The Neutral Corner

BY MIKE ROSE

ESPN.com is reporting that middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs) will move up in weight to fight Bernard Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs) on Oct. 18 in Atlantic City. The fight will be at 170 pounds, five under the light heavyweight limit, according to promoter Bob Arum.

One month earlier, Joe Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KOs) and Roy Jones (52-4, 38 KOs) will fight for the 175-pound title on Sept. 20 at Madison Square Garden.

The whole middleweight/super middleweight/light heavyweight spectrum is getting increasingly interesting. Pavlik is one of the best fighters in any weight class, so is Calzaghe, who hasn't lost a fight and just beat Hopkins, and Jones, fresh off a dominant performance against Felix Trinidad, is enjoying a bit of a renaissance.

So let's take a look at what the future may hold:

-- If Pavlik beats Hopkins, it's very likely he'll stay around the 170-weight limit. Why? Pavlik can't seem to get a good money fight in the middleweight division. I'm not sure how much interest there is out there in a Kelly Pavlik-Jermain Taylor III. It makes sense for him to fight Calzaghe (if Calzaghe can beat Jones). That fight would be at 168, where Calzaghe holds one of his belts (he is also a light heavyweight champion). There were already talks about a Pavlik-Calzaghe fight before the deal fell through and Arum announced the date with Hopkins. If both fighters win, I expect a Pavlik-Calzaghe fight to happen. It's too good of a sell -- two unbeaten champions.

-- It's not a stretch for Roy Jones to emerge out of all of this with a world title. Calzaghe barely beat Hopkins in a split decision. If Hopkins was more active and threw some more punches, he could have won the fight. Jones is active -- for a fighter at the age of 39 -- and throws punches. He also has some speed left.

-- What about Hopkins? As much as I like Hopkins and learned never to bet against him, I feel Pavlik is better than Calzaghe. Bernard will need to step up his offense to have a shot. Still, he worries me because he knows how to win. And the fact that Arum is already saying that this wasn't the fight they wanted and anticipate a Calzaghe fight eventually is the type of motivation Hopkins loves. He loves being the underdog who doesn't get any respect.

-- Wouldn't it be fun if Jones and Hopkins both won their fights and fought each other -- again?

-- I'm not ruling out Trinidad getting involved somewhere. In boxing anything could happen. He could certainly get a shot at Pavlik or Calzaghe. I don't see another Jones fight. After all, a deal with Calzaghe didn't work at the time so Pavlik is giving Hopkins -- at age 43 -- another shot to keep his name in the game. Trinidad could have the same thing happen to him.

But in the end, I'm predicting that we'll get a Pavlik-Calzaghe fight. Two unbeatens champions.

Until then, it's going to be a very interesting September and October.