Number 2 Middleweight of the Decade: Pavlik or Taylor

Taylor took a lot of hate on this site for his title defenses but the tide seems to have turned. Bottom line, how do you rank the guy who KO'd and decisioned someone in the rematch BELOW that someone? :think

 

How do you think there records would be if they switched opponents??

 

Do u rank Tarver above Jones?

 

Abraham defended his title ten times, and Oral and Simon are propably both better than Pavliks challengers Rubio, Lockett and Espino. Khoren Gevor and Edison Miranda are a couple of tough fighters, and Abraham brutally knocked both of them out. From the two, Pavlik to me seems more like the Sven Ottke

 

Scorecard?

 

Taylor

 

Tenuous. Lockett was the WBO number 1 contender, having held and defended the stepping stone WBU belt, which made him a mandatory opponent. Rubio was also a mandatory opponent, heaving beaten Ornelas in a title eliminator (as he just did again). In contrast, AA's defences against Oral and Simon were voluntary, against virtual club fighters rated 26th and 27th in the world respectively. And Simon took him the distance.

Abraham took two bites at the apple to beat Miranda, and came out of the first fight arguably losing and with half his head hanging off. Collectively, they don't even compare to the systematic, one-sided annihilation of Miranda Pavliik laid on, and that's not even up for debate. Abraham won a vacant title that Taylor gave away. Pavlik beat the lineal champion for three belts. There's no mistaking who the real champion at 160 was.

 

I'd rate Pavlik's one big victory over Miranda slightly above Taylor's two over Spinks and Ouma. Neither were remotely proven at 160 and have gone on to do not all that much. Say what you like about the comparison on a pound-for-pound basis, but at Middleweight Miranda was a much tougher test, and was pretty much the best fighter at the weight besides the belt-holders. Then it's a question of whether you rank two razor-thin victories over an ATG nearing the end of his tenure very far above Pavlik knocking a lesser fighter for six for the title.

But then consider that Pavlik is just a better fighter all-round than Taylor (which has to be worth something), and the decisive title defences he does have (albeit over sub-elite opposition) and it's pretty much pick 'em.

 

This is what Arthur Abraham did as a titlist at 160:

Abraham KO 5 Ikeke: Ikeke never won a significant fight. The best win of his career was a shot to **** Emmet Linton.

Abraham UD12 Shannon Taylor: Taylor was one fight removed from getting knocked the **** out by Raymond Joval.

Abraham UD12 Jantuah: Jantuah was a natural 147-154 and just a couple fights removed from losing to Ouma, and he also got stopped by a 19-10 jouneyman.

Abraham UD12 Miranda: Some of the worst officiating in the history of boxing.

Abraham KO3 Demers: this cat was a featherfisted prospect with a 34% KO ratio, and not one single significant win.

Abraham KO11 Gevor: PLEASE!!!! I cannot imagine why AA fans consider this featherfisted midget a good winatsch

Abraham TKO5 Elcock: Elcock is a club fghter at best.

Abraham KO11 Ayala: a featherfisted club fighter whose big claim to fame was a draw with Sergio Mora. Zuniga was the righful mandatory but Sauerland ****ed him over.

Abraham RTD6 Marquez: Raul Marquez was less than 9 months removed from a draw with shot to **** Bronco McKart!

Abraham UD12 Simon: Lujaun Simon was coming off a win over Jose Spearman. McKart beat 7 shades of **** out of Spearman at super ****ing middleweight!

Abraham TKO10 Oral: Espino and Rubio, KP fights people love to critisize, would beat Oral senseless, and that is not even debatable.

Abraham's title run was a joke.

 

Exactly. Just because a fighter beats someone doesn't mean they're better than them. Maybe one person's style offset the other guy. Taylor beat Hopkins but overall I rate Hopkins higher.

 

Let's see...

Taylor:
-Defeated Hopkins twice
-Draw against Wright
-Wins over Kassim Ouma and Cory Spinks

Pavlik:
-Defeated Taylor twice
-Wins over McKart, Miranda, Lockett, Rubio, Espino

Abraham:
-Defeated Miranda twice
-Wins over Eastman, Ghevor, Ikeke.

I think the second best middleweight of the decade is...Taylor.