Fantasy Fight: Kelly Pavlik vs Arthur Abraham

UltimateGround
1

This was one the hardcore fans unfortunately didn’t get. Would’ve been a slugfest.

Kelly Pavlik vs. Arthur Abraham — Prefight Breakdown

Era: 2008–09, at 160 lbs
Pavlik: WBC/WBO middleweight champion, tall, rangy pressure boxer-puncher
Abraham: IBF middleweight champion, compact, explosive counterpuncher with an elite high guard

The matchup

On paper, this is a fascinating size-and-volume vs. defense-and-explosiveness fight.

Pavlik’s biggest advantage is his physical dimensions. He was a naturally big middleweight who fought tall behind a long jab and straight right hand. His signature approach was to establish distance, walk opponents backward, and gradually overwhelm them with combinations. He had already stopped Jermain Taylor twice and Edison Miranda, establishing himself as one of the division’s major punchers.

Abraham presents a completely different problem. He was exceptionally compact and difficult to hit cleanly when he shelled up behind his gloves. Instead of matching an opponent punch-for-punch, Abraham was comfortable waiting, absorbing shots on his arms and gloves, and then exploding with hooks and straight punches when an opening appeared.

2 Likes
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I say this everytime pavliks name is brought up but I was living/hiding out in the Youngstown area right before the bhop fight and it was the worst I’ve ever despised a local fan base and the happiest I ever been to see a local hero decimated

Miserable white trash laid off auto and steel workers with nothing else to root for .

Fuck ohio

I

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So you pick Abraham?

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Dagis> ohioans always so yes

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Abraham is Armenian lol

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Abrahams problem was work rate, he was strong but Kelly was a big 160 and tough.

Kelly wins. I’d pick Golovkin to beat both of them. Possible that Golovkin was in Germany during the Abraham and Sturm reign but it would’ve been early in his Pro career.

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This. I loved Abraham, loved when he beat the shit out of the Miranda guy. Was not a huge fan of Kelly, just never seemed exciting. But Kelly is too big, too tall, too strong, too long. Pops Abraham all night long, never in any kind of risk.

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I’ll take pavlik in this one, he was a fun tough cunt

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I got Abe because Pavlik had a shaky chin and was a drunk lol. He wouldn’t be able to avoid Abe’s power for 12 rounds