by James Slater – “Contender” star Sergio Mora has upset a number of fans by becoming middleweight king Kelly Pavlik’s next challenger. Set to face “The Ghost” on June 27th at The Boardwalk Hall, AC, the 28-year-old former WBC light-middleweight champ will be a big underdog going into the fight. However, for all the complaints some have made about Mora and his credentials, three things should not be forgotten about the challenger; he will be able to pretty much match Pavlik when it comes to height, he is a mightily ambitious warrior, and he has a record that so far has a KO-by free statistic attached to it.
Indeed, planning as he is to engage in bigger and better fights later in 2009, the middleweight champion and his team cannot really be given too much stick for electing to meet the man from LA. By far the best and most accomplished boxer to have made his name on the popular reality TV show, Mora will give Pavlik a real fight. Having already shocked the gifted Vernon Forrest via majority decision (losing the rematch on points), Mora has proven his ability.. Never yet KO’d, the question is, can the lethal-punching Youngstown man put Mora on the mat and keep him there?
At 6’0,” Mora will be Pavlik’s tallest middleweight opponent since Jermain Taylor. Since the two fights with “Bad Intentions”, Pavlik has defeated 160-pound title challengers Gary Locket and Marco Antonio Rubio (losing a catch-weight, non-title bout against the 6’1″ Bernard Hopkins in-between), having little trouble with either man. Does an opponent who can match him for height and reach give 27-year-old Pavlik trouble?
It’s possible, almost certain, that Mora will present Pavlik with his toughest world title challenge yet. No disrespect to Locket and Rubio, but Mora is an altogether different contender to both men.
Still rebuilding his confidence after the shock points loss to “The Executioner,” Pavlik, some would argue, NEEDS a KO against Mora. While a comprehensive points win would not exactly be a terrible result, “The Ghost” could really do with a stoppage so as to fully regain his reputation as one of boxing’s best and most exciting. A close points win would be bad news. However, if he’s firing on all cylinders, Pavlik will not let the fight get that close on the cards. In fact, if he’s back to his best and if he has indeed exorcised all his Bernard Hopkins demons, Pavlik will win before half a dozen scorecards have been totalled.
Hopefully – and I say hopefully because Pavlik can still become a genuine superstar if he gets back to icing guys in highlight reel fashion – Kelly will walk through Mora, and in doing so will set himself up for a huge fight with his #1 middleweight rival “King” Arthur Abraham.
Mora will come to fight, but unless he gets lucky in the form of facing a Pavlik who IS a fighter who will never be the same after suffering a loss, “The Latin Snake” will be sent reeling inside six rounds at the most.