Kelly Pavlik should have postponed his bout with Bernard Hopkins
Posted by Branson Wright, Plain Dealer Reporter October 28, 2008 14:46PM
Categories: Sports Impact

It was a surprise to hear out of the Team Pavlik camp that the no-nonsense, no-excuse Kelly Pavlik may have lost to Bernard Hopkins because of a sore elbow and because of bronchitis, as told to The Youngstown Vindicator.

Team Pavlik considered postponing the fight, but they considered the thousands of fans who planned the trip for the fight on Oct.18 against Hopkins in Atlantic City.

Despite the fans, Team Pavlik should have postponed the bout.

Certainly the fans would have understood. So Pavlik wanted to fight on. He did, but not like he was used to. It cost him the bout but not his title. Nor did he tarnish his appeal as a marquee fighter.

Even if Pavlik would have been 100 percent, that wouldn’t have meant a victory over Hopkins. Pavlik certainly would have looked better, but a victory, healthy or not, was not guaranteed.