Yes - a younger man capable of throwing more shots in a combo WOULD have stopped Pavlik. He staggered him three or four times, but didn't finish him off. Though I doubt Bernard really cares!
I was only asking I am rewatching the fight an in the final minute of the 2nd Hopkins hits Pavlik with a left which you literally see travel through his body an stiffen his legs but as you say Hopkins didnt go in to even try for a kill so to speak As for him not caring im sure he mentioned something about Ko-ing opponents in his post fight interview with Merchant but I havent got that far yet once I do i'll post what he says:good
Yes. Even though his activity was much higher in this fight, I think he was still worried in his own mind about stamina, and his corner kept telling him to slow down. If he'd have really gone for it when Pavlik was hurt on a few occasions, he coulda had him outta there. But he backed off.
Yeah that left hook was the shot of the fight, but I think if he could have knocked pavlik out he would have. He caught him with a big combination in the last round and he didn't go down, Pavlik is durable no doubt about it.
He said after the fight that he was after KO's now, so I gotta think that if he could have finished Pavlik he would have. He was damn close on a few occasions, and after that big left hook in the second round combined with Pavlik's total lack of activity before and after I really was expecting the stoppage.
This is what he said to Larry Merchant in the post fight interview He then goes on to say he will be going for a knock out in his next fight he also says he would like to fight Roy Jones but would be willing to come to England to fight Calzaghe again The way he emphasised that he would come to England (repeated himself a few times) imo means he would rather the Calzaghe fight and then sign off with Jones jnr but that is just my opinion
The Calzaghe fight would mean much more - he is still bitter about the SD against him and would like to avenge it. He would destroy Jones now - but Joe will beat him to it.
I think he probably had stamina concerns in the back of his mind and so didn't go all out for the KOs when he had the chance.
you could see him thinking about going for the kill then checking himself, remember taylor made the mistake of trying to KO pavlik threw everything and punched himself out
Do you think he will really go looking for a KO in his next bout assuming he fights again or was it just Post fight talk??
There were a few times (or more) when Pavlik was clearly staggered, and although Hopkins followed up with a few combos he didn't go all out. I think a younger version - without stamina worries could have perhaps stopped him. Pavlik was terrible on the night - I feel a bit sorry for the guy in some respects. He looked a shell sitting in that corner.
Bernard Hopkins kind of stepped off Pavlik afew times, when he had him hurt. Almost as if, he wanted to prolong his boxing lesson and beat down... Sometime's those long long beat downs are even more damaging than knock outs. Because long beat downs over 12 rounds, send the defeated boxer home knowing they have been dominated in every area of the fight..every area of the art which is called boxing..there job and profession. "They cannot say..oh i was just caught with a big punch..it won't happen again in the rematch" Bernard Hopkins i believe could of knocked Kelly Pavlik out in the last round, he should of just kept loading up with straight right hands.....
