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| HOW ABOUT PAVLIK AND HANSHAW ?
Just some food for thought...Let's say that Kelly Pavlik makes successful defenses this year against Gary Lockett and Arthur Abraham. Kelly's days at middleweight are numbered as his frame will demand him to grow into a super middleweight and eventually a probable light heavyweight. As Pavlik moves toward a 168 pound title shot he may want to " test the waters " so to speak. An interesting stepping stone match could be made between Kelly and once beaten Anthony Hanshaw. It is a well known fact that Pavlik was born and raised in the tough city of Youngstown. Hanshaw was born in near by Warren, Ohio. Hanshaw went to school in Mansfield, Ohio about fifty miles north of Columbus. Tony Hanshaw has a good following in the Youngstown area and the fight would be a " natural" if held in Y'town. I believe it would stir up a lot of local fan interest and I also think that HBO could sell it to the TV fans as long as it is not a PPV feature. Hanshaw defeated Pavlik years ago in the amateurs and as a pro Tony has had a repectable career. He ran up a nice early win streak including a win over highly regarded Kingsley Ikeke. An injury forced a long layoff but Hanshaw returned with another win streak that put him on the verge of a world ranking. He drew with Jean Paul Mendy in an exciting fight. Next he met future Hall Of Famer Roy Jones Jr. Hanshaw fought an aggressive fight forcing the action all the way but Jones proved to be too fast. He knocked Hanshaw down late in the fight and won a hard fought but well earned decision. No shame for Hanshaw losing to Jones. Tony is still a capable fighter. Could he beat Pavlik ? I say no but it would be no walk in the park for Kelly. Hanshaw would have to be taken seriously but Pavlik always trains diligently no matter who his opponent is. I think it would be a treat for the Youngstown fans if this match was made late this year or early next year.
Jim Amato |
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