Middleweight Hearns vs. Pavlik?

hearns by a massive, decisive early knockout. home town loyalties aside for the poster, tommy hearns and kelly pavlik just aren't even close to the same level of fighter. hearns coming up from welterweight is irrelevant, he was so massive for the weight--with a near heavyweight wingspan. tommy was too fast, to slick...possessed a dynamite jab that he knew how to move and work behind, could bang with the very best of them and had power at middleweight that matches kelly's to the last drop...especially the way he got up for big fights.

you are comparing a capable, if limited champion to an all time great...one of the game's great boxer-punchers. tommy took shots, but kelly's defense is way closer to swiss cheese than tommy's ever was. kelly can hit, no doubt, but tommy hearns dropped bombs (even at 160) and, unlike kelly, was completely aware and in control of where his punches were going and how much weight he was (and should) put behind them.

in addition, let's talk intangibles. kelly is a tough kid, but tommy hearns, in his competitive days that stretched on so long, had a warrior spirit, a fierce courage, so many different gears and modes...kelly just doesn't measure up and, unless something massive changes about his game, probably never will.

 

hard to call, however i think it would have been a good tear up and both defences would go out the window equalling an early ko not sure for who tho

 

pavlik gets killed in that one.

 

Cue Hermit and Boo...

 

Pavlik is too slow and too one dimensional for Hearns... I just don't see him able to catch Hearns with anything big.

 

Would be a great fight, but Pavlik would get stopped mid-late rounds. Hearns is too fast and could out-jab him, and without his golden jab, Pavlik's largely just a slugger.

 

Hearns....

As
When
How

he wants Pavlik to fall...

 

All cued up my freind:yep

If you move away from hating on Pavlik and worshipping Hearns, you can then ask the questions: What does it take to beat Kelly Pavlik? And, what does it take to beat Tommy Hearns?

You beat Pavlik by:

1, Win the jabbing contest;
2, Demonstrate really good bi-directional lateral movement;
3, Demonstrate quick and smart head movement;
4, Carry enough fire power to make him respect you;
5, Stay off the ropes; use your power and movement to keep the fight mid-ring.

How do you beat Hearns?

Simple; drag him into a war of attrition, and land something big on that less than stellar chin.

Given that at 160 Murray Sutherland went the distance with Hearns, and Iran Barkley knocked him out, this fight would not be the kind of one sided beating some people seem to think it would be. Tommy has all the tools to take Pavlik out into deep water and drown him. However, Tommy was also pychologically incapable of staying out of a war. Pavlik would most likely no that there is no chance in hell for him to out box Hearns. Both guys come in looking to ambush the other one. It's a slightly longer version of Haglar/Hearns only this time Tommy wins, because KP would not be able to land flush as often as Marvin did.

 

this is why i respect you as a poster, a big kp fan but always unbiased, good post mate :good

 

yeah that about covers it boo...

 

Thank you. Tommy Hearns is #3 on my list of all time favorites. El Flaco Explosivo, Little Red, and The Hitman. There is no way I would ever disrespect or underestimate The Hitman, but like most fighters, Tommy had some flaws; shaky chin, not very resilient, and a propensity to go to war when he ought to be boxing. Pavlik has the tools to TRY to exploit those flaws. In the end he would fail due to his lack of hand-speed, slickness, and defense, but you can bet your bottom dollar that for a few rounds Tommy would know he was in a fight.

 

Best case for Pavlik is that Hearns breaks his hand early and has to settle for a points win.

 

We've agreed to disagree (actually, I've been bludgeoned into submission) over Pavlik's skill set, style, and routes to future success, but two things I completely appreciate about Pavlik are his toughness and his recuperative powers. If, and of course it's a huge if, Pavlik could get up and or recover from the first right hand bombs he was hit with the way Hagler did, there is a chance, even a pretty good chance, he catches Hearns late. And with those long arms, Hearns would be tiring against a guy who could start firing back from range, without having to take the risk of coming inside to land.

You missed your loophole though. The OP didn't specify Ronald or Tommy. :yep