Masterful HOPKINS stuns PAVLIK - Poll results & photos & post-fight video

Another great conference call transcript, this time with trainers Jack Loew and Nazim Richardson. Don't miss it!

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=17528&more=1

 

FIGHTERS & WRITERS PREDICTIONS:

FIGHTERS:

Jermain Taylor
"I like Bernard Hopkins chances in this fight because of his experience and preparation for a fight. He's always in shape, but he has to fight the perfect fight. If Kelly can keep Bernard from fighting in close and pick his punches, he could easily come away with the victory


Joe Calzaghe
"Pavlik, who is he? He might get his ass kicked by Hopkins. But I think he will win the fight, mainly due to his youth. Hopkins still has the ability to make it very messy. Regardless, he is definitely over hyped.”


Oscar De La Hoya
“I think that Bernard will beat Kelly by a decision. It will be a tough fight, but Bernard will expose Kelly’s weaknesses and win the fight.”


Shane Mosley
“I think it’s going to be a close fight but honestly I think that Hopkins is more experienced and will be able to do some things to steal the fight away from Pavlik. Pavlik is younger but I think that Bernard is going to catch him with something and knock him out. Pavlik is going to underestimate Bernard’s power and experience and around the sixth round, Bernard will dodge his jab and catch him with a counter right.”


Ricky Hatton
“That’s a tough call, Kelly is an exciting fighter on the way up, but Bernard is a superb technician. If I have to choose one, I lean towards Pavlik.”


Vernon Forrest
“Hopkins by decision and if Pavlik gets too greedy Hopkins is going to stop him. They say he can’t pull the trigger any more but I don’t think Calzaghe even did enough to win. Pavlik is a power puncher and typically when Hopkins fights power puncher he stops them. “


WRITERS:

Bert Sugar- Boxing Historian
“Pavlik is going to win by decision. He is not going to knock Bernard out. I don’t think Bernard fights like he once did. His best punch is a right jab followed by a right hit. Pavlik won’t pull the trigger. Remember, Bernard hasn’t been knocked out and has only been knocked down once. If Bernard won I wouldn’t be shocked but I would be surprised.”


Chris Mannix- Sports Illustrated
“While continuing to face elite competition, Hopkins has recently looked like a man trying to avoid a knockout loss than one seeking a significant victory. No question Pavlik will be looking for the early KO but his solid, 12-round decision over Jermain Taylor earlier this year proved to me that the power puncher can win when fights go the distance. Take Pavlik in a unanimous decision.”


Kevin Iole- Yahoo.com
“Pavlik by decision, Hopkins has been fighting to survive in his past couple of fights. In this fight Pavlik is younger and stronger, and he will out work Hopkins to get the win.”


Dan Rafael- ESPN.com
“Bernard is a great fighter, but Pavlik's youth and activity level are going to be hard for him to overcome. It will be a tough fight, but Pavlik on a competitive decision.”


Gordon Marino- Wall Street Journal
”Pavlik in a decision over Bernard Hopkins. The ghost should be too busy and keep too much pressure on the great, but 43 year old Hopkins. Hopkins can be an octopus and Pavlik has to watch that Bernard does not tie him up or catch him with a sneaky right.”


John Falgoust- USA Today
“Pavlik by decision. Hopkins will exploit Pavlik's heavy feet by turning him and walking him into counters. Hopkins will find it difficult staying on the inside with a guy like Pavlik who throws such good short punches, especially uppercuts. Still, Hopkins is more versatile, and even though he may do enough to earn the decision, today's judges usually give the close rounds to the fighter who is more active regardless of accuracy or effectiveness of the punches.”


Tim Smith- New York Daily News
“I like Kelly Pavlik against Bernard Hopkins because I think Kelly is younger. I can't see him knocking out Bernard. But I can see him outworking Hopkins for a decision.”


Franklin McNeil- Newark Star Ledger
“Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik is moving up in weight to former light heavyweight king Bernard Hopkins. But when they stand side-by-side, Pavlik appears to be the bigger man. He is younger and stronger than the 43-year-old Hopkins, who is beginning to show signs of slowing down as the results of his five most recent fights indicate – he is 2-3 during that span. Pavlik is a busy fighter and Hopkins doesn’t compete more than a minute per round. This is a dangerous fight for Hopkins. Pavlik, 26, wins by unanimous decision.”


Keith Idec- Herald News
“Pavlik by unanimous decision. The crafty, forceful Hopkins will, as usual, make this his kind of fight, ugly but close. At 43, he won't be active enough to make it all that entertaining. But he is still smart enough and skilled enough to make it very competitive.”


Bobby Cassidy- Newsday
“Bernard says he's not afraid of a ghost but he should be afraid of this one. I think Pavlik scores a fairly comfortable decision. I would have loved this fight with both men in their primes. But right now, Pavlik's youth, energy and strength will carry the day. Bernard is crafty will survive the 12 rounds but he'll absorb a lot of punches.”


Lyle Fitzsimmons- Pensacola News Journal
“Pavlik KO 9--Hopkins has thrived for years against guys he could trick into playing cagey games in the ring. Pavlik is too rough and tumble to go for that sort of sublime bait, and too strong for Bernard to evade all night. I think the end of a legend.”


Michael David Smith - FanHouse.com (AOL Sports)
“Hopkins has had a long and distinguished career, but at age 43 he's not quick enough to do damage to a skilled fighter who's just entering his prime like Pavlik. Pavlik will win a decision.”

 

I disagree... Hopkins did a lot of things in the first 6 just wasn't very visible. Or put it another way: he tried to do a lot of things, he was looking for the openings, but as long as Jermain had the stamina and the 100% focus, BHop wasn't THAT effective.

You see Calzaghe did a LOT of things, huge punch output etc., but also offered more openings in the first rounds (knockdown he paid for it). It's the opposite as the Taylor case. In the Jermain fight (1st one) the first half was Taylor's because he was very alert. Hopkins came on late and strong as usual. But vs. Calzaghe, for the very first time, it was Joe who adatped to Bernard and took away HIS weapons for which he doesn't get much credit. So despite Bernard was trying to come late, it was all Calzaghe. I don't think Hopkins faded at all in that fight... just couldn't land the right anymore.

Still, Joe's punch output alone didn't win the fight. Taking away the right won the fight, and Tarver, Winky and even Taylor failed to do that. Can Pavlik take it away?



Kelly didn't look for the Taylor openings in their fights, he created them. Still it was very close in the 2nd fight (Taylor being as focused as in the Hopkins fights).

But unlike Taylor, Pavlik offers a lot, I mean a HELL LOT of openings, Hopkins doesn't have to look for the opportunity at all, it will be there in front of him. Pavlik can do more than a thing, but numbers don't lie. Taylor landed half of his power punches in the 2nd fight, in the fight supposed to prove Pavlik is a great boxer (he's a good one).

Pavlik offers openings. That's a fact. Whether Hopkins can win a fight on them or stop his physical force is another question. But Hopkins is a defensive genious with superb timing and accuracy. Put a fighter who SHOUTS to counterpunch in front of him, and you'll see a fading Hopkins at 100%...