Marco Antonio Rubio

By Eric Thomas: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik’s trainer Jack Loew told Steve Bunce’s Boxing Hour that Pavlik is looking at probably facing undefeated light middleweight contender John Duddy, but only if Pavlik can get by his WBC mandatory Marco Antonio Rubio this Saturday night at the Chevrolet Centre, in Youngstown, Ohio.

By Sam Gregory: This Saturday night, 26 year old Kelly Pavlik will put his undisputed middleweight title on the line at the Chevrolet Centre in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio against WBC’s No. 1 challenger and lifelong resident of Torreon, Mexico, 28 year old Marco Antonio Rubio.

By Manuel Perez: Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30) comes into the fight having lost his last fight against an old Bernard Hopkins in his last fight and outclassed in every sense of the word, whereas Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 37 KOs) is coming off a gritty 12-round split decision over Enrique Ornelas in the WBC middleweight title eliminator match in October. In class, it would seem that Pavlik is a head above Rubio due to his incredible punching power and excellent chin, but Pavlik was made to look so bad in his last fight that anything is possible on Saturday.

By Jason Kim: To be kind, middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) looked absolutely horrible in his last fight, losing and looking way overmatched against 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins in a 12-round unanimous decision in October. Calling it a bad night, never could get off with his punches and was beaten soundly by a fighter that Pavlik, with his youth and power, should have been able to beat if he was the real deal. Instead, Pavlik took a beating and ended up looking one dimensional and limited as a fighter.

By Dave Lahr: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) is only a week away from his comeback fight against his number #1 challenger Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 37 KOs) at the Chevrolet Centre, in Youngstown, Ohio. The burning question is, besides whether he’s recovered both mentally and physically from his disappointing 12-round decision loss to Bernard Hopkins in October, is whether Pavlik will adapt his fighting strategy and try to put more emphasis on using his dormant boxing skills rather than just trying to slug it out with his opponents.

By Matt Stein: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) would like people to think that he’ll be the same fighter he was before his recent one-sided 12-round unanimous decision loss to Bernard Hopkins in October 2008. Besides the obvious fact of the probable mental after effects of being soundly beaten in a shocking loss to the 43-year-old Hopkins, there’s also the possible results of having been beaten for a full 12 rounds by the powerful shots from Hopkins.

By Matt Stein: Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has a lot to prove on February 21st against Marco Antonio Rubio, starting with whether Pavlik has moved beyond his last fight – an embarrassing one-sided loss to Bernard Hopkins on October 18th, 2008. Nothing was lost in the fight in terms of titles for Pavlik, aside from his hurt feelings and some of his credibility as a fighter.