In addition to post-fight wrap-ups, I've decided to do a "10 Points of Interest" post-fight chatterbox sort of a thing for the big cards. More to keep talking, because I rarely say everything I want to say in one shot.

By the way, I have a feeling we're going to see a lot of disagreement about the decision last night, and I do think it's one of those fights where both sides have a good argument. Those that supported Pavlik -- I can see it. I felt Taylor won and did so pretty clearly, but we all see fights differently. Harold Lederman, for instance, has taken the habit of seeing things in a totally bizarre manner.

Anyway, on with the show.

1. Jermain Taylor has guts

Say what you want about Jermain -- and his nickname seems pretty dated at this point -- but the man has cojones. Just taking a rematch with Pavlik showed that. Having the sack to end a terrible partnership with the legendary Manny Steward showed it, too. He wanted to beat the man that beat him. He came up short, but he did so with his head held high. Jermain Taylor's two wins over Bernard Hopkins are still disputed by many. I think his loss to Pavlik will be much the same.

2. Kelly Pavlik is the real deal

This was like Calzaghe-Kessler for me, in some ways. I thought both guys did a pretty good job. I credit Taylor for taking Kelly out of his comfort zone. But Kelly Pavlik showed he can fight hard for 12 rounds against a tremendous fighter. This is not a guy who needs to score a knockout to win a fight. His skills are better than he's given credit for sometimes -- much like Miguel Cotto.

3. Not all rematches are created equal

I really don't mean to dis the fighters when I call the bout "underwhelming" -- but it was, at least to me. It did not live up to the September fight at all. But it's not often you get Vazquez-Marquez-type rivalries. That's why those are so special. This was a good, clean fight. Nothing more, nothing less. A very professional effort from both men, if you know what I mean.

4. Judges live in a damn dreamworld sometimes

120-108 for Jose Navarro? Really? Mijares didn't win a single round, yet the other two judges gave the fight to him? Mijares-Navarro was very competitive, a ton of close rounds. I gave the fight to Navarro, 115-113, but it was really close. The decision doesn't bother me. Pavlik beating Taylor, for the record, doesn't really bother me. In neither case do I think we're talking about a robbery or anything of the sort. 120-108 for Navarro is ridiculous, though.

5. Fernando Montiel is really good

Montiel basically barnstormed through Martin Castillo, a good fighter. With Mijares' inconsistent performances -- his brutal win over Jorge Arce was a career-best, by far -- and shoddy recent choice of opponents (past Navarro, who is a good fighter), I think I have to consider Montiel the clear No. 1 in the world at 115 pounds. Mijares and Alexander Munoz both have arguments, and Vic Darchinyan might if he ever gets back to being the destruction machine he was pre-Nonito.

6. Time for Ronald Hearns to step up a little

Look, Baby Hitman is no baby. He's 29 years old. Either he's going to be a real fighter or he's not. Beating Juan Astorga with clinical precision proved nothing, and neither have any of his other wins. At 18-0, it's time he started at least fighting journeymen and gatekeepers.

7. Next for Pavlik?

A fight with John Duddy in June was all but signed, sealed and delivered, but now there's talk of Don King trying to get Tito Trinidad into a bout with the middleweight champ. I have no doubt Pavlik wins either fight. I like Tito Trinidad, but 160 was never his best weight to begin with, and look, he's old, you know? But I'd rather see that than Pavlik slaughtering the sacrificial lamb Duddy. I have a hard time even considering Duddy one of the 10 best middleweights in the world. His career best win is over a 37-year old Howard Eastman who left the ring that night a loser in five of his last seven. Tito might not be the most deserving, but it's somewhat compelling, and Trinidad still demands attention.

8. Next for Taylor?

Who knows? This depends on Jermain's mental state right now, probably. He looked as good as he is in a long time with Ozell Nelson in place of Steward, and he should stick with his longtime mentor as head trainer. Ozell and Jermain had a great plan for Kelly Pavlik, I thought. And Jermain also never wavered and fought stupidly, as he had done every fight under Steward. He's going to be at 168. He may or may not have to win a fight or two before getting a title shot. But there are names out there I'd love to see Taylor against. Count Calzaghe out for now, as he's obviously pretty busy. Kessler, Bute, Miranda, Green, Pascal, Lacy, Andrade -- those are all possible, probably, and all intriguing on a lot of levels. I think the weight will serve Jermain well, and he should do well in the division if the two losses to Pavlik don't really get him down.

9. Most people thought the fight was quite good

That should be said. I'm glad people enjoyed the bout, and I hope we get more fights of this nature. Having the best fight the best is never a bad thing. ESPN's Dan Rafael called it "another classic sort of fight," and Dan has seen a few fights in his day. It just didn't push the buttons for me personally, I guess.

10. Kelly Pavlik is a wonderful ambassador for boxing

Is it possible to dislike Pavlik? He is gracious in victory, never seems like he has a swelled head, and from all accounts, doesn't stop working to make himself better. He is a true champion, and he proved it after the fight when he said, "Jermain taking the rematch made the sport better."

This was a fight about redemption for Taylor, and he came up short on the cards. But he is a class act and a class fighter, and so is Kelly Pavlik, who now holds two wins over Taylor. For Kelly Pavlik, he proved that he was no one-hit wonder, that September 29, 2007, was not a one-time affair.

So the fight didn't live up to my expectations. But the fighters did so during and after the fight. It's tricky to praise any athlete for their personality because who really knows them, and the whole thing could turn around on you in one night at a strip club, but these guys have been this way as long as we've seen them in the spotlight. Both of them deserve nothing but the best in their professional careers.

It wasn't about a title, it wasn't even really about money. It was two men that put on a classic last year going out to try and do it again, for respect, for pride, and for the betterment of the sport they compete in. All kudos to both of them.

And who knows, we just might see them fight later on again down the line. Both are likely ultimately destined for the 175-pound weight class.

Photo © Jae C. Hong/AP

Kelly Pavlik went to 33-0 with a 12-round unanimous decision win over Jermain Taylor tonight in Las Vegas, winning on official scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 116-112.

Media scores differed somewhat. Yahoo! Sports analyst Kevin Iole had it 115-113 for Pavlik, and the ESPN crew was mixed, with Dan Rafael at 115-113 Taylor, Kieran Mulvaney 116-112 for Taylor, and Darius Ortiz 115-113 for Pavlik.

My BLH scorecard had it 116-112 for Taylor, same as ESPN's Mulvaney. And I really didn't think it was all that close.

[Ed. Note: Kieran Mulvaney let us know that the ESPN cards were initially tallied wrong. He had it 115-113 for Taylor, and Dan Rafael had it 114-114.]

Where was Kelly Pavlik's destructive power? Jermain Taylor fought a hell of a smart fight, beat Pavlik to the punch most of the night, hurt him more, and showed just HOW superior his hand speed was.

But enough about the scoring. It is what it is, and Kelly Pavlik won, no matter what anyone else thinks. That is the official decision. Pavlik remains undefeated, and Jermain Taylor is now 27-2-1, tailspinning as he makes his way to 168 pounds. Jermain needs a big win, and he needs it fast.

But let's talk about the fight. It wasn't bad. But if this fight ends up in my top 20 at the end of 2008, consider it a poor year for boxing. The fireworks of their initial encounter never surfaced tonight, and the two men put on what I felt was an entirely underwhelming affair. I'm not even stingy about fights. I really loved both of Mayweather's fights last year, for different reasons. I thought Vivian Harris-Juan Lazcano was one of the more intriguing fights of 2007 -- not a great fight, but a really interesting bout to watch.

Pavlik-Taylor II never sucked me in like a great fight does to you. The magic just was not there. It never truly felt like a major event, which it surely was. This was a huge fight. But it didn't deliver.

And not every big fight does or will. For every Cotto-Mosley that is as excellent as anyone could hope for, you get a fight like Pavlik-Taylor II that just doesn't quite take you to that place. It's not a knock on either man. They both came to fight and both fought with heart. But the aura of the big fight atmosphere wasn't there tonight. Even when the crowd would roar, it was more in anticipation for that which did not come to pass.

Congratulations to Kelly Pavlik, even though I thought Taylor won tonight. You can't ask for a better guy to be carrying the middleweight flag than Kelly Pavlik. And I hope Jermain shakes it off and moves forward, just like he did after the first loss to Pavlik. Go to 168, Jermain. Show 'em what you've got. I have no doubt that Jermain can go into that division and take the crown that Joe Calzaghe leaves behind.

On the undercard, Fernando Montiel blitzed Martin Castillo with a fourth round body shot knockout to retain the WBO super flyweight title, maybe setting up a unification bout with WBC champ Cristian Mijares, who retained via split decision over Jose Navarro. I had Navarro a 115-113 winner, but it was a very close fight. Their skills matched up quite nicely. The one qualm I really have with that fight is the one judge that scored it for Navarro. He had it 120-108. I have no clue what he was watching, or who paid him off. In the opener, Ronald Hearns beat the hell out of Juan Astorga before the referee called it off in the eighth and final round after Astorga went down for the second time in the fight. Astorga could have finished the fight, probably, but there was no point. He never won a round.

In notable untelevised fights from Vegas, Brian Viloria officially stepped up to 112 pounds and beat Cesar Lopez via eight-round unanimous decision, and Argentinian myth Sergio Gabriel Martinez won a four-rounder -- yes, a four-rounder -- over David Toribio. Does Martinez, at age 32 and with a record of 42-1-1, ever plan on fighting anybody?

We now head into next weekend, when HBO brings us the heavyweight unification title bout between Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov, plus Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed, which we've all heard is just can't-miss television. The story of Joe Louis is one that really needs to be told in an honest manner, from someone like HBO that can really get it out there. Some folks really don't know what Joe Louis went through, and that's a shame. Mr. Louis is one of our all-time greats, a man to be truly respected on all fronts, and what happened to him was a shame.

Other Results from Saturday night

Nikolai Valuev destroyed Sergei Liakhovich in Bayern, Germany, winning on unanimous decision scores of 120-108, 120-108 and 120-107. Yes, that means Liakhovich did not win a single round on any of the three judges' scorecards. On the undercard, Kali Meehan scored a third round TKO over Jeremy Bates.

MAIN EVENT
166-Pound Catchweight
KELLY PAVLIK
(32-0, 29 KO, Youngstown, OH)
versus
JERMAIN TAYLOR
(27-1-1, 17 KO, Little Rock, AR)

This is going to be some fight.

I think I like Pavlik, the more I debate the matchup in my head. He's got all the mental advantages, and I don't think he's going to come in with a big head. He knows Taylor could have finished him off the first time around. And like last time, Taylor is coming into the fight seemingly overconfident.

Nice-looking undercard, two good super flyweight title bouts and a Ronald Hearns showcase. I like both champs to retain and Hearns to score an early KO.

We'll be here with round-by-round coverage and scoring starting with the HBO pay-per-view telecast at 9pm. Join us!

Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor's fight on September 29, 2007, was the stuff that legends are made of.

The champion, still with something to prove. A challenger made to rally around -- big punching, no-nonsense, hard-working steel city boy out of the midwest.

The middleweight division's rich history is loaded with great rivalries. Robinson and LaMotta, Benvenuti and Griffith.

Taylor and Pavlik won't join those guys, really. For one thing, Saturday night's rematch is at a catchweight of 166 pounds, two pounds below the super middleweight cap, six above the middleweight limit.

But with their first fight being an epic encounter that left us all wanting more, the rematch is as highly anticipated as it gets. In what will be a solid month of renewed rivalries (Pavlik-Taylor II, Vazquez-Marquez III, Marquez-Pacquiao II), this one may carry the most weight of all.

Unlike the other fights, Pavlik and Taylor won't be fighting small man prejudice from the mainstream media. The middleweights get heavy respect when big things happen. After all, we're talking about the division of Hagler-Hearns, the most celebrated three rounds of fighting ever, especially for a lot of the current boxing writers out there.

Their first fight had it all. Taylor came out, guns blazing, and floored the upstart challenger in the second round. Ask anyone -- Taylor should have ended the fight that round. Hell, ask Kelly Pavlik or his trainer, Jack Loew. They'll tell you the same thing. When asked after the fight by Larry Merchant what was running through his mind at that point, Pavlik said, "I was thinking, 'Shit, it's gonna be a long night.'"

Jermain Taylor may have learned his lesson, though in the press conferences, Pavlik doesn't think that's the case. Taylor thinks he's a better all-around fighter than Pavlik, although this time, Jermain hasn't outright dismissed Kelly as he did previously. He's fired Emanuel Steward, ending a professional relationship that did not work for either man. In his place won't be Pat Burns, the trainer that led Jermain to two wins over Bernard Hopkins, but instead Ozell Jones, Taylor's career father figure, a man who knows him as well as anyone on earth. Their relationship is similar to that of Pavlik and Loew. Saturday night's showdown will almost be a family affair in both corners.

It is a fight -- with risk of venturing into hyperbole -- that is stirring the echoes of the legends before them. Their first fight was tremendous, an action- and drama-packed slugfest that just had it all. A gutsy challenger, a champion with a chip on his shoulder, corner drama, a near-finish in round two, and a stunning comeback ending in round seven.

And, again, there are doubts. How will it go? We all picked Taylor here first time around, but most of us thought it would be a grueling affair. No one was disappointed to be wrong, because Pavlik is just outstanding to watch.

And the fight that revved the engine for boxing's sensational closing quarter of 2007 is the one that will kick the tires and light the fires for what should be a magnificent first quarter of '08.

Two days out, and it's tough to pick a winner. I don't think the size will play into much. Pavlik and Loew are right: All it's going to do on their side is make them even stronger. As for Taylor, I think the same thing should be assumed. And please, nobody forget that he almost knocked Kelly Pavlik flat out in round two. This was not an easy win for Pavlik. He did not streamroll Taylor.

Repeat? What Pavlik needs to do
Kelly Pavlik has to do what all new, celebrated champions need to do, first of all: Don't believe the hype. Don't start thinking you're unbeatable. When boxers do that, disaster strikes. Nobody is unbeatable.

Pavlik needs to stick with what works for him, and he will. Plug away, weather storms, and keep landing that murderous straight right. Jermain knows to respect his power this time around. He also knows that he does not want to stand and trade with Kelly.

Revenge? What Taylor needs to do
And Taylor knows he doesn't need to stand and trade with Pavlik. Everyone knows he has the faster hands. He should use them, as he did early in the fight. Taylor is no feather-fisted puncher. When he hits with determination and purpose, he can hurt anyone. He's a better athlete, quicker on his feet than Pavlik, and has the ability to duck and dodge the champion's punches if he so chooses. No one will argue that Pavlik has quick hands. He does have stone hands, and Taylor was all too willing to eat them the first time around.

If he wants to win, he can't do that again. The result will be the same. Trying to take Kelly Pavlik's punches for 12 rounds is a dangerous idea.

It's shaping up to be a classic rematch. Having expectations less than that would be doing the fight a disservice. They earned the right to have people expect their fight to be a Fight of the Year candidate.

Will they deliver? Who's to say? They've got my money, though, and that's one of the nicest things you can say about any fight.