I'll let you guys criticize the hell out of the fighters and this fight..

..meanwhile, I'll be here with a dreamy, satisfied smile on my face having watched what I just did.

When Kelly was hurt and downed in the second round and seemed slightly slower in both punching and reacting to Taylor, I thought Taylor would get him down the stretch. Judging by Manny Stewards talk in the corner, Manny had given Taylor an extra oxygen tank in the Poconos and was betting on Taylors speed advantage to become more decisive in the late rounds.

Goddangit all, I thought. Pavlik got off the canvas to win the third. What a big heart. What an unrelenting will. What true blue-collar working-class I'll-punch-until-I'm-no-longer-conscious grit. I thought Pavlik had done the cruelest thing to me. He'd made me a fan in the second round only to see one of my newfangled favorite fighters lose.

Speed kills is what I said before the fight, and here it was. I could see Pavlik wanted it more, was prepared to do and take anything it took, and all that was superceded by something as simple and shallow as handspeed -- something you're born with and is available no matter what your state of mind is.

Of course, Pavlik went on to win the fight, personifying everything that is right in boxing -- Believe in yourself, do everything you can, never say die.

Regardless of the result, I was going to cheer for him throughout his career. But..

Ladies and gentlemen, your new Middleweight Champion of the World -- Kelly 'The Ghost' Pavlik.

Cory Spinks, Kassim Ouma and the likes be warned -- you won't see the judges scorecards until after you wake up.

As for Taylor -- he earned the championship of the world, and now Pavlik has through him. No iffs, ands or butts about it. Only Taylor himself knows if somewhere along the road, he's had himself to blame.

Definately a good night for boxing.

 

If they would put that on every week instead of these mismatches in defence of nearly non-exsistant belts i'd be a happy man.

Amen. I think we'll get one more from these two -- juding by the first fight, a rematch would not be a foregone conclusion at all.

Before I forget, does anyone know if Pavlik will move up?