Pavlik Trainer Promises To Stop Hopkins

It’s on. On October 18, the pride of Youngstown, unbeaten Kelly Pavlik, will try to do what no man has done. He will try and prove his mettle, and send a message that he is the top active American fighter, bar none, by being the first man to stop Bernard Hopkins. That is a tall order, even if Hopkins is 43 1/2, and has a 2-3 record in his last five outings. Can the 26 year-old Pavlik, with 30 KOs in his 34 wins, pull it off? TSS is leaning toward saying he can, especially after Ron Borges talked to Freddie Roach last week, and Roach vocalized his concern about Hopkins’ decision to soldier on.

The two fighters and their team-members traveled to NY on Wednesday morning-afternoon, to get tongues wagging about their Oct. 18 showdown, which will unfold in Atlantic City.

No race cards were played (thank God of that) and there were no physical shenanigans either. Hopkins, who has been prone to outlandish acts to hype up his bouts of late, was on his best behavior.




Hopkins (48-5, 32 KOs), who last gloved up against Joe Calzaghe on April 19 (SD12 loss), surprised some folks with his low key comments.

“I’m a boxing fan and I am a fan of Kelly Pavlik,” he said. “I am a fan of Pavlik because he became a champion the right way. Not because of politics, but because he came up through the ranks and beat them all. I know what makes a good fight, but I never thought I would be fighting him. Kelly has a lot of heart and determination, but saying that, I’ve never been afraid of a ghost.


Hopkins isn’t listening to those who are recommending that he step away from the sport before he absorbs a nasty beating.

“I believe I’m coming into this fight as the winner. People know me and boxing people know me and they know I’m a threat against anyone. I am willing to say that I am coming into this fight to win. When we get into the ring – it will just be me and him – and that means it is 50/50.”


“This is a blue collar fight. It’s like two guys working on a pier and get in a fight. It’s two guys fighting with their hard hats on. This is a blue collar sport – the kind of fight that could happen in any inner city – except now I’m from Philly and he’s from Youngstown. Kelly comes in and throws the hammer down and it’s my job to take that away from him.



“Pavlik has fought three times against fighters that I know of – Miranda and (Jermain) Taylor (twice). I don’t know any of the others. But I have nothing bad to say about Kelly Pavlik.”

Well, there is more press to do for the bout, so maybe later in the tour, Hopkins will look to get inside the younger man’s head, with some incendiary talk.



“This fight is about two guys,” Hopkins said. “One guy is coming forward and the other guy is looking to do his thing and that spells action.”


Pavlik’s trainer, Paver Jack Loew, has become known for his ability to traffic skillfully in pre-fight trash talk. He promised his guy would do what Clinton Mitchell, Roy Jones, Jermain Taylor, and Calzaghe had been unable to do in their successful efforts against Hopkins: stop him.

“This is a great opportunity being able to fight a guy like Bernard Hopkins,” Loew said. “This fight will take Kelly to another level. He’s a great fighter, but on October 18 it will come to an end for Bernard Hopkins. It is over for him.”


The humble Pavlik was more chill in his take on the upcoming showdown with the all-time great.

“I want to fight the best,” Pavlik said. “People talk and ask about why I am fighting Bernard Hopkins. You’ve got a legend right here. I don’t know about Calzaghe – I guess I would have to shoot him in the foot to get him to stop running from me. All I can tell you is that I will train as hard as I can to get in the best shape that I can be in for Bernard Hopkins.”


Trainer Nazim Richardson said that Pavlik’s style will be good for his client. “This guy comes to fight and that is good for Bernard Hopkins,” Richardson said. “John David Jackson will be supporting me in this fight. When you look at Bernard Hopkins, you are looking at a legend and you have to respect him for that. He has been through the wars and the fires. He has never been cut and has never been beat up.”

Until now.

How about it, TSS Universe. Will Hopkin’s glorious run end badly, with a beatdown? Or can he summon all his wily techniques and massive reserve of will, and pull off an upset in AC?


Promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City, Pavlik vs. Hopkins will take place Saturday, October 18 at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. The fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The fight will be contested at 170 pounds.

Tarver, Calzaghe, Trinidad, Jones, all except Calzaghe are good punchers, all were expected to stop Hopkins, but none of them dropped, or even hurt Hopkins in their fights.

The only one with Pavlik's power is Tarver and that is debateable. Non of them have his heart , conditioning and jab.

How can you quantify his heart against Calzaghe's? Or RJJ's? RJJ had to be knocked out to stop fighting against Tarver and Glen Johnson. Also Calzaghe has a way better jab then PAvlik, who doens't even have that good of a jab. What about Winky Wright... He has the best jab in the sport, and he could barely land it on Hopkins. Same with Oscar and his jab. Or Jermain Taylor who has a way better jab then Pavlik's its faster, and lands harder.

lets ask Jermain who got the better jab. Kelly is going to wake the haters up, with this one.

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Originally Posted by mexirican

lets ask Jermain who got the better jab. Kelly is going to wake the haters up, with this one.

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I give the jab category to Jermain, but that's a whole other story..

Hopkin's is an amazing fighter, and during the Calzaghe fight he could've won, but did absolutely nothing the second half of the fight..

I actually DO see Pavlik stopping Hopkins.. to beat Pavlik you have to be one of two things.. and those are 1.) tougher than him and just slug it out with him (ex: Miranda's attempt) or 2.) a superior boxer with elite defensive skills (possibly winky wright.. but for an example, i'd say the way Taylor fought the second fight.. very well defensively)

I'm not saying that Pavlik may not get caught with a signature Hopkins counter right and get flash KD'd, but when you look at how Hopkins fought in the Calzaghe fight, it almost seems clear that Kelly will succeed.. Remember the early rounds of the fight where Calzaghe was apprehensive to even breathe.. I don't see Kelly being scared at all, i see him just coming straight forward fearless.. and remember the second half of the fight when calzaghe was finally connecting.. well if Kelly connects, and he will, I don't see Hopkins taking it too well..

Hopkin's has fought elite level fighters constantly, but taking his age into consideration, when you compare him to the other fighters saying that they didn't KO him, so Kelly wouldn't, you really have to compare them a little closer.. Roy Jones fought him so long ago that it's hard to put him in this comparison.. even still there WERE some guys that RJJ did not KO at that time, regardless of that fact that he was a KO machine (ex: james toney) Calzaghe is not a big puncher, DLH hit's hard but was the smaller guy..Winky's not a big puncher.. the main guy that i see with as good of a chance to KO hopkins would have been Taylor.. I think that Kelly, even at a higher weight, will be bringing into the ring a mixture of constant workrate and power that BHop won't be able to handle.. BHop will disrupt Kelly's rhythm and make him uncomfortable.. probably headbutt him and cut him.. maybe knock him down, but i don't see him getting out of a 12 round fight with Pavlik.

Pavlik is good and i respect his game but Hopkins will make him look real bad and might even beat him, Hopkins made Calzaghe miss very often and he has much faster hands and footwork than Pavlik, Pavliks jab won't be a factor as Hopkins always takes a best fighters weapons away from them, in his fight with Wright, wright didn't have a jab, it wasn't even a factor.

Another thing is Pavliks power WILL NOT be as good at 170 as it was at 160, One fight that Pavlik hadabove the middleweight limit it went the distance. Pavlik is a accumulation puncher, he doesn't have one punch power and he will have to land frequently on Hopkins to hurt or stop him and that just won't happen, Hopkins won't let it happen.

Personally i see the judges giving the fight to Pavlik if it is close and it will be close because he is the rising undefeated star, why would the judges give the fight to a past it 43 year old veteran.

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Originally Posted by Taeth

Tarver, Calzaghe, Trinidad, Jones, all except Calzaghe are good punchers, all were expected to stop Hopkins, but none of them dropped, or even hurt Hopkins in their fights.

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Felix Trinidad is a Welterweight..........

Joe Calzaghe can't punch anymore........

Roy Jones broke his hand against Bernard Hopkins and couldn't release any of his big shots and fought cautious fight as did both men.........

I wouldn't really class Antonio Tarver as a big puncher just because he KO'ed a shot Roy Jones remember before the fight no one classed him as a real big hitter im not saying he is a bad puncher he can hit but not someone who i would class as heavy handed and even if you do think Antonio Tarver is a big puncher he never landed any good shots on Bernard Hopkins because he was dominated......

The only fighter out of the ones you mentioned who really hit Bernard Hopkins with good shots was Felix Trinidad and that was only in one round when Bernard Hopkins decided to go toe to toe.......

Plus remember Felix Trinidad is a natural Welterweight and Bernard Hopkins is naturally much bigger.

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Originally Posted by RP33

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Originally Posted by mexirican

lets ask Jermain who got the better jab. Kelly is going to wake the haters up, with this one.

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I give the jab category to Jermain, but that's a whole other story..

Hopkin's is an amazing fighter, and during the Calzaghe fight he could've won, but did absolutely nothing the second half of the fight..

I actually DO see Pavlik stopping Hopkins.. to beat Pavlik you have to be one of two things.. and those are 1.) tougher than him and just slug it out with him (ex: Miranda's attempt) or 2.) a superior boxer with elite defensive skills (possibly winky wright.. but for an example, i'd say the way Taylor fought the second fight.. very well defensively)

I'm not saying that Pavlik may not get caught with a signature Hopkins counter right and get flash KD'd, but when you look at how Hopkins fought in the Calzaghe fight, it almost seems clear that Kelly will succeed.. Remember the early rounds of the fight where Calzaghe was apprehensive to even breathe.. I don't see Kelly being scared at all, i see him just coming straight forward fearless.. and remember the second half of the fight when calzaghe was finally connecting.. well if Kelly connects, and he will, I don't see Hopkins taking it too well..

Hopkin's has fought elite level fighters constantly, but taking his age into consideration, when you compare him to the other fighters saying that they didn't KO him, so Kelly wouldn't, you really have to compare them a little closer.. Roy Jones fought him so long ago that it's hard to put him in this comparison.. even still there WERE some guys that RJJ did not KO at that time, regardless of that fact that he was a KO machine (ex: james toney) Calzaghe is not a big puncher, DLH hit's hard but was the smaller guy..Winky's not a big puncher.. the main guy that i see with as good of a chance to KO hopkins would have been Taylor.. I think that Kelly, even at a higher weight, will be bringing into the ring a mixture of constant workrate and power that BHop won't be able to handle.. BHop will disrupt Kelly's rhythm and make him uncomfortable.. probably headbutt him and cut him.. maybe knock him down, but i don't see him getting out of a 12 round fight with Pavlik.

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Who besides Roy JOnes, who has landed clean shots on Hopkins consistently? IN the last 5 years who has landed a lot of clean effective punches on Hopkins? Taylor had a tough time, Calzaghe had a tough time and those punch stat numbers were absolute bullshit.

Bernard walked through every single punch Tarver landed who is the hardest puncher at 175. People are making Pavlik's power out to be something its not, he has foughten a lot of weak competition, and way smaller guys, and the one time he KO'ed Taylor, it was because Taylor was totally gased and it was a beautiful punch he didn't see. Taylor came back and took everything Pavlik had to give in the second fight. As for Miranda's chin we saw what happened against Abraham.

I never mentioend WInky or Oscar would knock Hopkins out, obviously they were smaller and didn't hit very hard for a middlewieght(Winky didn't hit hard at any weight), but they have way better jabs then Pavlik.

And for your two things that are needed to beat Pavlik, Hopkins is absolutely the second one. Beside Mayweather he has as good of a defense as anyone(way up there with Winky), but more importantly he is the best at negating an opponent offense. Calzaghe is much faster then Pavlik and puts a much more intense pressure on an opponent then Pavlik does which you will see when HOpkins fights him.

Also people are counting in Hopkins' power. He will hit Pavlik harder because he will land cleaner then any opponent Pavlik has faced up until now. Miranda was probably the hardest hitter at middleweight, but he had not snap on his punches, adn they were easy to see. Hopkins is the best person in the pros and hiding his right hand.

If you look at Taylor before he fought Hopkins he was throwing tons of punches he was pressure boxer who threw a lot of punches, but Hopkins brought those punch figures down to 1/2 what they were before the two fought.

I feel Hopkins got a second wind against Calzaghe, and 2 of the last 3 rounds. Sure the low blow helped, but I am not saying that Pavlik won't beat Hopkins down because of Hopkins' inactivity, thats why he has lost the fights he has since the Roy JOnes fight, and I have Pavlik winning this fight as often as losing it, but it will be a close, low activity fight with Hopkins dictating the fight more then he was able to against Winky or Calzaghe who used a lot of foot movement to keep up with him.

Pavlik is a good champion, but Hopkins is a ATG, and don't forget that. Remember what Monzon did when he was older, what Robinson did, what Foreman did, why Moore did, remember what Hopkins has done in his last 3 fights.

I'm a die hard boxing fan and it kills to see a fight like this happen cause you know that Pavlik has an edge cause of his age BHOP fight with his big ass head down i think he's gonna get KTFO and its sad cause he could of fought Kessler or waited a couple of months and fought Abraham or waited and fought Calzaghe. I Feel like Some boxers take fights for the name instead of taking the more dangerous fight, why not fight someone with the same skill?? And equal chance?? If he wins which is most likely people will just say BHOP was old and I just cant see Hopkins winning he's to old to hold that big head up now