Howdy Duddy

Monday, Feb. 18, 2008 | 3:32 p.m.

Once again, boxing managed to put its best foot forward Saturday night by getting Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor back in the ring together just four months after their first fight, a slugfest that was both brutal and entertaining.

The rematch at the MGM Grand Garden was slightly more tactical but no less interesting as Pavlik emerged victorious again, this time by decision. At $49.95, it also was slightly less free than their first fight.

In the immediate aftermath, the boxing experts said if the fight game had more nights like this, the sport would have less to fear from the UFC and its many mixed martial arts brethren. This is what boxing experts are wont to say any time two good fighters appear on the same card and actually fight each other, instead of dreaded tuneups against the likes of Spider Rico and K.O. Bossy.

Recent examples of this phenomenon are Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Ricky Hatton. Or Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. a big stack of $100 bills. Or Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. a motorized scooter in his home.

But in the not-so-immediate aftermath of Pavlik-Taylor II, boxing seemed ready to return to its old self, at least to the casual fan. One of the fighters being mentioned as a possible opponent for Pavlik is Felix Trinidad, who, in terms of being shot, is roughly the equivalent of the Bonnie and Clyde death car.

The other was John Duddy.

That's right, John Duddy, whose nickname may or may not be Fuddy. Or P. Duddy.

He's an Irishman, which apparently is all it takes to get a title shot these days. Or in Gerry Cooney's day.

It kind of reminds me of one of my favorite baseball quotes, Jim "Ball Four" Bouton's reaction upon learning he had been traded for Dooley Womack.

"You mean the Dooley Womack?" Bouton said.