Lockett lauds 'fabulous' Pavlik

Gary Lockett lauded Kelly Pavlik as a "fabulous fighter" after feeling the full force of the American in Atlantic City.

Making his first defence of the WBC and WBO middleweight titles, Pavlik scored a technical knockout of Lockett at one minute 40 seconds of the third round at Boardwalk Hall.

"I just couldn't see the punches coming," Lockett said. "It wasn't just one punch, it was the accumulation."

Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs) knocked down the Welshman twice in the second round before sending Lockett (30-2) to the canvas again in the third.

Upon returning to his feet, Lockett watched as his corner threw in the towel, ending the bout before the challenger suffered any more serious damage.

"He's a fabulous fighter. Every time he threw punches, it felt like he was making me pay for it," added Lockett.

Pavlik, from Youngstown, Ohio, overcame a second-round knockdown against Jermain Taylor last September to score a shocking seventh-round technical KO.

The 26-year-old proved the victory was not a fluke by posting a unanimous decision in a non-title rematch five months later.

Hoping to pull off a surprising triumph of his own, Lockett proved he was not in the same league as Pavlik.