How would his career have played out? Who would he have gone onto fight instead of Hopkins, and how do you see those fights playing out? Could Pavlik had made an impact in the "Super 6" tournament?
Same thing would of happened, Pavlik was a severe alcoholic and suffered from deep depression. He also grew up in Youngstown Ohio(a literal ghost town) and hung out with the wrong people which all led to his eventual downfall. A man like him never had the dedication or mental fortitude to last in the sport of boxing.
don't think it is a case of a lack of mental fortitude. although perhaps you are right about the last part "to last in the sport of boxing." He did have the fortitude in the ring...to stand in the pocket and go toe to toe with heavy ass hitters ain't for snowflakes. He was one tough hard hitting *******. His internal demons caught up with him in time. shame.
Pavliks drinking started escalating after the first Taylor fight, he was smoking cigarettes also. I can’t remember how many times he was in and out of rehab now but even during what was supposed to be his training camp for Martinez he was in rehab. But he earned the right to celebrate for awhile he was financially set and managed his money well. Now days he appears to be doing very well and is into power lifting. Really he was smart to get out of boxing early, it’s selfish to box when you already have enough for your family.
One of my favorite fighters at that time, but even despite the alcoholism Pavlik just had really unfortunate luck. After he defeated Taylor the 2nd time middleweight became a wasteland. There was nobody in the division. Gary Lockett on HBO was genuinely the best they could come up with. A desert of a division. So he's forced to jump two division to fight Hopkins at a 170lbs catchweight because that was the only marketable name they could find. The super six didn't start for a year after this fight. Anyways, he was contracted to Hbo and wouldn't participate in this anyway. Pavlik also suffered from chronic sinus infections (had one against Hopkins) and had that brutal staff infection in his right hand that ended up cancelling the Paul Williams fight. He absolutely refused to leave Youngstown. TopRank pushed him hard to move to California or Vegas and live and train out there year round. That alone just might have gotten him away from his alcoholic lifestyle. He eventually moved out there at the twilight of his career and worked with Robert Garcia and it was doing him well, but the alcohol had already destroyed him. Anyways, in a parallel universe a healthy Pavlik would have just taken on a couple more Gary Lockett's until the Paul Williams fight was available. Chavez jr and Martinez could have been viable options after that. He would have been a perfect opponent for Bute and Hopkins at 168lbs while they were waiting for the Super Six to end.
He claims he was sick or something durring the Hopkins fight. Who knows. The alcohol really did him in. The loss to Hookins should have been a learning experience. He could have and should have came back from that. The mental part of the game is huge.
He was not effective over 160. If he stayed at middle which would have been hard to do with his lifestyle he could have pro longed his career. He had big fight possibilities with abraham and sturm that never got made. At middle if he held it together may have reigned a little longer.
I always think a fighter would probably be great regardless of who he fought. The great ones comeback after losses, so it is about losses.
Yep. I agree. Pavlik had some talent. He was lacking whatever it was that would get him back in the gym after his loss to Hopkins. It should have been a learning experience. Instead he drank.
Pavlik seems to be doing well. Saw him at the IBHOF. Couldn’t believe how big he was. He looked to weigh about 230 lbs of pure muscle. Also saw him up close, right next to Hurd, whom he shockingly dwarfed.
