Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez being discussed
by Scott Christ on Dec 26, 2009 8:35 PM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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BoxingScene.com's Rick Reeno reports that talks have started to match middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik with Sergio Martinez in 2010. Top Rank's Bob Arum (Pavlik) and DiBella Entertainment's Lou DiBella (Martinez) have spoken about the possibility, but nothing more than that at the moment.
Pavlik (36-1, 32 KO) plowed through a game but hopelessly overmatched Miguel Espino in Youngstown on December 19, two weeks after the thrilling fight of the year contender that Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KO) lost to Paul Williams in Atlantic City. December 5 was supposed to host a fight between Pavlik and Williams, but Pavlik pulled out due to staph infection. Many eyebrows raised when he took such an off-the-radar opponent for a fight a mere two weeks later, but fact is Williams and his promoter Dan Goossen turned down that date after having twice had Pavlik back out on them in the last quarter of '09. Rightfully so, obviously, but it's simply not fair to just say Pavlik backed down.
What's going to trouble people with this news is also obvious. Why isn't he trying to fight Williams? Arum said they'd offer Williams the same deal they had on the table before, which was agreed to on both sides. But Williams raised his profile with another good win on December 5. Pavlik was on a small Top Rank PPV against an opponent with no credibility as a world championship challenger. It doesn't add up that Williams should accept the same deal that likely favored Pavlik pretty heavily.
I still think that neither of them make as much money or drum up as much interest with someone other than each other, but as far as "substitutes" go, Sergio Martinez is a pretty damn good one, and his style could be even tougher for Pavlik than Williams' would be. Martinez is slicker than Tall Paul for sure.
But either fight would be OK by me, truth be told. Pavlik NEEDS a suitable opponent, and either one of these men fit the bill. This isn't like Jermain Taylor plucking Cory Spinks and Kassim Ouma from the 154-pound ranks when he was middleweight champion. Pavlik has a dearth of quality challengers to pick from at 160, and both Williams and Martinez showed on December 5 they can fight at that weight.
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Plase make this happen. marinez will clean his clock; hhe has the right style with which to do it.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 26, 2009 8:37 PM EST reply actions
I think Martinez will just outclass Pavlik and his predictable style…
"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."
I don't know about that
Martinez seemed tentative against a long, big puncher in Kermit Cintron. Pavlik has a similar style, but is much bigger and punches much harder. I could see Pavlik just plain outworking him, and Martinez won’t have that right hook counter open against the orthodox Pavlik like he did against Williams.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I don;t think Martinez got tagged hard at all vs Cintron. If he can take away Pavliks right hand it is over. He has the lateral mobility to just potshot him and he has underrated power.
"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."
Martinez definitely outspeeds
Pavlik in terms of hands, feet and body movement but Pavlik would probably get to him late on and tag him a lot. It would be a very good fight.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Dec 27, 2009 6:33 PM EST up reply actions
plus, people completely under-rate Pavlik.
Talk of neutralisation of the ‘big right hand’ being enough to beat Pavlik are deluded. He is a very underestimated boxer, in my eyes.
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
He is excellent at cutting off the ring
it’s no coincidence that when his opponents are in trouble they are nearly always on the ropes.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Dec 28, 2009 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
I was kinda hoping...
for a Martinez v. Williams, Part 2.
Does anybody know when the FOTY is announced?
"Gowin on fourth and 14 will punt it away. He hangs it very high, angling it for the near sideline...HAKIM DROPS THE BALL!!! HAKIM DROPS THE BALL!! Brian Milne might've fallen on it at the ten yard line! It's the New Orleans Saints' football! Brian Milne, the most unlikely hero of them all, falls on the fumble, the muff by Hakim! There is a God after all!" -- Jim Henderson
by hakimdropstheball on Dec 26, 2009 9:13 PM EST reply actions
Martinez is Pavlik’s worst nightmare, and I say that as a Pavlik fan.
Whatever the financial deal is with Williams, Arum should accept it, ‘cos for all Williams’ talents, he’s tailor-made for Pavlik – all Williams physical gifts are negated by Pavlik’s size, and all his weaknesses exposed by Pavlik’s strengths.
It won't Happen!!!
I am ready to put my credibility in line: this fight will not happen.
Sergio Martinez, stylistically is even more difficult for Pavlik than Williams!
Pavlik’s team knows that. What they are doing is a ploy. A n orchestrated PR campaign
aiming at showing that Pavlik is looking for good opponents. The next step they will say they tried all, they tried Williams, he wouldn’t take the fight; they tried Martinez, he wouln’t take the fight, therefore he is fighting “whoever” is in front of him. These “whoever” will be “beer-cans”.
I know there will be “OBJECTIONS”; but they will be “OVERRULED”.
Bobfather
For the past week, my respect for Bob Arum has gone down on a daily basis. First with these Mayweather negotiations, now with the games he is playing with Pavlik, and the untold BS of the Latin Fury fights with Gamboa and Lopez but not fighting each other. I’m getting tired of it and its put up or shut up time for most of your fighters. Nice to see that the ’We’re not going to negotiate the drug testing point’ was put aside once the other side was ‘willing to negotiate the terms of the drug testing.’ Bob Arum…man of his word…or something. (Please don’t take this as other boxing promoters are Saints or anything)
DRMULLEN
This fight IS hardcore -This would be a Rock EM – Sock EM War! With the crowd screaming, we want more! Could the “Ghost” beat “Thor” ? Or would it be a lopsided bore?
negotiating ploy
Team Pavlik would MUCH rather face P-Will, they know Sergio is a MUCH more difficult fight style wise. Playing the game to bargain with P-Will about the split, Arum knows the original split won’t work, but he will try to keep every dollar he can for his fighter. As he should. Lets say the original split was 60-40 for KP, I believe 55-45, gets it done, NO way it should be 50-50, Kelly IS the lineal champ. Peace!!
For once!
For once I agree with Iron Beach…
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