Quote Originally Posted by The Fightfan View Post
Stale no. In awe no. Pure and simple Kelly Pavlik is not a light heavyweight. What happens to a man who is a puncher who moves up in weight to fight the naturally bigger man. Bob Foster moved up in weight and couldn't do a damn thing in the heavyweight's.The great Sugar Ray Robinson fought a mediocre Joey Maxim and lost he got tired from hitting the bigger man too much and had to quit. Kelly is a dominate middleweight and I totally disagree with what E-man and Lampley said about Abraham doing the same to Kelly. His next big fight should be against him and live on at middleweight until he's about 30 then move to the supermiddle's and lightheavies. Kelly got beat by a man who transformed before eyes in my opinion.Several month's back Bernard looked old and slow against Joe Calzaghe.This time he looked like the best he every has.
What does Sugar Ray Robinson punching himself out in extreme heat against Joey Maxim have to do with with Pavlik not being able to touch Hopkins? Kelly Pavlik definetly is a better middleweight than he is a super or higher at this point I would say... But why on earth is everyone suddenly suggesting he can't punch at 170? How can you put his failure down to his lack of power at the weight when he could hardly lay a glove on Hopkins the entire fight? I think he looked a bit flatter at the weight, but with his style it doesn't matter how hard he freaking hits, he wasn't going to beat Hopkins! For all we know he's very capable of KOing good super middles if he lands flush shots. Maybe he could have knocked Hopkins out with a short right hand. It doesn't matter when he couldn't land anything. He is going to have a whole lot of trouble doing so against slick fighters who can move unless he makes some real changes, if Hopkins were still comfortable making 160 we would have seen the same fight.