East Side Boxing
Aug 10 2008

Pavlik vs. Abraham: Who wins?
By Ted Sares:

Abraham is going to be shocked in his American debut.

–Edison Miranda

I want to fight the best. People talk and ask about why I am fighting
Bernard Hopkins. You’ve got a legend right here. I don’t know about
Calzaghe ` I guess I would have to shoot him in the foot to get him to
stop running from me. 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 ` for Bernard
Hopkins.

–Kelly Pavlik:

Boxing is dangerous.

–Arthur Abraham

Someone’s `O` must go if these two meet in a big-money showdown,
assuming, of course, they get by Bernard Hopkins and the very capable
Raul Marquez, respectively, in October. Of course, the bigger
assumption is they will face off against one another even if they both
win.

Arthur `King Arthur’ Abraham, whose real name is Avetik Abrahamyan, is
an Armenian born middleweight who fights for Germany and carries duel
citizenship. His record is 27-0 and he has a KO percentage of
81.48. Germany fell in love with him when he had his jaw broken in two
places against Edison Miranda but continued to fight despite being in
great pain. He could not close his mouth and there was blood running
down his chin. Still, Abraham toughed it out and won. He was spitting
blood, swallowing blood, and seemingly not giving a damn–and that`s
when the love affair with German fans commenced.

Fighting mostly in Germany, `The King’ has been an equal opportunity
brutalizer beating tough Americans, Australians, fellow-Armenians,
Colombians, Canadians, Ghanaians, Nigerians, Slovakians, Argentineans,
Uruguayans, fighters from Guyana and the U.K, Poles, Heck, in his
first bout, he even beat a German. His recent slaughter of `Pantera’
was his American debut and it quickly put him on the radar as an
exciting and fan friendly fighter.

Abraham is extremely strong who, while an economic puncher who starts
slowly and sometimes gives the false impression of fighting
uninspired, launches sudden and explosive bursts that are pure
malicious in their intent. His left hook can stop any middleweight (as
his recent icing of Miranda and his 12th round KO of American Elvin
Ayala showed) and his body work is both punishing and relentless.

Pavlik

By now, the incoming pressure style of orthodox bomber Kelly Pavlik
(34-0 with a KO percentage of 88.24) has been well chronicled. How his
strong straight right (which often follows his long jab as a lethal
one-two) will fare against Abraham remains to be seen. `The Ghost’ has
never fought anyone like Arthur. Jermain Taylor was/is a strong
orthodox boxer with a solid jab, fast hands, and a total command of
ring skills. Edison Miranda was/is a bomber who was dismantled by
Pavlik, but who gave Abraham fits in their first fight, albeit with
multiple head butts, low blows and other assorted mayhem.

Both Hopkins and Marquez will be tough tests for these two
Champions. But I see Pavlik getting by Hopkins in an ugly fight (does
Hopkins engage in any other kind?) and Abraham brutally stopping the
aging Marquez on cuts.

Who wins?

Both have brutal power, solid chins, and have fought excellent
opposition, but like Margorito-Cotto (or even the scheduled
Katsidis-Diaz fight), the classic paradox of an immovable object
meeting an irresistible force may well be present. I see `The
Ghost’maintaing his composure, applying more pressure, being busier
and even hurting Arthur with his patented right. Whether he can take
him out, however, is questionable (if not doubtful) since Abraham is
extremely durable and covers up very well. A close UD for Pavlik seems
the more likely scenario, but if Arthur should floor Kelly like Taylor
did, the fight will end because Abraham does not let his opponents off
the hook.

Yes, someone’s `O’ will go (unless it’s a draw) and if the fight is in
either Atlantic City or Las Vegas, I believe it will be Arthur
Abraham’s undefeated record that will be marred. But if, somehow, the
fight takes place in Germany, I see the opposite happening. Normally,
I don’t place that much importance on location, but this fight is
excruciatingly difficult to call (at least for me).

Caveat

How Abraham and Pavlik perform in their October bouts can change the
above analysis, which is another way of saying Pavlik and Abraham
should get it on now..