Taylor-Pavlik: Look For Jermain To Defeat Kelly

By Manuel Perez: This Saturday night, former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) attempts to regain his world titles against unbeaten champion Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. For many people, they seem to be backing the 25 year-old Pavlik to once again stop Taylor in a similar fashion as last time. I don’t agree with them, however. I’ve re-watched the fight several times in the past week, and after viewing it a second and third times, I now see that Taylor was well on his way to winning the fight, even without the near knockout of Pavlik in the 2nd round.

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Kelly Pavlik vs Jermain Taylor

KELLY PAVLIK : “I know Taylor wants redemption, he’s a competitor, but that may be his downfall. I can tell he is more intent on beating me than on winning the fight and believe me, there is a difference in those philosophies. This fight is my sole focus. I’ve been watching more tape than I usually do. Jack and I have been working on correcting the mistakes I made in the last fight — I won’t be sticking my chin out in this fight. The rematch is going to be tough, but I think he has a lot more to correct than I do. I’m having my best training camp ever. Winning the title has added extra motivation to me. It has spurred me to raise my performance to another level…a level I have never experienced before..”

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Jermain Taylor: Defeat To Pavlik a “Wake-Up Call”

By Eric Schmidt: Since losing his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Organization middleweight championship last September 29th, by 7th round TKO to undefeated knockout artist Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) at the Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) has made a lot of changes to avoid that happening again, starting with signing on for their rematch to be fought at 166 lbs rather than 160 lbs, giving Taylor a little more power with which to work against Pavlik. Previously, Taylor, 29, had complained that having to strip down to 160 lbs had weakened him to the point where he wasn’t at his full strength.

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Pavlik-Taylor: Does Jermain Have a Plan B?

By Chris Thomas: With little more than two weeks to go before the big showdown between former World Boxing Council/World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) and new middleweight WBO/WBC middleweight champion undefeated Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada, many fans are wondering what Taylor, 29, will be able to do differently this time to change the outcome.

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Duddy vs. Pavlik On June 7th

According to the latest news from the boxing world, undefeated WBC/WBO middleweight Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) will be defending both his middleweight titles against John Duddy (23-0, 17 KOs) on June 7th, in Madison Square Garden. Though Pavlik has a bout before then, a rematch with former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Jermain Taylor on February 16th, whom he defeated by 7th round TKO on September 29th, 2007, this bout will be a non-title fight, since Taylor wanted the fight to take place at a higher weight of 166 lbs.

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Will Taylor Be Improved For His Rematch With Pavlik?

taylor4464444.jpgWith the rematch fast approaching for former middleweight Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) against undefeated knockout artist Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) on February 16, at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the big question is whether the 29 year-old Taylor will have a better game plan this time around to counteract Pavlik’s slugging style and knockout power. To be sure, last time around, Taylor played directly into Pavlik’s hands by going right at him, trying to match him punch for punch and attempting to out-slug a known slugger.

Even then, Taylor, a vastly talented fighter, came within an eyelash of knocking Pavlik out in the 2nd round when he dropped him with a series of huge, lightning fast shots. However, in doing so, Taylor got a little over anxious and punching himself out while trying to score the knockout.

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Pavlik Eager To Face Taylor

pavlik54443445.jpgIn a recent press conference, WBO/WBC middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik said that he’s looking forward to his rematch with former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in a PPV fight at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, on February 16th. Last time out, Pavlik destroyed Taylor, stopping him in the 7th round of their bout in September. This time, the fight will be held at 166 lbs, at Taylor’s request. The added weight likely won’t make much of a difference in the ultimately outcome as both fighters technically way the same weight while not in training, so it will pretty much a non factor. “You know what’s going to happen next fight.

I”m going to be in there throwing a lot of punches and trying to make Jermain fight,” Pavlik said. Making it no secret, just like last time, Pavlik is promising to come directly at Taylor and force him to exchange punches with him. It’s a strategy that served Pavlik well, as his handspeed and boxing ability aren’t on par with Tayor, and if he were to stay on the outside, Taylor would likely out-box him and earn a 12-round decision. Taylor made it easy for Pavlik last time out because he didn’t even try to box him, as if he were attempting to beat Pavlik at his own game. It wasn’t the smartest thing to do, as it turned out.

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Pavlik vs. Duddy In June?

According to ESPN, undefeated middleweight John Duddy (23-0, 17 KOs) may possibly be going up against World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs), if Pavlik has his wish granted. Pavlik’s promoter, Bob Arum, said “We’re looking at defending against Duddy in June.” Before then, Pavlik has a rematch scheduled with former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in January, but most expect Pavlik to come out on top as he did in the first fight when he stopped Taylor in the 7th round. For his part, Duddy, 28, has a fight scheduled with Matt Vanda in February, but that’s a bout that Duddy will likely win easily.

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Taylor Pavlik: “This is the most important fight of my career” – Jermain

taylor435543234644.jpgFormer WBO/WBC middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (27-1, 17 KOs) will be in the fight of his life on February 16th when he fights unbeaten knockout artist Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Taylor, 30, has a tremendous amount of pressure on him at this stage of his career, coming off a 7th round TKO loss to the 25 year-old Pavlik.

To date, it’s been almost three years since Taylor last looked good, at that time stopping middleweight prospect Daniel Edouard in the 3rd round. Though Taylor likes to blame his pedestrian performances on his opponents’ – Bernard Hopkins, Kassim Ouma, Cory Spinks, Winky Wright and Kelly Pavlik – style, the fact remains that Taylor has seemingly regressed as a fighter. Whether that be because of age or due to a mental slump, it’s unknown. What is clear, however, is that Taylor looks nothing like he did in the early part of his career.

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Pavlik Given OK By Doctors To Fight Taylor

Undefeated World Boxing Council/World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) has reportedly been given the ok to begin training for his rematch with Jermain Taylor on February 16th at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the latest boxing news. Pavlik, 25, was recently badly injured while replacing a window at his house, an injury that required multiple stitches in his arms, enough that it was thought that his bout with Taylor might have to be canceled or pushed back to a later date. As it is, Pavlik is ready to go, his doctor said.

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