Pavlik, Diamond impress on ShoBox

By Jeff Young

05/03/2005

Pavlik, Diamond impress on ShoBox

In front of a sellout crowd, Kelly Pavlik and Kid Diamond took huge steps forward in their careers by scoring TKO stoppages over two durable opponents. The show, which took place at the Golden Moon/Silver Star Casino in Philadelphia, Mississippi,  brought a solid undercard in support of the two televised main event caliber fights including lightweight prospects Carney Bowman III and Hector Sanchez, and bantamweight Jose Nieves.

In the first bout of the evening, Carney Bowman III started off slowly in the first minute of round one, but quickly found the openings he needed to rock opponent Daniel Schlienz. Schlienz never got things going offensively as Bowman picked him apart from the inside and outside driving Schlienz back into the corner in the third round forcing referee Frank Santori to wave the bout off at 2:38 of the round. The stoppage seemed to be a bit premature as Schlienz still had his senses about him and complained to Santori about the stoppage, but it was obvious that the fight was out of reach for the now 4-7 fighter from Minnesota.

Making his professional debut in the second bout of the evening was Puerto Rico's Hector Sanchez against an opponent that turned out to be a very tough man to place a debuting fighter in against in Monroe, Louisiana's John Temple. Temple brought the fight straight to Sanchez rushing him from the opening bell. Sanchez showed that he had solid boxing skills as he used his long reach and his legs to stay away from Temple countering the fighter as he came in throwing wild shots. Temple would have fared better to not to rush in as he seemed to smother his shots when he got in close allowing the rangy Sanchez to slip and counter or to tie him up to force referee Tommy Kimmons to break the action. In the final round, Temple had a late charge, but Sanchez was able to weather the storm and even knocked the mouth piece out of Temple's mouth. As the mouthpiece lay in the center of the ring and with Temple's corner screaming at Kimmons that their fighter did not have a mouthpiece, Kimmons paid no attention allowing Temple to fight the final minute without the protective device despite several instances where he could have had the mouthpiece replaced. Sanchez took the decision 40-36 on all scorecards.

In an exciting third bout, now 4-1, Felix Lora dropped Meridian, Mississippi's Antonio Young in round two en route to a unanimous decision victory by the scores of 40-35 across the board. Young did have his opportunity in the fourth round when he hurt Lora, but was unable to capitalize on the opportunity allowing Lora to tie Young up to avoid the stoppage. Young falls to 7-9-2.

In the fourth bout of the evening, ShoBox alumni, Jose Nieves took an unanimous decision over the durable Baladan Eder Trevizo. Nieves controlled the bout from the opening round winning every round to earn to 80-72 points victory. There were times in bout where it looked as if Nieves may stop the rugged Trevizo, but the opponent was never cooperative and kept putting pressure on the young prospect. It was a solid showing from Nieves who could find his way back on ShoBox in the near future.

In the opening televised bout, middleweight prospect Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik proved why he deserves to have his name mentioned alongside Felix Sturm and Jermain Taylor as one to watch in the division. Taking on Dorian Beaupierre, the bout was considered to be a competitive one from a match making process and a step up for Pavlik. Beaupierre, who was able to take every shot from Daniel Edouard in 20 rounds, could not deal with the power of Pavlik as he dropped Beaupierre in the first round and twice in the second forcing Frank Santori to call a halt to the bout at 2:35. Pavlik improves to 24-0 with 21 knockouts says that he wants people to start putting him in  the list of middleweight contenders like Sturm and Taylor.

"If you look at Jermain and my opponents, we have fought the same caliber of fighters," states Pavlik. "I want people to start putting me in that same class as they talk of Jermain and Felix Sturm."

Pavlik also stated that he would like to get Taylor in the ring and stated that whatever Golden Boy offered Team Taylor to fight Bernard Hopkins that Team Taylor turned down, he was willing to accept.

"If they turned down the Hopkins fight, they do not have to look hard for another possibility," states Pavlik. "I will take that fight."

In the main event, undefeated prospects Kid Diamond and Koba Gogoladze went to war to prove who would keep their record intact. After taking the first three rounds on Boxingtalk's scorecard, Gogoladze found himself in trouble in the fourth round as Diamond placed "The Cobra" on the deck at the end of the round. Right at the final bell of fourth, Gogoladze received a break as Diamond sent him flying into the ropes in what could have been scored as the second knock down of the round but was waved off by referee Tommy Kimmons. In the opening of round five, Diamond connected with a right hand that sent Gogoladze to the canvas for the second time in the bout in what seemed more as a slip then anything else. Gogoladze complained to no avail that he was pushed to the canvas. Gogoladze continued to fight on and made the round competitive despite the knockdown landing crisp punches of his own in the round. In round six, Diamond was able to hurt Gogoladze once again sending him to the canvas, but as referee Kimmons started his count, "The Cobra" walked to his corner telling the referee he did not want to continue to give Diamond his 20th victory as a professional and possibly a top 10 ranking.

Gogoladze claimed he quit because of a hurt left hand, however, it may have been more of an officiating issue then anything else as Kimmons allowed Diamond to constantly use elbows and dirty tactics in the fight including in the final round when Diamond held Gogoladze down and hit him at will in plain view of the official. Even the final knockdown was scored on a foul as Diamond pushed Gogoladze to the ropes and pressed his head down while hitting him with an uppercut.

All in all it was a good showing for Pavlik and Diamond in bouts that are sure to get them bigger fights down the road.

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