Pavlik v Calzaghe

Pavlik v Calzaghe

 

Pavlik by stoppage around 7th round after a war. Calzaghe had trouble with Kessler's straight shots and his power in the early-mid rounds before he adapted. I see Pavlik as being more robust, more direct, more relentless and more destructive than Kessler. He would keep coming forward and keep firing those straight shots at Calzaghe, pressuring him til Joe gets tired and as soon as those shots start to get through, the end is near. I don't think Joe has ever had a very good chin, Pavlik would break through and stop him. Will be a great fight tho, and Joe will have his moments with some quick flurries.

 

It's so very very naive to trot out a line like 'You don't think Joe has ever had a good chin? That's simply false - 3 flash knockdowns in 40-odd fights and never particularly shaken after any of them' - who has he fought?? I say 3 better-than-average fighters in his entire career, and 1 of them did knock him down. And Joe was definitely hurt, you could tell he was struggling to regain his senses, if Hopkins had more energy he could've stopped Joe before he recovered fully.

And being knocked down by guys of the level of Byron Mitchell and Kabary Salem (12 KOs in 23 wins) most definitely is not evidence of a good chin.

Joe is 36, Pavlik is in his mid 20s. He has to get tired one day, and Pavlik will be relentlessly stalking him down. Age can sneak up on a fighter at any time, even the fittest guys, and usually this leads to them losing to younger guys with less ability but more stamina and workrate. Just ask Hopkins.

 

How on earth does a divorce weaken your chin to a punch? That's some weird science.

Byron Mitchell was a decent- decent not even very good- puncher yes, but I consider Bernard Hopkins and James Toney to have excellent chins- do you think Byron Mitchell could have floored either of them with a sledgehammer? Me neither.

We simply must disagree on the Hopkins thing. I think Calzaghe was shaken by it and took time to recover. Hopkins is cautious by nature, I believe he considered going for the kill and only decided not to because he knew that if Joe could avoid getting stopped til he had recovered his senses, then B-Hop at 43 would have used up too much energy and it would come back to haunt him in the later rounds. If Hopkins had been 4 or 5 years younger he would've gone for the kill and then if he managed it or not, he wouldn't have had to worry about holding back stamina for later on.

I've said it a million times, 3 fights do not eradicate 9 years of doing **** all, so I unlike you are still a critic of Calzaghe. Guys like De La Hoya and Pacquiao squeeze more big fights into a year than Joe Calzaghe has in an entire long career at the top.

And by the way, who are these

World Champion calibre opponents

you are talking about with reference to Calzaghe's chin??
It can't be Lacey as Joe was far too quick for that lumbering one-dimensional banger and never got caught. Kessler caught him a few times granted, but he definitely hurt Joe if not put him down. And Hopkins did floor him and had him wobbling at the end of one of the mid-late rounds before the bell saved Joe.
Who are the other 'World Champion Calibre Opponents' you mean????????????

 

Agreed. Joe looked like he had no power left at all v Hopkins, was quite alarming. Joe may build up a points lead, but Pavlik's intensity would grind him down near the end and when Pavlik lands, Calzaghe won't be able to stand up to it.