Kelly Pavlik-Bernard Hopkins: Old School vs. New School

On Saturday, Oct. 18, Kelly Pavlik will look to solidify his status as one of modern boxing's greatest stars against future hall-of-famer Bernard Hopkins.

Pavlik, the skinny, powerful kid from Youngstown, Ohio, is fresh off his tune-up fight against Gary Lockett. Meanwhile Hopkins, the slick and tactical fighter from Philadelphia, is coming off his recent loss to middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe. 

This fight will be Pavlik's third of 2008. He has sky-rocketed through the boxing world ever since his come-from-behind KO of Jermain Taylor in late 2007.

Pavlik took the undisputed middleweight title from Taylor in that fight, then won the rematch by unanimous decision. Next he fought a mandatory title defense against Gary Lockett and knocked him out in round three.

Now Pavlik is moving up in weight to test himself against the long-time veteran Hopkins.

Bernard Hopkins was handed a close defeat at the hands of Joe Calzaghe in April. At 43, people are wondering if this fight will be the last of Hopkins' historic career, which includes a 10-year long middleweight title reign and a light-heavyweight title reign at age 41.

Hopkins is looking to prove that he's still the best pound-for-pound fighter, regardless of his age. 

This fight is a classic new school vs. old school type matchup. Pavlik is known to have a susceptible chin, but his power and heart are unmatched.

Hopkins has yet to be knocked out in all of his career. He is also a defensive mastermind, but seems to tire in the later rounds.

This fight could signify the passing of the torch if Pavlik scores the victory, with the added possibility that it is the final fight in Hopkins' career. No matter the outcome, this fight is sure to be exciting, and promises to shake up the pound-for-pound rankings.