hand behind it. Pavlik KO 10
Taylor jabbed him off the back foot and used plenty of lateral movement. Pavlik was mostly a come forward boxer.
Froch can be out boxed especially against fast guys like Taylor and Ward but that's not Pavlik's style. He couldn't do what JT did and remember JT dropped and almost had Pavlik out in the first fight and the 2nd was a close competitive fight. Froch wouldn't have to chase Pavlik like he did JT, he's have Pavlik come right at him and that suits Froch's style. Pavlik was a offensive machine but trying to out fight Froch is always a mistake, he's too durable and too heavy handed as JT learned late in their fight.
Pavlov would have won I think. His height and reach advantage coupled with the power in his straight punches, and Froch's style and not elite footspeed or footwork which is a must to beat Pavlik especially if ur at a significant height and reach disadvantage.
Pavlik is an interesting study. He was a very good fighter. He did, however, go from being very overrated once he beat Taylor to now being very underrated due to how big of a dumpster fire he became. Froch should win this but I don't think it would be as easy as some think. If we're talking Pavlik from the Miranda fight he'd give Froch hell. Froch gets cute, which he was prone to do, and gets caught, which he was prone to do...things may take a different path. I actually disagree with many on here I think Carl wins a comfy UD if he fights disciplined behind his jab like he did in the last Kessler fight. I think he gets in real trouble if he drops his hands and tries to get cute in front of Pavlik thinking he's too big and strong for him. I don't see Carl doing that all night without catching a right hand and then all bets are off.
For the record, I liked Froch much more than Pavlik as a fighter, hes one of my top 5 favorite fighters of the past 20 years.
Maybe a little overrated but I believe Pavlik beats notable Froch opponents Dirrell, Mack, Pascal, Abraham and Bute. Groves, Kessler and Ward outbox Pavlik.