NO HOLDS BARRED

SecondsOut Radio with Eddie Goldman

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman begins by reviewing some important fights of the past week. Discussed are the successful defense by Holly Holm of her IFBA welterweight title over Belinda Laracuente, the entertaining draw between Chevelle Hallback and Melissa Hernandez for the still-vacant IFBA lightweight title, and the surprising upset by Carlos Quintana over the previously-unbeaten Paul Williams by unanimous decision to capture his WBO welterweight title.

We next focus on a highly-anticipated rematch coming up this Saturday, February 16, in Las Vegas. When Jermain Taylor, then undefeated and the middleweight champion of the world, first fought Kelly Pavlik last Sept. 29 in Atlantic City, he was a clear favorite going into that bout. Taylor hurt and dropped Pavlik in the second round of that fight, but could not finish him. Pavlik regrouped and went on to drop, and stop, Taylor in the seventh round, winning the fight and the title with a thunderous TKO.

Now the rematch is at hand, although it will be at a catch weight of 166 pounds and not for the middleweight title. Still, the legacy of both men is on the line, and the future of their careers will be in large part determined by the outcome of this fight, as they each vow to be the decisive winner this time out.

At a prefight news conference in New York, we spoke with the middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) about this rematch. We spoke with Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) on a media teleconference call about his approach to this fight. And we spoke with Taylor's trainer, Ozell Nelson, about what changes their team plans to make in this rematch with Pavlik, and about Taylor's engaging manner. This fight will be telecast in the U.S. on HBO Pay-Per-View.

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Labels: Belinda Laracuente, boxing, Carlos Quintana, Chevelle Hallback, Eddie Goldman, HBO, Holly Holm, Jermain Taylor, Kelly Pavlik, Melissa Hernandez, Ozell Nelson, Paul Williams, SecondsOut Radio