If you missed it: Pavlik blog round by round

The Vindicator's Joe Scalzo was in Memphis Saturday blogging on the Kelly Pavlik fight. He blogged round by round. Here's a rerun on his blog in its entirety:

For a photo gallery of the fight, click here.

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We’re about 45 minutes away from Kelly Pavlik’s “WBC Eliminator Fight” against Edison Miranda at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Pavlik’s fight will be the eighth fight of the night and the co-feature fight. WBC champion Jermain Taylor will fight Cory Spinks in the Main Event. This will be Spinks’ first fight as a middleweight.

Miranda is a slight favorite over Pavlik (at least according to the betting in Vegas) but most observers feel the fight could go either way. Few people expect it to go the distance. Both fighters are power punchers and both have been knocked down.

Final thoughts before the fight:

1. Taylor is staying at the Westin across the street from the FedEx Forum. How do I know this? Because his black Lamborghini is parked outside.

2. Man alive, there are a lot of homeless people in Memphis. I’ve probably been approached by six or seven people (including a guy who stopped in his car in the middle of the street) asking for money. I gave one guy all the change in my pocket, which was about 32 cents. (Almost enough for a postage stamp!)

3. The best of the seven “other” fights on tonight’s card was a Heavyweight bout between Joe Stofle (of St. Charles, Mo.) and Chazz Witherspoon (of Philadelphia). Stofle looks a lot like former heavyweight contender Butterbean. By the middle of the first round, he was the crowd favorite. Mainly because he was getting killed but he kept coming. They stopped the fight in the middle of the third round after his nose exploded. I’ll admit — I was pulling for him. For one, his name is Joe. Two, he’s from St. Charles, which is where I lived when I interned for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch six years ago. It’s about 40 minutes outside St. Louis (which I didn’t know when I got the apartment) and it’s a nice town, if you ignore the fact that my apartment was the size of a closet and my car stereo got stolen while I was there.

4. Jim Lampley and Lennox Lewis are doing the commentary for tonight’s fights on HBO. If you don’t have HBO, I’ll give round-by-round updates on Vindy.com and I’ll also have stories in Sunday’s and Monday’s Vindicator. If the stories aren’t good, please be kind. I have to write and blog while the fight is going on to make deadline. If this sounds like a built-in excuse, well, it probably is.

Round One:

Both fighters came out swinging, which is unusual for Pavlik, who is a slow starter. Both of them landed some big punches. Miranda got hit with a good right and his eyes were a little glossy for a moment. Pavlik trapped Miranda in the corner at one point and the crowd went nuts. (The arena is about one-third full.) At this pace, there’s no way this fight goes the full 12 rounds.

Round Two

The second round started fast and furious and both punchers landed big punches. A minute in, Miranda was hurting and his legs started to give. Pavlik looks sharp. The crowd is really into this. Pavlik’s nose is bloody. Both fighters are tired already.

Round Three

These guys are still swinging, but neither fighter is landing the big punches they did in the first two rounds. Things have settled down a bit. Still, there’s no way this goes the distance. Miranda got a warning for a low blow with a minute left, but no points deducted. Miranda’s fighting a little bit dirty. Pavlik landed a couple big shots before the round ended but most punches are missing. Both fighters look tired.

Round Four

They showed a replay before the round started of Miranda hitting Pavlik in the groin. It looks even worse in slow motion. The fourth round looks like the third round, more misses, fewer big shots. Still, it looks like a Rocky fight. There’s no defense. They’re just aiming big for the head. They’re basically hitting gloves as much as they are each other.

Round Five

A couple observers ringside had Pavlik winning the first, third and fourth rounds and Miranda winning the fourth. Any questions people had about these fighters’ chin have been answered. After a couple Pavlik punches, Miranda beat his chest, asking for more. Miranda has found his second wind. Can Kelly? Pavlik got hit with a couple vicious rights before the round ended. He’s definitely tired. Hopefully he comes back strong. Miranda wins round 5.

Round Six

Things quieted down and it looks like Miranda is biding his time, waiting to deliver the big rights. Pavlik needs to keep his left hand up and avoid it. Wait! Pavlik lands a big right! Miranda goes down with two minutes left in sixth round. Miranda up and ref gives a little extra time. Miranda in trouble. Miranda hit by left hook — it might be over! He’s up again. Pavlik in control!

Round Seven

The crowd was ooing and ahhing as replays showed Pavlik’s two knockdown punches. The crowd is definitely loving it and loving Pavlik. What a fight! It’s over Pavlik wins!

Kelly Pavlik has just knocked out Edison Miranda in the seventh round with 1:47 left! It’s all over!