Pavlik - Hopkins on 10/18/08 per Bob Arum

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This would be big...

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=349444 8

Pavlik-Hopkins fight slated for Oct. 18, promoter says
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: July 17, 2008, 8:23 PM ET
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Unable to secure a meaningful opponent to wage a middleweight championship defense against in the fall, Kelly Pavlik will move up in weight and face former light heavyweight champion and middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com Thursday.

Arum said he and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer struck a deal Thursday for the nontitle fight, which will take place Oct. 18 on HBO PPV at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

Pavlik, 26, will move up 10 pounds and face Hopkins at 170 pounds, five under the light heavyweight limit, Arum said.

"There's a deal, but there are a few details to be tied up," Arum said. "But the fight is happening."

Since Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs), who was in Hawaii preparing for his wedding on Friday to the mother of his daughter, blew out Gary Lockett in three lopsided rounds in his first title defense at Boardwalk Hall on June 7, Arum has run through numerous potential opponents.

There were talks for a fight with Joe Calzaghe (which would have taken place at super middleweight), Marco Antonio Rubio, Randy Griffin, Sergio Mora, Paul Williams and Winky Wright. For various reasons, none panned out, leaving Arum to turn to the 43-year-old Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs), who lost the light heavyweight title to Calzaghe on a split decision on April 19.

Arum and Schaefer had briefly discussed the fight a few weeks ago, but they couldn't come to terms. When the fight was revisited, they agreed to split the revenue 50-50, Arum said.

"This fight was not our first choice, but it was the only alternative we had to make a buck," Arum said. "We didn't have any place to go except a pay-per-view card. At least it will do halfway decent numbers. We turned it down once. It came back around and we accepted it."

Schaefer was traveling and unavailable for comment.

"Kelly isn't thrilled with the fight, but one of the incentives he has is that if he's going to fight Calzaghe after Calzaghe fights Roy Jones, it will be 168 pounds anyway. So it gets him ready for that fight."

Jack Loew, who has trained Pavlik since he began boxing as a kid, said he likes the matchup.

"Bernard is really a middleweight, he's not a light heavyweight," Loew said. "I think 170 pounds is fine for us. Bernard will be strong, but I know what we have to work on. I'm fine with Bernard Hopkins. I think it will be good fight. We're fighting a legend. He's experienced and he's an old veteran. He knows all the tricks and Bernard is a survivor. I think he's a great fighter and it will be an honor for us to fight him."

Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.
 
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I hope one of the boxing media asks Hopkins, "Will you allow this white boy to beat you?"
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I do not like to see Kelly fluctuating with his weight so much. 166 for this fight. 160 for this one, 170 for that one. That is the way you ruin a fighter. That said. Kelly will stop Hopkins. I will bet the bank on that. Too high of a workrate. (Like Joes, only kelly sits on his punches more). In fact, this fight has the chance for a real highlight real Knockout. Especially when Hopkins starts to fade in the later rounds.Edited by: aussieaussie31
 

guest301

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So Hopkins wants to get beat down by another White man. I think Pavlick is more dangerous as far as power is concerned than Calazage was to Hopkins. He's in for a beatdown. But I would take a beatdown for a few million more to take into my retirement.
 

white is right

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Kukulcan said:
I hope one of the boxing media asks Hopkins, "Will you allow this white boy to beat you?"
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I would ask him what sauce does he like with crow.....
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whiteathlete33

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Hopkins is going to hold the whole fight. Ill bet anything on that one. The same thing he did to Calzaghe with the holding. Pavlik is a much stronger puncher than Calzaghe but not the same speed.
 

white is right

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Expect an ugly mauling fight, where Hopkins tries to do what he did with Trinidad, Joe C and Wright. The problem for Hopkins is Pavlik is too young and hard hitting for this negative style to work.
 

web toughguy

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I think this is a dangerous fight for pavlik the ex jailbird is a top level boxer.
He knows all the tricks legal angd ilegal but i think the white american will win.
his youth and power will see him througth by the 10th round in a spectacular knockout for all his brothers to view in the ghetto would be very enjoyable to gloat over. If you think that sounds racist then you should understand nearly all blacks gloat when whites lose in caste matches.Edited by: web toughguy
 

whiteathlete33

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there is nothing i would like to see more than Popkins get knocked out. He claims to have won the Calzaghe fight so this time if he gets knocked out he can't tell stories. Popkins is as big time gangster as was seen when he was crying like a girl about a so called low blow by Calzaghe. This time he wont have to talk all gangsta. He will lose by KO>
 

pt.guard2

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Apparently, Hopkins has a healthy respect for Pavlik....at least right now. We will see if he decides to say anything inflammatory to hype the fight as time goes on.....

http://www.vindy.com/news/2008/aug/05/pavlik-hopkins-share-m utual-respect/?newswatch


Pavlik, Hopkins share mutual respect

Published:Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Vindicator staff report

So far, Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik have saved their jabs for the ring.

Appearing at back-to-back press conferences in New York and Philadelphia Tuesday, "The Executioner" and "The Ghost" had plenty of praise for each other â€â€￾ and predictions for their Oct. 18 fight 18 in Atlantic City.

"I'm a boxing fan and I am a fan of Kelly Pavlik," said the 43-year-old Hopkins. "I am a fan of Pavlik because he became a champion the right way. Not because of politics, but because he came up through the ranks and beat them all.

"I know what makes a good fight, but I never thought I would be fighting him. Kelly has a lot of heart and determination, but saying that, I've never been afraid of a ghost."

Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs) ruled the middleweight division for a decade before losing his titles in 2005 to Jermain Taylor. Although he's lost three of his last five bouts â€â€￾ including a split decision to super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe in April â€â€￾ Pavlik still considers him a dangerous fighter.

"I want to fight the best," said Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs). "People talk and ask about why I am fighting Bernard Hopkins. You've got a legend right here."

The non-title bout will be fought at 170 pounds â€â€￾ 10 more than the middleweight limit â€â€￾ and will be on HBO pay-per-view.

"This fight will take Kelly to another level," said Pavlik's trainer, Jack Loew. "He's a great fighter, but on October 18 it will come to an end for Bernard Hopkins. It is over for him."

Hopkins' longtime trainer, Freddie Roach, recently said he wanted Hopkins to retire and is worried he could get hurt against the 26-year-old Pavlik, who has more power than some of Hopkins' recent opponents.

Hopkins, who has never been knocked out, said he expects to win the fight.

"I believe I'm coming into this fight as the winner," he said. "People know me and boxing people know me and they know I'm a threat against anyone. I am willing to say that I am coming into this fight to win.

"When we get into the ring, it will just be me and him â€â€￾ and that means it is 50-50."

Although Hopkins isn't the fighter he once was, he was able to floor Calzaghe in the first round of their bout and is still a good enough boxer to cause fits for Pavlik. He said he has a simple strategy against Pavlik.

"Kelly comes in and throws the hammer down and it's my job to take that away from him," he said. "This is a blue-collar fight. It's like two guys working on a pier and get in a fight. It's two guys fighting with their hard hats on. This is a blue collar sport, the kind of fight that could happen in any inner city â€â€￾ except now I'm from Philly and he's from Youngstown.

"This fight is about two guys. One guy is coming forward and the other guys is looking to do his thing and that spells action."

Added Hopkins' trainer, Nazim Richardson, "Bernard Hopkins has been through the wars and the fires. He has never been cut and has never been beat up."

A Pavlik victory could set up a lucrative bout against Calzaghe, or a middleweight unification bout against IBF champion Arthur Abraham. When asked about Calzaghe, Pavlik said he wasn't sure what would happen.

"I guess I would have to shoot him in the foot to get him to stop running from me," Pavlik said. "All I can tell you is that I will train as hard as I can to get in the best shape that I can be in â€â€￾ for Bernard Hopkins."
 

whiteathlete33

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Looks like the racist pig Hopkins is watching what he says because last time he opened his mouth it backfired on him.
 

celticdb15

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Freddie Roach Hopkins ex trainer refused to train Hopkins for this fight. Today on Jim Rome it had his voice saying he would not accept because Bernard went to the oppsite corner 4 times during that fight. Kelly Pavlik ko in round 4!!!
 
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I am still scratching my head as to the reason why Kelly took this fight. It will mean little if he doesn't go out and outright destroy Bopkins. The boxing media and to a certain extent I also believe that if Kelly wins so what, he beat a 43 old man on the down side of his career.

If Kelly struggles or God forbid loses,he will be cruxified by the media for not beating the 43 old man. Bopkins will not fight him again and Kelly will have a loss to a Hall of Famer with no chance of revenge. Kelly must be super confident that he has no chance of losing. I would have never taken this fight will very little up side.

He should have gone to Germany and fought Felix Sturm for another "soft touch" before his showdown with King Aurther.
 

celticdb15

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Lets not talk about a loss, if Kelly is confident, i am confident in him.
 

Charles Martel

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whiteathlete33 said:
Yea this is a stupid fight. I mean Hopkins is almost 20 years older. A loss would be devastating for Kelly.

I agree. If he wins, he won't be given credit because Hopkins is so old. If he loses, he'll be laughed at forever.

Still, I want to see Pavlik become the first to KO Hopkins.
 

Amren.com

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Kukulcan said:
I am still scratching my head as to the reason why Kelly took this fight. It will mean little if he doesn't go out and outright destroy Bopkins. The boxing media and to a certain extent I also believe that if Kelly wins so what, he beat a 43 old man on the down side of his career.

If Kelly struggles or God forbid loses,he will be cruxified by the media for not beating the 43 old man. Bopkins will not fight him again and Kelly will have a loss to a Hall of Famer with no chance of revenge. Kelly must be super confident that he has no chance of losing. I would have never taken this fight will very little up side.

He should have gone to Germany and fought Felix Sturm for another "soft touch" before his showdown with King Aurther.

There's probably a lot of money to be made (this is going to be a PPV) and although Hopkins is 43 he is still ranked very high (higher than Pavlik) on many p4p rankings.
 

JD074

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I don't think that it will be so disastrous if he loses a close decision or struggles. Consider the facts:

-Many people (in the media and among fans) believe that Hopkins beat Calzaghe, the #2 best P4P fighter in the world. He's still a highly respected fighter.

-Hopkins is considered a defensive genius

-In his 40's, Hopkins beat Tarver and Wright, and "narrowly" lost to Calzaghe, so his age is relatively unimportant.

-Pavlik is moving up two divisions to fight a guy who is much more experienced at LHW

If Pavlik can win decisively- not necessarily by KO, but convincingly and not controversially- people will be very impressed. This will be a very good win and not a very bad loss- unless he gets dominated and knocked out. If he were to lose a close decision in an ugly, awkward fight, he can just go back down to 160 and try to knock out Abraham, Wright, or Sturm. It would be bad, but not that bad.
 

whiteathlete33

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Losing to Hopkins would be devastating. Hopkins is extremely overrated. If he were white he wouldn't be considered the #2 guy at light heavyweight. He is a dirty fighter and an overall rotten person. Hopkins is old and shoulnd't even get this fight with Pavlik. I know the fight makes sense are far as marketability but I still don't like it. Tarver and Wright aren't as great as the media makes them out to be as well.
 
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The reason the fight is happening is that Kelly couldn't get a dance partner at the right time. I don't like the matchup, Kelly and his promoter admitted they don't like the matchup. But everyones fight card is filling up. Winky is a decent but way overrated fighter who will get old in his next fight. Tarver is a hot/cold fighter who doesn't give alot of action. And both of them are boring fighter. Sturm won't leave Germany. And Abraham, Calzaghe, RJJ, and even Chad Dawson all have fights coming up. Anyone else would be an almost unknown to the main public or a style that would not be likeable that I can think of. I still think that Arthur Abraham will need 1 maybe 2 more fights to get his name out more in the public for a middleweight fight. But the ultimate would be a Calzaghe-Pavlik fight. Until then, B-Hop is gonna have to take his whippin like a man!
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Hey guys there is a great article of Pavlik in the current edition of the Ring magazine. He outright expresses many our views on this site, like whites right now are dominating boxing. He was very frank and I commend him and that Ring Magazine for putting forth such an honest piece about him and the current state of boxing.
 

JD074

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whiteathlete33 said:
Losing to Hopkins would be devastating. Hopkins is extremely overrated.

Good! So if Pavlik gets beat, it will be against an opponent who the media and fans rate very highly. It would be bad, but not devastating. And if Pavlik wins, it will be against a highly respected, highly rated, "defensive genius" and future HOFer.

If he were white he wouldn't be considered the #2 guy at light heavyweight.

He beat the former top LHW, and lineal LHW champ, Antonio Tarver. Now Calzaghe is the top guy. I don't see the problem. Who should be #2? Perhaps Johnson, although he hasn't had a significant "official" win in four years. (I thought he beat Dawson, but he didn't get the decision, unfortunately.) I wouldn't put Dawson or Tarver ahead of Hopkins- nor Erdei, until he fights a meaningful fight, for a change.
Edited by: JD074
 

whiteathlete33

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JD074 said:
whiteathlete33 said:
Losing to Hopkins would be devastating. Hopkins is extremely overrated.

Good! So if Pavlik gets beat, it will be against an opponent who the media and fans rate very highly. It would be bad, but not devastating. And if Pavlik wins, it will be against a highly respected, highly rated, "defensive genius" and future HOFer.

If he were white he wouldn't be considered the #2 guy at light heavyweight.

He beat the former top LHW, and lineal LHW champ, Antonio Tarver. Now Calzaghe is the top guy. I don't see the problem. Who should be #2? Perhaps Johnson, although he hasn't had a significant "official" win in four years. (I thought he beat Dawson, but he didn't get the decision, unfortunately.) I wouldn't put Dawson or Tarver ahead of Hopkins- nor Erdei, until he fights a meaningful fight, for a change.

As I stated Jd Tarver is another overrated bum. I am suprised he has a belt. Anyways Calzaghe beat Hopkins and much of the media still thinks Hopkins won. Its a lose lose situation for Pavlik either way. The media always protects black athletes.
 
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