Sturm really would beat Pavlik.

Disagree.

Yes he was blocking a lot but he was also taking a lot.His body was all red after the fight and he had a huge ear.
In close quarters Gevor was killing the body doing his work.Sturm was blocking.They were not clinching so there was no reason to break them off but the bias ref did just that so that he could save Sturm from taking more.He also saved him from a KD in the 3ed.

I agree in some way with your point that Sturm is more versatile but even so I don't see him beating Pavlik.Certainly not at mid range where he would get clubbered.
On the outside maybe.Maybe inside altough I doubt it.

 

I still say the same thing I've said for the last couple years. Sturm can give Pavlik fits, but not for 12 full rounds. Somewhere along the way Felix ends up on the ropes and in the kill zone.

 

Take a closer look at breaks, leaving the bias that the ref was protecting Sturm (they were both at the same stable, ffs). The ref was breaking it when Gevor was doing almost nothing but pushing with head. Gevor had his time infight time... I actually thought the ref didn't prevent it enough - Sturm's forehead was all read from those pushing (and a couple of butheads, incidental albeit).

Yeah, it could be that Pavlik is just too strong and powerful for Sturm, but I believe that Sturm has the tools to make him look ordinary.

 

I know what I saw and that's that.
Both the ref and the judges were going for the more bigger name,more marketable fighter the true ''German'' who is Bosnian really.
Like I said they were head to head,Gevor was working the body,obviosuly he can't punch nonstop on the inside so he took seconds off and the ref broke them up so that Sturm can work of his jab.They weren't even hlding many times when they were broken up.
That was bias refing and judging if I ever saw one.