Kelly Pavlik’s loaded right hand helped him stop formerly unbeaten Middleweight Champ Jermain Taylor. Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini cheered along with the pro-Pavlik crowd as Pavlik “Defended Youngstown” at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.

By: Christopher Roche, Ringside

Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik entered the ring to raucous cheers and heavy metal music. Pavlik proved there is still some steel left in Youngstown, and it appeared Pavlik packed much of it in his gloves as he brutally stopped Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor at 2:14 of the seventh round.

Taylor came out with guns blazing. He showed a quick jab, and Pavlik had no answer for Taylor’s left hand in the early going. Taylor caught Pavlik with a hard left hook in the second round that sent Pavlik to the canvas. Pavlik rose from the knockdown, but he was hurt badly. Taylor threw a blazing right that grazed the top of Pavlik’s head, and Pavlik stumbled across the ring. The pro-Pavlik crowd was quickly deflated, but Pavlik steadied himself and survived the round.

Pavlik spent the next few rounds stalking Taylor as he honed in on the champion with his straight right. Taylor was winning most of the rounds, but Pavlik relentlessly pursued the champion. Finally, toward the end of round seven, Pavlik hurt Taylor with a straight right hand that backed Taylor into the blue corner, which was Pavlik’s home base.

Pavlik unloaded a vicious left uppercut that was followed with a right uppercut and Taylor slumped down against the corner. Referee Steve Smoger jumped in and stopped the bout. Taylor slumped down on his backside with his back against the corner. The champion was clearly finished. The stoppage was not in doubt. The crowd erupted in a frenzy as Pavlik ended Taylor’s reign, and he took the WBC and WBO belts away from the four time defending champion.

A full recap, photo report and commentary will follow on this website. We will provide continuing coverage of this stunning knockout as well as coverage of the rest of the card.