The writing is yet to be put on the wall for Pavlik after being dominated so embarassingly by B-Hop in their fight, but since then he has had his injury issues owing to the staph infection in his hand much like Lacy did with the torn rotator cuff. Both came back against initially limited opposition and while they won, they failed to impress. The moment Lacy stepped up again against a good fighter in Jermain Taylor, he lost... What happens when Pavlik steps back up again?
Depends on who he "steps up" against. If it's Williams, he'll look spectacular. That **** would look like Godzilla vs Bambi. If it's Bute, well, that one I'm not so sure about.
I'm unsure on Williams solely because the guy has the tendency to completely stink up the place one fight, then come back and dominate the next. Pavlik cannot be questioned on will, he'll fight through adversity but then so too did Lacy, winning a fight despite his rotator cuff going on him during it. Bute, meh, I think the guy gets a bit of credit at the moment based on knocking out someone who seemed unknockoutable.
Its a fair question. Remains to be seen, but I think Pavlik will be ok as long as he doesnt stray to far from MW.
Jeff Lacy had a pretty weak resume before he got schooled by Calzaghe 21 - 0 sounds good, but when Scott Pemberton is the best name on that record, then you know Jeff was hype. Then after the schooling by Calzaghe, he went downhill. Kelly Pavlik before he got schooled had a decent resume 34 - 0, with 30 by KO with names like Taylor and Miranda he had a decent platform. Also, Pavlik lost at 170, so after losing he can say I can go back to 160 where im a champ and it will be OK. But Jeff Lacy he lost at 168, lost his title, then didn't do jack.
lol, **** this is revisionist history. At the time, the reason Lacy was seen as such a threat to Calzaghe was that he was beating the contenders at the weight and except for Sheika, dominating them. Pavlik, without Taylor, has a resume that is absolutely weak. Yet, Taylor, since Pavlik, hasn't done anything worth ****, in fact, the only thing Taylor HAS done is beaten Hopkins in two very disputable decisions. Go figure.
taylor was the undisputed undefeated mw champ who not only beat hopkins twice, but also fought to a draw w/ winky who was a year removed from absolutely dominating tito. that same taylor was run out of his own division by pavlik who fought his way up to his shot the right way. lacy did nothing remotely similar. nothing that pavlik and lacy have done is similar. when lacy stepped up in competition in his own division he got the **** kicked out of him. pavlik went up two weight classes and got the **** kicked out of him. i know what you are getting at and i see where you are coming from...but they arent similar.
Fighting Winky at 160 vs fighting Winky at 154 - two completely different propositions. Winky was feather fisted at 154, he was completely pillow fisted at 160. Lacy stepped up against a guy who Americans had no clue about, yet when Calzaghe dominated the **** out of him and then did the same to Kessler, beat a very crafty Hopkins, people still attempt to discredit everyone of those wins. Yet, we want to give Pavlik all the credit for beating Taylor - who has since been knocked out routinely by other fighters?
Apples and oranges. People aren't trying to use smoke and mirrors to make Pavlik some kind of top level ATG based on said suspect resume. I like Calzaghe as a fighter, fun to watch, a good showman, ballsy in the ring vs the guys he fought. But he is what he is.
so if i'm hearing you correctly...calzaghe's anonymity means he was less good? calzaghe was the best in the division whether americans knew who he was or not... the fact that lacy fought the best in his division and got stomped and pavlik fought the best in his division and left him in a heap is the point. who was more popular or well know isnt the point. what happened when both men stepped up is what i was getting at. no winky has never been a ko artist he was a sharp as ever in the taylor fight...less power be damned he was still backing taylor up. and i don't discredit joe. i can't stand some of the calzombies on here but i personally loved watching joe fight. it killed me to see him showboat against my favorite fighter growing up but...i suppose roy did it to everyone else so kind of a taste of his own medicine.
People aren't? People are suggesting Pavlik would beat anyone in the Super 6 and Joe Calzaghe himself. You don't need smoke and mirrors to make Calzaghe an ATG. 10 years dominating a division is extremely rare, considering he also stepped it up late in his career against younger up and comers and still dominated them... that puts him in a very rare bracket, one that of this era, only really Hopkins and to a point, Lennox Lewis can put their hands up for.
Difference is Lacy got beat up badly against Calzaghe, Pavlik didn't. He was simply schooled and embarrased by Hopkins.