European middleweight champion Matthew Macklin handily outpointed Rafa Sosa Pintos over 10 rounds (99-88) today in Dublin.
Next, he says, he wants Kelly Pavlik:
"My dream would be to face Pavlik at Madison Square Garden on St Patrick’s Day," Macklin said.
...
He intends to be ringside when Pavlik defends his titles against Miguel Angel Espino on December 19 in Ohio. "Pavlik probably doesn’t know who I am, but I want to go there and make a bit of a noise," Macklin said.
Pavlik-Macklin would be good for as long as it lasted, but if Pavlik hasn't lost too much spark with his nearly-wasted 2009, I'd have to favor him mightily, as Macklin is exactly the sort of guy Pavlik is able to manhandle. Pavlik's height, reach and power would be awful for Macklin, who at 5'10" isn't a big middleweight.
Still, there are certainly worse fights out there for Pavlik, notably Miguel Espino. Macklin is right around the back end of the top 10 at 160 pounds and is peaking at age 27. He's really stepped his game up a notch this year, and he's as ready as he'll ever be for something like a Pavlik fight.