Kelly Pavlik vs. Jermain Tayor 2 Preview

Kelly Pavlik is the favorite to beat Jermain Tayor for a second time on Feb. 16. (AP Images)

The Feb. 16 rematch between former world champion Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor and undefeated current world champion Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik might not have the mass appeal of recent pay-per-view blockbusters like Mayweather vs. Hatton or Mayweather vs. De La Hoya, but after the first epic battle between the two middleweights, it should.

Unlike "Pretty Boy" Floyd, both Pavlik and Taylor do their talking in the ring. Neither are particularly wicked trash talkers. That might make their second fight harder to sell, but it's also exactly what made their first match on Sept. 29, 2007, in Atlantic City, N.J., one of the best bouts that boxing fans had seen in years.

Unlike the past two Mayweather bouts, which arguably failed to live up to the hype, Pavlik and Taylor went toe-to-toe for seven rounds straight and had fans on their feet throughout the fight. In the first round, Taylor came out hard, looking for the quick knockout. Pavlik ate several punches but returned fire on the inside, landing some offense of his own. Midway through the second round, Taylor nailed Pavlik with a right and stunned him badly, sending him to the canvas with a flurry of punishing punches. Incredibly, Pavlik survived the onslaught and recovered.

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