Kelly Pavlik stopped Jermain Taylor in the seventh round to claim the WBC and WBO middleweight titles in Atlantic City.
Middleweight champion loses unbeaten record
Kelly Pavlik stopped Jermain Taylor in the seventh round to claim the WBC and WBO middleweight titles in Atlantic City in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The previously undefeated Taylor had failed to impress since becoming the undisputed champion more than two years ago, and was looking to put on a show against the man from Ohio.
But Pavlik - now unbeaten in 32 fights - had other ideas, rising from a second round knockdown to force the stoppage with a wild flurry of punches that left the champion helpless on the ropes.
Taylor made his intentions clear early on, stalking his 25-year-old opponent from the opening bell, and the pair traded heavy blows until a left-right-left combination had Pavlik in trouble early in the second, and eventually down.
Came out firing
The challenger recovered and somehow survived to the bell before tottering back to his corner, and remarkably came out firing in the third as if nothing had happened.
Taylor remained on top through the next few rounds but 'The Ghost' more than held his own, and in the seventh caught Taylor flush with a big right hand.
Still on his feet, the champion stood in the way of a huge barrage from Pavlik, who seized his chance to finish the job leaving the referee with no option but to step in.
"In the second round I felt like I wasted a lot punches," said Taylor. "I should have been coming more with the upper cuts but instead I got wild.
"I got to hand it to Kelly but I can't believe I lost. I had a great training camp and did everything right and I just can't believe I lost.
"He just caught me with a great shot and I just didn't recover. He did not hurt me until that last right."
