Saturday, January 27, 2007
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik of Youngstown is hoping that his next fight will be for the WBC middleweight championship.
Pavlik, 24, the No. 2-ranked WBC middleweight who is promoted by Top Rank, remained undefeated Saturday night by stopping No. 8-ranked Jose Luis Zertuche, 33, of Leon, Mexico, on an eighth-round TKO in a nationally-televised HBO fight at The Honda Center.
Pavlik enjoyed a distinct height (6-feet-2, 1/2-inch) and reach (75 inches) advantages over Zertuche (5-10, 70 inches), and scored at will with continuous jabs and occasional left-right combinations to dominate the first seven rounds, including getting a knockdown in the seventh, and the early part of the eighth.
Then with 1:40 left in the eighth round, after Pavlik decked Zertuche with a combination, Zertuche was left defenseless in a corner and the referee to cease hostilities.
"Now I deserve my shot, at least I hope so," said Pavlik (30-0-27), who landed 238 punches to Zertuche's 92 according to HBO.
"He hit with me some good punches but nothing that [hurt me]," said Pavlik. "The first round I felt like I was in quicksand. The third and fourth rounds, I found my rhythm."
Several golden opportunities now could open up for Pavlik after his complete domination of Zertuche (19-4-2, 14 KOs), in Pavlik's first HBO fight set up by Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.
"Anybody who's in the way of me to get to the world title," said Pavlik, "I'll go and fight."
Pavlik, a Lowellville High graduate who is trained by Jack Loew at the Southside Boxing Club, next could advance to a stepping-stone bout to a WBC championship fight, or even secure a WBC championship bout with several potential opponents.