Pavlik braced as Taylor hunts revenge

KELLY PAVLIK has coped uneasily with the fame which has been foisted upon him since the Youngstown, Ohio hero dethroned Jermain Taylor to claim the world middleweight title last February.

Pavlik’s stunning seventh round knockout of the champion, after being floored and almost finished himself in round two, captured the sport’s attention and created a badly-needed new superstar.

But as Pavlik headed into tonight’s rematch against Taylor in Las Vegas, made at a catchweight 166lb limit, he admitted it was hard to keep a hold on his normal life in the aftermath of that victory.