If these 2 do meet somewhere down the line I think hand speed could be a significant factor. I'd always assumed that Calzaghe would bamboozle Pavlik by flicking that fast jab out to disrupt him, much like he did with Kessler. After watching recent fights I'm not too sure. Until BHop tired I was surprised that his hands looked as fast as Calzaghe's or even a shade quicker. Also for Pavlik to grind out a UD against a fast puncher like Taylor he can't be no slouch himself and although Lockett was out of his depth last Saturday I was still impressed with Pavlik's speed and accuracy. With the power Pavlik undoubtedly has I think Calzaghe needs to be the quicker fighter, with Calzaghe seemingly fading and Pavlik seemingly improving I'm not sure there would be much difference betwen the two. How much difference in speed do you see between Calzaghe + Pavlik? If they do fight how important is hand speed to the outcome of the fight?
i fully agree with your post. for cazaghe to win he needs to make sure his feet are still fast because i think pavlik will win the punching side of things based on their progress lately. for pavlik to win he needs to train more on cutting off the ring and also on quick footwork in order not to get turned around by calzaghe. as you probably get from my post, i feel it'll ALL come down to footwork in this fight.
I think Calzaghe has superior hand speed even if he is seemingly fading. (IMO you can't judge a fighter based on a performance against Hopkins - He'd make anyone look bad!) I think hand speed is an important part of Calzaghe's armory, however I think the difference will come down to Calzaghe's ability to adapt to an opponent's style. (He will have to adapt pretty quickly though, because Pavlik does have extremely heavy hands and a solid jab.)
