Did Pavlik want to give it up?

[Gandalf]

Pavlik definitely threw a lot less than what we are accustomed to. That was partly because of Martinez, but also partly because of something only Pavlik knows. You can understand him going into a bit of a shell in the round the punch was caused, but Pavlik threw very little in the final 4 rounds. It was extremely frustrating to watch and it did look like a different fighter than the one we have come to expect. I also didn't know until after the fight about the issues making weight. If he had remained active after Hopkins he might not have developed these issues, but you would have to think that being drained has its own effect upon punch output.

Martinez deserves all the praise, but I do think Pavlik was somewhat below par. No excuses this time though, he was in his own weight class and his opponent was a career 154 pounder.

[Majesty]

Pavlik definitely threw a lot less than what we are accustomed to. That was partly because of Martinez, but also partly because of something only Pavlik knows. You can understand him going into a bit of a shell in the round the punch was caused, but Pavlik threw very little in the final 4 rounds. It was extremely frustrating to watch and it did look like a different fighter than the one we have come to expect. I also didn't know until after the fight about the issues making weight. If he had remained active after Hopkins he might not have developed these issues, but you would have to think that being drained has its own effect upon punch output.

Martinez deserves all the praise, but I do think Pavlik was somewhat below par. No excuses this time though, he was in his own weight class and his opponent was a career 154 pounder.

I think it was because he used what he had in order to take those middle rounds when Martinez went into a second gear Pavlik didn't have one not to mention Martinez's punches landing on his face making him cover up so he couldn't really get off. For Pavlik to get off you have to be standing still and not moving, Martinez kept making him move.

[Gandalf]

I'm sure Martinez had the Williams fight in the back of his mind also. He really stepped it up just when he needed to and made it his fight. He took more risks, but everything was getting through likely because Pavlik was having issues with the cuts and the risk was minimised by Pavlik, like you say, not having a set target to unload upon.

You could always make excuses for Pavlik about the Hopkins fight, but this fight has shown it wasn't a one off and that Pavlik really is horribly flawed against anyone who won't remain a stationary target. His career looks to have seriously stalled. I struggle to see him handling 168 with any ease due to the quality there and if he has issues with weight then things are limited at 160 also. He mentioned the rematch clause which is fair enough and I can see the reasons for wanting to try again. But he really can't just come in and fight the same way again, it's not enough.

[El Kabong]

Kelly Pavlik is DONE.....if he fights Paul Williams he'll get KO'd and if he moves to 168 he's going to have big trouble even from the second teir fighters.

Pavlik never was a great BOXER but I think the main thing that hurt him was his psychological state...he's a beaten man right now

[TheMacMagician]

You know, early on Jack Lowe said something to him about not saying that, maybe 3 0r 4, and then something at the end of the ninth, and I really thought he looked to be really short of confidence, but at the end of the fight he seemed ok man, or putting on a good interview anyways. I just thought it was too much movement and too much speed. Martinez doesn't have a whole lot of variety, but what he does have he does well.....

On a side note, I think Williams will beat Martinez handily second time round. Martinez, after watching him again just doesn't have hardly any variety, jab, right hook and straight left. I fancy Williams to figure that better second time round. Even Pavlik and his team might figure that better second time round if they go for a rematch...

[skel1983]

If Pavlik carrys on he needs to drop that chump Loew utter shite trainer.

[holmcall]

Pavlik was very gracious after the fight and freely admitted he had been taken apart by the better man. He showed real class and may have won over some fans in losing. The thing is, however, that I believe I heard him say something between rounds that implied he was thinking of quiting. I hope not because if quit is in his DNA, he is in for some bad times. I don't see a rematch here--I see him moving up to Supermiddleweight where he has a decent shot of beating a few out there like Abraham and The Dane based on styles making fights, but he had better stay away from the likes of Ward, Dirrell, and especially Bute. He now needs to make serious decisons about his future. One more loss, and he is in dire straits career-wise. First thing I would do is get rid of my cut man. Second thing I'd do is work on my stance and ability to counter punch. Bottomline: Kelly Pavlik is no longer the next big thing in boxing. He still could be, but after Lockett, Old man Hopkins, Rubio, the terribly mismatched Espino, and now this loss to a super fighter whose uinusual style was no big secret coming in, Pavlik is badly in need of life support. That is all.

[El Kabong]

I think Kelly Pavlik could learn a lot from a better trainer.....but breaking it off with Loew right now what with his wife having died not long ago....that would suck, but to continue on Kelly is going to have to fix some things with or without Loew.

Kelly has to box better, utilize height and reach, and not rely 100% on KO power.

Just imagine if Kelly fought a counter puncher with big time power.....he'd get demolished! He has to prepare for that very scenario and it's best to prepare for it right now because it'll be too late when he's KO'd.

The way Pavlik has fought above 160 has me thinking these guys would definently beat him: Abraham, Bute, Dirrell, Ward, Froch, and maybe Kessler depending on how he looks with a new trainer.

[The Fightfan]

When I turned the volume you can catch the tail end of him saying "f**king see s**t" I am inclined to believe he said " I can't f**king see s**t". All Jack Loew had in response for thrirty seconds was "Don't f**king say that"

[holmcall]

I think Jack Lowe told him, "not to say that" becuase if a doctor overhears a fighter saying he can't see, he (the doctor) can stop the fight.

[BoxingGorilla]

Good question.

I'd forgotten all about it until I opened the thread. Wanting to quit or saying he had nothing left are the only things that make sense, right?