CARSON, Calif. - Kelly Pavlik's methodical comeback continued Saturday night as the former middleweight champion defeated Will Rosinsky in a 10-round super middleweight bout.
Pavlik (40-2, 34 knockouts) prevailed in a unanimous decision. Rosinsky fell to 16-2 with nine knockouts.
Two judges scored the 168-pound fight 98-91 for Pavlik. A third had the Youngstown native winning, 97-92. The Tribune Chronicle scored it 98-91 for Pavlik.
The bout took place outdoors at the Home Depot Center and was part of a card capped by a WBO-IBF super bantamweight title-unifying bout between champion Nonito Donaire and Jeffrey Mathebula.
Donaire also won by unanimous decision.
Although Pavlik didn't dazzle, he won his fourth straight bout since taking a year off from boxing after losing his two middleweight belts to Sergio Martinez in April 2010. Pavlik has rebuilt his career and his life after moving his training camp to Ventura, Calif., under trainer Robert Garcia.
Pavlik's victory was his second fight in four weeks, and the former champ persevered through a cut above his left eye to pick apart the Queens EMT with big edges in power punches (45-33) and total punches landed (227-159).
"He's a very good, solid fighter, very busy," Pavlik said of Rosinsky. "He gave me good work. I always thought I was ahead, but now I want a big fight in the fall."
Pavlik's punches didn't appear to have the same destructive power he possessed at the height of his career, but he landed more big shots and matched Rosinsky's punch output after a slow start. Pavlik mentioned Lucian Bute and Andre Ward as his ideal next opponents.
