Written by Scott Swerbinsky

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Last night in Atlantic City, Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik did exactly what he was supposed to do. He simply destroyed an outclassed Gary Lockett and improved his unbeaten record to 34-0 with 30 knockouts.  The performance was absolutely dominating, with Kelly dishing out constant punishment, wrecking Lockett's face until his trainer threw in the towel.  The win opens up all kinds of options for Kelly, including a potential fight with Joe Calzaghe.  My cousin recaps the beating. Last night in Atlantic City, Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik did exactly what he was supposed to do. He simply destroyed an outclassed Gary Lockett and improved his unbeaten record to 34-0 with 30 knockouts.

Pavlik once again looked dominant and retained his middleweight title. The fight was stopped in the third round by Lockett's corner and rightfully so. Kelly was landing almost every punch he threw and Lockett had no answer for the power shots that Pavlik was unloading. Lockett landed a few decent shots that caught the champ's attention but Pavlik continued to come forward like he always does.  Lockett went to his knee a total of four times from the result of combinations and brutal punches.

Kelly Pavlik looked very sharp in a fight he easily could have taken lightly. It is great to see a champion want to get better no matter who he is fighting.  He has a passion for the sport and wants to be the best in the world. Gary Lockett was on the receiving end of a beating by a very powerful fighter. Pavlik is still young and only going to improve. His power is downright scary.

The real question is who's up next for Kelly Pavlik. He got his tune up fight out of the way after four straight hard fought battles.

Will it be Joe Calzaghe, another undefeated fighter whose speed could be a problem for Kelly? There are still talks of a Calzaghe vs Roy Jones match in a few months.  Gary Lockett is trained by Enzo Calzaghe, Joe's father. Enzo and Pavlik's trainer Jack Lowe has been exchanging trash talk for months now. This is the fight fans want to see and it has to happen while both fighters are undefeated. It makes the most sense.

Another option is Arthur Abraham. He'll be taking on Edison Miranda in a rematch on June 21^st. Pavlik already beat up Miranda but this is no gimme fight for Abraham. He defeated Miranda back in 2006 with a broken jaw. Abraham sits at 26-0 with 21 knockouts.  This would be a good fight for Pavlik but not the blockbuster that a fight with Calzaghe would be.

Kelly Pavlik is in a position now that he can fight whoever he wants. He is at the top of the mountain and has never ducked anyone and probably never will. His next fight needs to be against top flight competition. We saw what he'll do to fighters that aren't in his class.