Kelly
Pavlik Vs. Jermaine Taylor II
February 16, 2008
by Hal Clarke
Bout Takes Place Tonight,
February 16, 2008 on HBO PPV.
When Kelly Pavlik and Jermaine
Taylor first squared off in the ring last fall sparks flew, both
men tasted the canvas, and a new middleweight champion of the
world emerged. The bout, which was the first loss for Taylor and
continued Pavlik's undefeated career, featured 7 of the most explosive
rounds of 2007 and set the stage for many to sling their opinions
in the aftermath. "Taylor was exposed!" claimed the
haters. "Pavlik's the next Hagler!" shouted the overeager.
When the yelling and boasting subsided, however, one truth stood
above all else: there WOULD be a rematch.
Four and a half months later
we have arrived. Pavlik/Taylor II takes place
tonight, live from The MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The difference this go-round: Pavlik is the champion, Taylor is
humbled, and the fight is taking place at 166 pounds (as per Taylor's
rematch clause) instead of 160, and the title is not on the line.
The other wild card: Taylor has dropped trainer-for-hire Manny
Steward in favor of long-time trainer Ozell Nelson. With these
changes in effect, will we see a different result than Pavlik
TKO 7 as was the case on September 29th? Only time will tell.
In looking at the combatants
leading up to the fight, Pavlik is still the lanky, determined
power puncher who comes forward no matter the punishment. Taylor,
for his own part, remains the experienced, fast-fisted pure athlete
fighting not only a rising star but the skeptics as well. After
last time's knock-out victory, Pavlik's golden boy persona is
set, but how will it dimish should Taylor finish the job he started
in their first bout? Taylor nearly won the whole shebang in Round
2, knocking Pavlik to the campus before gassing later in the round.
The many Pavlik crusaders seem to have forgotten that fact in
the wake of his stunning comeback. I have not.
Jermaine Taylor is a good fighter
but he does have several obvious weaknesses: he fights flat-footed,
his stamina is questionable, and he has a tendency to fight going
forward and backward with minimal side-to-side movement. Worse,
Pavlik knows all these things and exploited them to their fullest
with his previous victory. Taylor looked nervous in that fight,
so perhaps the pressure got to him. This time, however, I don't
foresee him giving in to the butterflies nor letting Pavlik off
the hook.
My prediction for the fight:
Taylor by KO Round 3.
Kelly Pavlik proved he has the
heart of lion by getting up from his knockdown in their last match,
surviving the round, and then taking the fight to Taylor in Round
3. It was Pavlik's best round of the fight (aside from Round 7
where he ended it) and a testament to a man who deserves all the
respect in the world. However, Pavlik showed he is vulnerable
to fast hands and can be out-boxed even as he relentlessly presses
forward. In their last bout, all judges had Taylor ahead by substantial
margins at the time of the stoppage, as did I. Taylor may not
have won that fight, BUT HE WAS WINNING. I believe IF Taylor moves,
IF Taylor lets his hands go, and IF Taylor doesn't stand toe-to-toe
eating shots, he CAN win easily and proved it last time. Those
are all big 'IF's and undoutedly, at least in this observer's
mind, will determine the outcome.
No matter the outcome of tonight's
fight, it WILL be exciting getting there. Let's get ready to rumble!!!
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Want to tell Hal Clarke he doesn't know anything
about anything? Or maybe you agree. Email him at halclarke@undependentmedia.com
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