By Jim Dower: It’s funny how things work out sometimes. Former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KO’s) wanted no part in the Super Six tournament when it was first announced last year. In fact, Pavlik criticized it, saying “Let them beat each other up. Let them ruin their careers for peanuts.” I imagine Pavlik may be angry at himself for not taking part in the tournament, as he was recently defeated by Sergio Martinez and lost his two middleweight titles in the process. Instead of fighting interesting opponents in 2009, Pavlik had to settle for beating Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Espino.
In contrast, the Super Six tournament had the following fighters taking part: Andre Dirrell, Carl Froch, Andre Ward, Jermain Taylor, Mikkel Kessler and Arthur Abraham. Besides losing his two titles to Martinez, Pavlik has been experiencing weight gain in the past couple of months, making it difficult for him to make the 160 pound middleweight weight limit. Now, the 28-year-old Pavlik has little choice but to move up in weight to the super middleweight division. Pavlik will try his hand at that weight initially, but if he’s unable to find success at this weight limit, you can expect for him to quickly abandon it and move up in weight to the light heavyweight division.
Pavlik’s career hasn’t been the same since he was thrashed by Bernard Hopkins in a 12 round decision loss in 2008. Pavlik held onto this two titles at that time because his fight with Hopkins was held at 170 pound catch weight. Although he kept winning, beating Rubio and Espino, but those weren’t the wins that Pavlik needed in order to bring his career back to what it once was. Pavlik now can no longer make the middleweight limit and has little choice but to fight at super middleweight.
It’s too bad he didn’t make the decision last year, because he could be fighting in the Super Six tourney now and perhaps looking good and resurrecting his career. Pavlik, a good fighter at medium distance, is a poor fighter in close and his hand speed and defense are both poor. He’s crushing power but if his opponents don’t stand in front of him, he’s pretty harmless and unable to do much.
It’s debatable whether Pavlik would have much luck at super middleweight, but he should at least give it a good try before he gives up.
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