LeedsLad

Kelly Pavlik, nicknamed 'The Ghost' is a professional boxer from the USA. Born in Youngstown, Ohio in April 1982, Pavlik took up boxing from an early age. Standing at 6'2 with 75" reach, he is very big for a Middleweight. He is the reigning WBC & WBO Middleweight champion of the world, and undefeated in 32 professional fights.

Kelly Pavlik won some national title's as an amateur, but decided to turn professional in 2000. He won his first professional bout by TKO in the 3rd round. After 26 professional fights learning the trade, Pavlik's first step up in class came against Fulgencio Zuniga for the NABF Middleweight title. He won via TKO in the 9th round, and went onto defend his title by beating Bronco McKart (TKO6), Leonard Pierre (TKO4) and Jose Luis Zertuche (KO8).

In May 2007, Kelly Pavlik vacated his minor title's to fight a WBC Eliminator on the undercard of Taylor vs. Spinks, for the right to fight the winner. He fought big punching Colombian Edison Miranda. Miranda was the favourite to win the fight, but Pavlik put on an excellent performance. In an toe-to-toe battle from start to finish, Pavlik kept Miranda on the backfoot as the two traded power punches. In the end, Pavlik was too strong for Miranda and the referee stopped it in the 7th round.

In September 2007, Jermain Taylor defended his WBO/WBC Middleweight title's against Kelly Pavlik in Atlantic City. In a contender for FOTY, Kelly Pavlik was dropped early in the 2nd round and was on very unsteady legs, Taylor bombed in power punch after power punch and Pavlik managed to survive the round. As the fight went on Pavlik started to take over, and then in the 7th round Pavlik landed a huge right which backed Taylor into the ropes, and followed it up with a flurry of power punches before the referee stopped the bout as Taylor collapsed in the corner. Kelly Pavlik was behind 59-54, 58-55 & 58-55 at the time of the stoppage. Pavlik was now the WBC/WBO Middleweight champion.

On Febuary 16th, 2008, Kelly Pavlik fought Jermain Taylor in a highly anticipated rematch. However, due to a clause in the original contract, the fight was not contested at 160lbs but at a catch-weight of 166lbs. Taylor adapted his gameplan well, being much harder to hit for Pavlik and posing more danger than in the first bout. However, Pavlik used his jab well and came on stronger in the later rounds in order to win the fight. This time the fight went 12 rounds, with the judges scorecards being 115-113, 116-112 & 117-111 all in favour on Kelly Pavlik.

Pavlik is expected to drop down 6lbs back into the Middleweight division, where unification bouts with other belt holders Felix Sturm (WBA) & Arthur Abraham (IBF) are possibilities. A proposed June match-up against John Duddy has been put under doubt due to a bad cut suffered by Duddy in his last bout, and there has been rumours that Felix Trinidad may step in and fight Pavlik instead.

Updated by LeedsLad (2/25/08)

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Morales>Barrera