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BY KEVIN FRIEDENBERG

In print | February 21, 2008

Every now and then you see a real American sports story. It’s something that makes you glad to be a sports fan, something more American than hitting long balls with HGH: rooting for the underdog. Who knows why sports fans all across the nation root for the little guy, holding on to that slight glimmer of hope (the most recent example being the Super Bowl). Maybe it’s something in our blood that makes sports fans want to see the unexpected happen. Wasn’t our country built upon cheering for the underdog? If I remember anything from history it’s that this nation gained its independence as a little guy fighting the Leviathan. I was fortunate enough to hear about such a story this weekend, the real life incarnate of Rocky IV.

When Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik beat Jermain “The Pride of Little Rock, Arkansas” Taylor on Saturday night for the second time, I couldn’t help but smile and be happy for the guy.

Though this fight certainly did not help Taylor’s career, I do believe that this fight was good for the sport of boxing. There is no hiding the fact that boxing is in decline. Much like Super Bowl XLII did for the sport of football, I think that Kelly Pavlik’s wins over Jermain Taylor can do for the sport of boxing.

The most striking aspect of the dichotomy that exists between these two fighters is their backgrounds. Growing up in the less than affluent city of Youngstown, Ohio, Pavlik is America’s kind of fighter: the rags to riches fighter who keeps his humility. Kelly Pavlik trains in the same gym he has trained at since he was just a boy and thrives under the tutelage of Jack Loew, the only boxing coach he’s ever learned from.

Much like his now-world champion fighter, Loew’s life revolves around modesty and humility. For example, after Pavlik first knocked out Taylor last September, Loew returned to Youngstown to fulfill obligations he had with his second job as an asphalt driveway sealer.

Unlike Taylor, Pavlik was not the kind of fighter who could hire the most prolific trainers and spar in a comfortable and secluded resort while surrounded by the best names money can buy. Kelly Pavlik is a family man as well. Almost every member of his family works on Pavlik’s career in some fashion, and Pavlik prefers to sleep and eat the home-cooked food in the same house he grew up in.

Kelly Pavlik is the ideal American success story. He represents the romantic notion that heart and not money is what is takes to succeed in life. Sure he never had the flashy lifestyle or expensive products that Taylor was privy to from his success as a fighter, but Kelly Pavlik had the pride and determination to stun a champion and take back the sport of boxing for the underdog.

Even the first fight itself is reminiscent of something you would see in a movie. Pavlik was sent to the canvas by Taylor, the previously undefeated Taylor (a stunning 27-0-1), in only the second round and though his fate seemed sealed, he was able to regain his composure and survive to the bell.

Though he was able to battle back courageously, Pavlik was still losing on the judges’ scorecards until he landed a barrage of punches in the seventh round that sent Taylor away and showed the 10,000 fans in attendance that sometimes the feel-good stories do win.

Judging by his post-fight interview, Pavlik wants the same thing that happened to him to happen to his hometown. He wants Youngstown, Ohio, to fight back against the odds and become a top community.

Even though Jermain Taylor had a rematch clause written into his contract in case he were to fall to Pavlik, Taylor again battled but lost to the Youngstown hero by unanimous decision this past Saturday.

If this story doesn’t help reaffirm your confidence in rooting for the underdog, then I don’t know what will. In an era where star athletes are all too often defined by their lavish lifestyles and garish spectacles, Kelly Pavlik is a refreshing look at what sports can really be about.

Kevin is a sophomore. You can reach him at kfriede1@swarthmore.edu.

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