A Bigger Boom-boom

STANDING BY his locker shortly after stopping Jermain Taylor with a seventh-round knockout last Saturday night, new middleweight king Kelly Pavlik couldn't bring himself to shake a reporter's hand. "Sorry," said Pavlik. "Tough fight."

The reddened fist Pavlik proffered by way of greeting told the story of the evening's contest. A series of devastating rights to Taylor's skull helped Pavlik claim the undisputed middleweight title in Atlantic City and may even have shocked some life back into boxing. Despite boasting a 32--0 record and a high knockout percentage (90.6), Pavlik, 25, was a heavy underdog against the flashy Taylor. That status looked deserved when a 15-punch flurry by Taylor sent Pavlik careening to the canvas in the second round. Pavlik, however, wouldn't stay down ("I wasn't hurt that bad," he says) and fought Taylor evenly for three rounds before unleashing a right that rocked Taylor into the corner. Pavlik moved in quickly, lifting the champ with uppercuts until referee Steve Smoger waved the winner off.

Can this one bout help a struggling sport? Boxing failed to capitalize on the buzz created by the Oscar de la Hoya-- Floyd Mayweather showdown in May: The most-watched fight in history was followed by snoozers like Taylor's win over Cory Spinks in May and Bernard Hopkins's outpointing of Winky Wright in July. Pavlik, however, puts only opponents to sleep. His straight-ahead style is reminiscent of fellow Youngstown, Ohio, native and former lightweight champion Ray (Boom-Boom) Mancini, and with 29 knockouts in 32 pro fights Pavlik is dropping opponents at a higher rate than Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran did. Against Taylor he fought in classic fashion, jabbing stiffly to create opportunities for his potent right. "Double jabs, then rights," says Pavlik's trainer, Jack Loew. "That was the strategy all night."

Pavlik's bullish style has networks interested. Taylor's contract guarantees a rematch, and there will be calls for Pavlik to challenge the winner of the Nov. 3 Mikkel Kessler-- Joe Calzaghe super middleweight bout. "The fans appreciate how he fights," says HBO vice president Kerry Davis. "Which is why we're hoping to be part of as many Kelly Pavlik fights as possible." Apart from a new champ, boxing may have a new salesman.