Kelly Pavlik Through The Years

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Aug 2, 2011

Kelly Pavlik Through The Years

May 19, 2007

Pavlik turned pro in 2000 and won his first 30 fights before meeting Edison Miranda in a WBC middleweight title eliminator at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

May 19, 2007

Pavlik took control of the fight in the sixth round, twice knocking Miranda to the canvas.

May 19, 2007

Referee Steve Smoger stopped the Miranda fight in the seventh. The victory established "The Ghost" as the WBC's No. 1 middleweight contender.

July 16, 2007

Pavlik poses in front of a locomotive train in Youngstown.

July 16, 2007

Pavlik, an everyman who's emerged as something of a rust-belt folk hero, poses in front of the abandoned Brier Hillworks Steel Mill.

July 16, 2007

Pavlik poses inside Youngstown's Southside Boxing Club.

Sept. 28, 2007

Pavlik gestures during the weigh-in for the first of his two fights with Jermain Taylor.

September 29, 2007

Pavlik met Taylor for the WBC and WBO middleweight titles at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall in 2007.

September 29, 2007

Pavlik was knocked down in the second, but rallied to turn the tide in the middle rounds.

September 29, 2007

Pavlik, still trailing on all three official scorecards, knocked out Taylor in the seventh round to capture the world middleweight championship.

September 29, 2007

Pavlik-Taylor I was named Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

December 11, 2007

Pavlik poses for photographers at the Times Square press conference to announce his rematch with Taylor.

February 16, 2008

Pavlik punches Taylor during the 11th round of their rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Though Pavlik was middleweight champion, their second meeting was a non-title bout.

February 16, 2008

Pavlik celebrates his unanimous-decision victory over Taylor.

January 16, 2008

Pavlik demonstrates a tire tip drill during a workout at the Ironman Warehouse in Youngstown.

January 17, 2008

Pavlik at poses at the Southside Boxing Club in Youngstown for a Sports Illustrated photo shoot.

January 17, 2008

Another shot from Pavlik's SI photo shoot at the Southside Boxing Club, where he's been trained by Jack Loew for his entire career.

January 17, 2008

Pavlik has endeared himself to boxing fans with his working-class hero image.

June 4, 2008

Pavlik made his first middleweight title defense against mandatory challenger Gary Lockett of Wales. Here, the two pose in the meat locker at Gallagher's Steak House in New York.

June 7, 2008

Lockett stumbles after being hit by Pavlik in the first round of their fight at Boardwalk Hall.

June 7, 2008

Pavlik celebrates after defeating Lockett by third-round TKO.

August 5, 2008

Pavlik listens during a press conference for his non-title bout with Bernard Hopkins.

October 18, 2008

Pavlik suffered the first loss of his career against the 43-year-old Hopkins, losing by lopsided decision.

February 21, 2009

Pavlik rebounded from the Hopkins disappointment with an easy title defense against mandatory contender Marco Antonio Rubio at the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown.

December 19, 2009

Later in 2009, Pavlik retained the title with a fifth-round TKO of mandatory contender Miguel Espino.

December 19, 2009

Pavlik celebrates after defeating Espino before a hometown crowd at the Beeghly Center on the campus of Youngstown State University.

April 17, 2010

Pavlik's reign as middleweight champion ended with last year's unanimous-decision loss to Sergio Martinez at Boardwalk Hall.

October 26, 2010

Pavlik holds up at Cleveland Browns jersey during a press luncheon at the New York Friars' Club to announce his fight against Brian Vera on the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito undercard. He'd later withdraw from the fight due to a rib injury suffered while training.

May 7, 2011

Returning to action after two stints in rehab, Pavlik outpointed Alfonso Lopez by a majority decision on the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley undercard in Las Vegas.

Kelly Pavlik Through The Years