Pavlik pounds out 40th career victory

July 8, 2012 at 12:10a.m.

By Bruce Bourquin

Carson, CAlif.

Kelly Pavlik came into Saturday’s super middleweight fight searching for his third straight victory, the 40th in his career and a step toward another title shot.

The Youngstown native accomplished his mission at The Home Depot Center, defeating Will Rosinsky via unanimous decision, in a bout presented by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing.

The judges ruled Pavlik won, 97-92, 98-91 and 98-91. The fight was televised by HBO.

In the key second round that made the biggest difference in the fight, Pavlik (40-2) went for a very early kill, posting Rosinsky (16-2) into his own corner.

But Rosinsky fought his way out of trouble. Pavlik later tattered him with light jabs, then early in the round, he nailed him with a quick right hook to knock him down.

Pavlik followed with a quick left power punch over the top of Rosinsky’s cranium to briefly send him stumbling to one knee.

“I got my right hand right on the button,” Pavlik said. “It was almost like a right hook. It worked.”

To Rosinsky’s credit, he lasted all 10 rounds and was much better than he was given credit for, not only surviving but going toe-to-toe with Pavlik often enough to avoid a straight knockout or TKO. He bobbed and weaved his way out of potential knockout punches and was an absolute pest, at times.

“I didn’t counter the way I should have,” Pavlik said. “It goes to show there are some up-and-coming prospects in boxing.”

As for a title fight — possibly against Andre Ward — Pavlik said he knows he has to stay patient and wait his turn.

“I’ll have to see if I can get a big name boxer after I take a break,” Pavlik said. “Is it realistic? I don’t know. It’s got to be someone close to them.”

Pavlik opened the fight by patiently awaiting an opening to hit the more aggressive Rosinsky, who came out firing with quick jabs and short hooks. Pavlik ended the round with noticeable punches, but Rosinsky appeared to win the round.

Pavlik was challenged more in the third round. With Rosinsky trailing in points, he traded blows more often with Pavlik. Rosinsky also cut Pavlik just below his left eye a bit in the fourth, sending him bleeding before Pavlik’s cut man tried to fix it going into the fifth round.

With the crowd chanting “Kelly, Kelly!” in the fifth, Pavlik went to work, peppering Rosinsky to powerful jabs and quick side punches.

The Pavlik-Rosinsky fight was Saturday’s undercard of the 125-pound WBO/IBF super bantamweight fight between Nonito Donaire and Jeffrey Mathebula.