It’s too early for history Pavlik has a ways to go before he joins the legends

Matchmaker Bruce Trampler says more time is needed
for a career evaluation.

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

Bruce Trampler chuckled at the question.

Kelly Pavlik is only 25 and he has yet to make his first middleweight title defense, but Top Rank Boxing chairman Bob Arum, a man not known for his understatement, has already made a bold declaration.

“Kelly may very well develop into the best middleweight of all time,” Arum said. “He has the combination of skills, athleticism and height to be more than competitive with any middleweight in history.”

So when Trampler, a matchmaker for Top Rank, was asked about Arum’s comments, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Bob is the biggest boxing fan in the world and he doesn’t tend to hide his opinion,” said Trampler. “When he says things like that, he’s not [blowing smoke], he really believes it.

“Everyone should have Bob Arum singing their praises.”

But?

“I think it’s too early to say something like that,” Trampler said. “You can’t proclaim that while he’s still fighting.

“History decides that.”

Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) is often compared to two fighters from the 1980s, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns, for his punching power and willingness to mix it up in the ring.

On April 15, 1985, in Las Vegas, Hagler and Hearns engaged in what many consider the best middleweight fight in history, which ended in a third-round knockout by Hagler.

Pavlik’s fight with Edison Miranda in May reminded many of Hagler-Hearns for its brutality, while Pavlik’s bout with Jermain Taylor in September was one of the best middleweight bouts since “The War.”

Hagler (62-3-2, 52 KOs), considered one of history’s top middleweights, was 26 when he won the WBC and WBA middleweight crowns. He went on to make more than a dozen successful defenses before losing a controversial split decision to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987. It was Hagler’s last bout.

Although Hagler was a much shorter fighter — he was 5-91⁄2, while Pavlik is over 6-2 — Arum sees similarities in Pavlik’s desire to “stalk his opponent.”

So how would Pavlik fare against Hagler?

“As a matchmaker, I’m not sure what would happen in a fight with Kelly and Hagler, but I’d give Kelly a real shot in that fight,” Trampler said. “I’d give him [Pavlik] a better shot in two or three more years.”

Pavlik’s trainer, Jack Loew, believes Carlos Monzon was the best middleweight in history.

Monzon (87-3-9, 59 KOs) won the WBC and WBA middleweight belts at age 28 1970. Monzon fought the early part of his career in South America, winning the Argentina title in 1966 and the South American title in 1967.

Loew sees similarities between the Pavlik and Monzon — both are tall, rangy and powerful — and thinks Pavlik can someday draw favorable comparisons with Monzon.

“I agree 100 percent with Bob Arum,” Loew said. “Nobody has seen the best of this kid. As long as he stays at middleweight, he might become the greatest of all time.”

Sugar Ray Robinson is generally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing history and often makes top middleweight lists, although he did his best work at welterweight. But Robinson wasn’t considered anything more than a terrific fighter when he was active.

It took time to earn his place in history, Trampler said.

“He became the best pound-for-pound fighter long after he retired,” Trampler said. “At that time, there was no such thing as pound-for-pound. But now, Robinson is the standard by which all fighters are measured.”

Pavlik’s punching power often draws favorable comparisons to Hearns, who many feel was the hardest-punching middleweight in history. Arum has even said he thinks Pavlik maintains his power better, while Hearns tended to fade in later rounds.

Hearns won the WBC middleweight title at age 27, although he didn’t stay at 160 pounds for long, fighting above and below during his career.

Bernard Hopkins, who lost the middleweight crown to Jermain Taylor in the summer of 2005, went 48-4-1 with 32 KOs in his career, but doesn’t always get mentioned among the best because of mediocre competition (and two losses to Taylor).

But, as they say, you can only fight who’s in front of you.

Taylor was almost 27 when he beat Hopkins and made four successful defenses before falling to Pavlik last year.

Taylor’s trainer, Ozell Nelson, doesn’t think of any of those fighters when asked about Pavlik.

“Kelly reminds me of Michael Spinks,” Nelson said. “He’s tall, rangy and strong and he’s a two-handed puncher.

“Spinks wasn’t great, but he was good.”

So what does Pavlik think when he’s mentioned with all these guys?

“It’s a great, great compliment and it’s awesome to be put in there with the top, top middleweights of all time,” he said. “Hopefully, in time, we can go in there and conquer what we want to do and be listed right up there with those guys.

“It’s just great to be mentioned with them right now.”

And, if he keeps developing, that praise will be deserved, Trampler said.

But not yet.

“It’s too early to put that mantle on him as a great fighter,” Trampler said. “A very good fighter, a terrific fighter, even a sensational fighter, OK.

“But great has be reserved until a guy is done fighting.”

scalzo@vindy.com