BOXING Pavlik's record improves after KO

The Youngstown middleweight needed less than two rounds to get the job done.
By BILL SULLIVAN
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
LIBERTY -- Undefeated middleweight boxer Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik was cornered just once Wednesday night and it wasn't by his veteran opponent, Rob Bleakley.
Pavlik dismissed the well-traveled Bleakley quickly, registering three knockdowns in less than a two-minute spell.
The Youngstown boxer knocked out the 31-year-old from Mitchell, Ind., at 1:56 of the second round at the Holiday Inn Metroplex.
After fighting his first 10 bouts on the road, Pavlik made his first home appearance and was cornered by his fans after the short, but thrilling knockout.
They demanded autographs on T-shirts made just for the night, got plenty of handshakes and took photographs and videos of their new boxing idol.
Across the hall, Bleakley (77-23-2) had nothing but praise for Pavlik (11-0, with 11 knockouts).
After Pavlik controlled much of the first round, he landed a punch to just beat the bell and knock Bleakley to the canvas.
"It wasn't a dirty shot or nothing," Bleakley said of the punch to the solar plexus. "I just couldn't get going after that body shot.
"He got on me early and that's what he needed to do. He showed me more than I think most guys have. More than anybody has, to tell you the truth."
Pavlik seemed motivated by the early knockdown and charged the action to begin the second round.
A hard punch to the body sent Bleakley to the canvas midway through the period.
Jumped on him: "I went back to the corner and I knew I had him hurt," Pavlik said after the first-round knockdown. "I came out and took my shot. I just jumped on him. After that first round when I dropped him, I knew he was hurt."
A combination of punches to the body and the head put Bleakley down again and his corner threw in the towel just as the referee stopped the action at 1:56.
"I dropped him in the second with an overhand right to the head," Pavlik said. "Right there I knew I could hurt him either to the head or to the body.
"So when he got on the ropes, I worked upstairs and downstairs."
Bleakley quickly got up but knew the fight was over.
"I've never been stopped like that where it just wasn't even competitive," Bleakley said. "He came out and took the lead and never let up. I thought he did a great job, because I'm not a bum; I can fight."
Pavlik was thrilled not only by the knockout, but by the 2,000 fans who showed to see him in action.
"I'd rather fight here, every time like this, than out in Vegas," Pavlik said. "I'd fight back home in a heartbeat. Keep me here in Youngstown."
On the undercard, Joey Bullock of Campbell (6-1) knocked down Eddie Wisdom of Canada (3-5) in the final seconds of the first round of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.
Wisdom lost the second round and reported to the third with an ugly mouse under his right eye. Bullock used a straight right hand to knock out Wisdom at 1:20 of the third.
In the light heavyweight division, E.T. Whittaker of Warren rose to 23-5 with a unanimous six-round decision over Kenny Snow of Columbus (32-27).
Whittaker landed at least 15 consecutive punches at one point of the second round and won the fight on all three judges' cards by 60-54 scores.