Lockett: Pavlik has underestimated me by Jonny Callender May 29th 2008

Gary Lockett's June 7 world middleweight title challenge against champion Kelly Pavlik is beginning to heat up.   Lockett, from Cwmbran in Wales, fights out of Enzo Calzaghe's Newbridge gym and has an impressive record of 30-1-0 with 21 knockouts. However, when Lockett enters the ring at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, he will be a heavy underdog as Pavlik is recognised as the best middleweight in the world.   Pavlik boasts back-to-back wins against former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor and has also stopped fiery Colombian Edison Miranda on his way to compiling an impressive unbeaten record of 33 wins with 29 inside the distance.   Despite the odds being stacked well against him, Lockett showed confidence and optimism when discussing his title challenge in an interview with BBC Radio Wales.   "Pavlik's brilliant at what he does but he's no Floyd Mayweather, Joe Calzaghe or Miguel Cotto, he doesn't have their all-round game.   “We know what he'll do, come forward at a pace and put it all through the left hand. We've got a game plan for it. “We know what Pavlik can do, but his camp don't know what we can do. They've under-estimated us by a long shot and I'm quietly confident that I can go over there and do the business." As the meeting between the two fighters nears, the war of words has begun and both coaches have taken their turn at stirring the fight.   BBN has already reported on the back and forth exchange between the two coaches and Pavlik's trainer Jack Loew commenced proceedings by suggesting that Enzo Calzaghe could “teach Lockett how to slap like Joe”.   True to form, the snappy Welsh trainer and father of Joe Calzaghe fired back by pointing out that his son's slaps must have been good enough to remain undefeated and knockout 32 guys.   Calzaghe then launched his own verbal assault explaining that he had recently found out that Loew once paved driveways for a living and recommended that Loew could return to his old trade once Lockett had disposed of Kelly Pavlik.   With team Pavlik clearly looking for a comparatively ‘easier' fight having went to war with Miranda and been involved in two hard fought contests with Taylor, perhaps Lockett is right to assume that they have ‘underestimated' him.   Pavlik can be hit and can definitely be hurt as Jermain Taylor showed in his two encounters with the ‘Ghost' from Youngstown, Ohio. Equally, Lockett has shown that he possesses the type of power that can end fights when he connects properly and therefore, perhaps Lockett has more of a chance than nearly everybody stateside is giving him.

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