Vito Antuofermo vs Kelly Pavlik

I'll take this...both scenarios are possible. Good post.
Lean towards Antuofermo having success in crowding him...But Pavlik is the considerably bigger man with a 24 hr weigh in. Tough call and good match-up!

 

Boo I like much of what you post, but you have in the past (and present) been a huge pavlik fan that has IMHO blinded to you to his shortcomings as evidenced by some posts in regards to him and his fights!

I personally like Pavlik, and agree that he has become veiwed to be not much more than what he has offered in the last year+. I think 07 is the best version of Pavlik IMHO and loved his fights with Zertuche and Miranda and this began to make a believer out of me! I think Pavlik is solid, but not great and I think it will take more than that for him to beat Vito! I don't see how his style will present more problems for him than say Alan Minter (who fared well against Pavlik in an older thread...you of course picked Pavlik KO 3 over Minter there as well?????)...I think Pavlik uses his jab and size to control the first few rounds, and in the middle Antuofermo turns up the heat and intensity and begins to work inside to the body (similar to how he fought hagler and Minter and heck everyone else!)..at this point his shorter arms work to his advantage and Pavliks work against him. After a sustained few rounds of this I see Pavlik tiring, and Vito getting stronger just as he did in real life!

Once agin this has nothing to do with selling Pavlik short, as much as it has to do with holding Vito in a slightly higher regard!

 

Neither were ever anything special. You don't need revisionist history so much as the ability to analyse talent. Taylor had physical talent, but as a technician he was never anything to write home about. Poor ring generalship, lacking focus, just in general a guy who got by more on raw talent. He still managed to make Kelly look a bafoon throughout the majority of their fights. He simply lacked the stamina/durability (along with a multitude of other factors) to stave him off. Kelly has a solid pressure punching style that could and would see him overwhelm lesser fighters with that added size and power. Against fighters approaching elite level, I don't think that's the case at all.

 

Prime Vito could hang tough with Hagler and Briscoe and even though he liked to brawl he did have some decent skills as in bobbing and weaving to work his way inside. Prime Kelly keeping him at a distance I might give the edge to Kelly, but Vito is no bum and I think he outworks Pavlik. It would be a bloodbath that I'm sure.