Written by Scott Swerbinsky

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Kelly did it again!  It was a different type of fight last night, but another great one ... as Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik defeated Jermain Taylor for the second time in four and a half months.  Taylor came out sharp, crisp, and determined but it wasn't enough.  On a night where both guys came to fight, it was Pavlik who pushed the pace for the entire twelve rounds. He was on the assault all night throwing combinations and landing solid shots.  And the Spoon Man tells us about it. "Defend Youngstown" has been the battle cry for many great fighters. Kelly Pavlik is the boxer who now has that boxing-rich city behind him.  And boxing fans all across America will soon be rallying around this kid if he keeps doing what he has been doing.

The undisputed middleweight champion kept his perfect record intact with another gutsy hard fought victory over former title holder Jermain Taylor. The second installment didn't have the knockdowns or the fireworks like the original but it was still a great fight.

On a night where both guys came to fight, it was Pavlik who pushed the pace for the entire twelve rounds. He was on the assault all night throwing combinations and landing solid shots. Taylor clearly had the power advantage but simply wasn't busy enough to win the fight. Pavlik took home the win with a unanimous decision.

Jermain Taylor came out after the opening bell and did what a lot of people didn't think he would do, he was willing to trade shots with Pavlik. Everyone assumed the extra weight above the middleweight standard of 160 pounds, would help Pavlik, the bigger puncher. That was not the case. Taylor looked to be both faster and stronger than Kelly physically. Taylor just didn't want it as much as Kelly Pavlik.

Fighters like Kelly Pavlik don't some around that often. We are very fortunate to be watching this guy and have him in our own backyard. He might not be the most talented fighter or most athletic but he has the biggest heart I can remember seeing. He'll make the opposition fight his fight and take their will. Pavlik wants to win and takes any measure to get his hand raised.

That's what happened in this fight. Taylor looked very sharp in the early rounds and looked to be on the way to victory after six solid rounds. There was never any panic in Pavlik and he just kept coming forward. The pace of the fight picked up and it slowed Taylor down. Kelly just kept up with his assault and in the 11^th and 12^th rounds you could tell Taylor was on fumes. Pavlik looked to be gassing himself but did more than enough to take the last two rounds and solidify the win. All in all, another great win for "The Ghost" from Youngstown, Ohio.

Jermain Taylor looked pretty good and showed some fire. Up next for him will probably be a move up to 168 pound weight division.

What is up next for Kelly Pavlik? After the fight he said he will fight whoever Top Rank wants him to. That might turn into something fight fans really don't want to see. There are rumblings that a matchup with Felix "Tito" Trinidad are being talked about. That makes zero sense. Trinidad has fought two times in the last three and a half years and was dominated both times. He is a Top Rank fighter however, so it works for them, but not true fight fans.

John Duddy is another name thrown out there as a possibility. He is an undefeated fighter and this one makes a lot more sense. Duddy fights next weekend on the Klitschko vs Ibragimov undercard. Having the fight at Madison Square Garden would be ideal as they could pack in a ton of fans. I expect this to happen and hope it does for boxing's sake.

Boxing is back and part of the emergence is due to Kelly Pavlik. His exciting style and power have people talking about "the sweet science" again. He gave them more to discuss yet again with a solid all around performance last night.

Great work Kelly, way to go out and "Defend Youngstown" one more time.