By Chris Williams: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KO’s) has not been what many American boxing fans had been hoping for after winning the WBC/WBO middleweight titles three years ago over Jermain Taylor in 2007. Instead of taking on one tough opponent after another in exciting fights, Pavlik has opted for what appears to be easy money fights against the likes of Gary Lockett, Miguel Espino and Marco Antonio Rubio.

The one interesting opponent that Pavlik fought during the entire years that he’s held the middleweight titles was 44-year-old Bernard Hopkins, in a non-title match, and who promptly spanked Pavlik in beating him by a one-sided 12 round decision two years ago. Recently, boxing fans were excited finally at the chance of seeing Pavlik on the verge of fighting someone good in the form of Paul Williams, only to be disappointed when Pavlik had to cancel the fight because of a hand infection.

Pavlik’s hand then healed weeks later for him to fight the little known Espino, in another mismatch for Pavlik. Pavlik is now finally fighting someone good with his fight coming up on April 17th against light middleweight Sergio Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KO’s). It is disappointing that Pavlik has to fight a light middleweight rather than someone in his own weight class for him to fight an interesting opponent.

However, if this is the best that Pavlik’s team can come up with, I’m okay with it. Anything but another obscure opponent that just stands in front of Pavlik all night long, begging to be knocked out. If Pavlik is able to beat Martinez on April 17th, there is talk of Pavlik’s promotional team Top Rank, matching Pavlik with fighters like Winky Wright, John Duddy, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Lucian Bute or Paul Williams.

I would be happy if it was going to be a fight between Pavlik and Williams or Bute. But if history is any guide, I’m guessing we’ll see Pavlik matched against either Duddy , Chavez Jr. or Wright rather than the likes of Bute and Williams.

This is why I’m thinking it might not be a bad thing if Martinez beats Pavlik on the 17th of April. At least if Martinez gets the win, boxing fans would get a new champion and hopefully someone that was interested in taking on some tougher opponents that fans want to see. I think Martinez would be a great champion. He’s already fought Williams recently, losing a narrow 12 round decision last December. I thought Martinez won that fight, as I also felt he won the fight with Kermit Cintron last year.

That fight ended up being a 12 round draw. Martinez has an exciting crowd pleasing style of fighting, in which he both slugs and out-boxes his opponents. He’s like a power version of Floyd Mayweather Jr. I think he’d be a good middleweight champion for as long as he lasts. At 35, Martinez probably wouldn’t be able to hold down the middleweight titles for long without getting beat by someone, but I think he would be good enough to hold it down for at least three or four good fights before losing it.